[Tony Pro]

Here's a concept not too many people hear or want to hear. Any good art teacher can only show you tools and methods of learning but the real way to get good at drawing and painting is home practice. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Don't touch a paintbrush until you have come to a good level of drawing. You should find a good atelier in your area or a respectable drawing instructor who can teach you the foundations of good drawing practice and then go home and draw, draw, draw. At the same time, ABOVE ALL, you need to learn to SEE as an artist. That is the goal of any art student. Learn to see. See shapes, see values, see edges. Learn to translate that from the 3-D to the 2-D surface.

Then once you feel comfortable at drawing, you should start in painting. Its hands on experience which is most necessary. Get some books on painting and read.... Richard Schmid's Alla Prima is a good start. Don't try to copy his techniques but use his knowledge of the tools to your advantage. He has 50+ years of painting experience that he poured into that book and that was the number 1 book that taught me to paint aside from long hours at the easel.

Hope this helps!