Anyone that takes their art education seriously will know how important the fundamentals are. These fundamental topics are like the foundation of a building: you need the foundation before you can get more detailed. No matter what kind of art career you choose to take, the fundamentals are a necessity. But how do you get started?
Form
The idea of form is very general but also very important. Artists who learn to recognize form see beyond the 2D paper/screen. They're able to create objects that look realistic because the forms look jubilant and lively. Forms define anything with volume. Your ability to see and understand forms is real crucial to being an artist. Form is a fundamental skill for good reason.
Perspective
Another must-have skill is the ability to draw or paint in perspective. Seeing in perspective is knowing that as things move from the viewer's eye, things seem to get smaller. Terms such as vanishing point and horizon line are basics and must be understood to learn perspective. Perspective is something you just get better at with practice. It also connects into everything you create. Looking back at form, drawing boxes and cylinders, you'll need perspective to do it correctly. The best thing about perspective is you don't need to worry about tone, value, colors, or light/shading. These are necessary skills if you're working for a finished drawing.
Anatomy
Some may argue that anatomy isn't a fundamental topic with the fact it's not required for a good drawing. But, on the other hand, it's a fundamental when it comes to professional work. Once you understand how joints work you'll be able to see how bones and muscles work. It doesn't just apply to humans but also to any animal or creature with a skeleton. Anatomy is one of those topics you could study for years and still not master. Just start slow and take it one at a time.
Composition
Composition is harder to teach from scratch because it's more about the finished artwork. When all the pieces come together and form a whole you get a composition. Your choice of composition is defined by angle, size, perspective, and attention on foreground/background objects. This is still something you should consider while practicing. It's even more important when it comes to digital painting since every painting sets a scene. I can guarantee you, if you practice and keep pushing your compositions, everything will begin to click. This fundamental skill takes time to build up and understand. But once you do, you'll never forget.
Good Example of Composition
Value & Lighting
The subject of value is real detailed because it covers everything related to rendering. Studying value will be very beneficial to form. If you're brand new to value then just keep drawing and trying to render as best you can. Value studies are recommended even though they can be stressful but it's very educational. Start out with still life drawings and progress into portraits. Just simply drawing objects you see around you show results as well. Studying value is real similar to the study of light and shadows. Lighting implies shading and vice-versa. You can't have one without the other. Getting into painting raises concern with colors in your lights and darks. But it should always send the same message through drawing with basic materials. Shadows cast in absences of light, so there's always parts of the object receiving more light than others. This makes sense in theory but it's a whole different ball game when you put it to practice.
At the end of the day it doesn't really matter how you study or which books/courses you use. All that matters is the total hours you spend practicing. So pick whatever interests you the most and keep going! Fundamentals are crucial to every artist and they truly pave the way to success as a future artist.
I do not own any of these tips