Where to start?

Hello fellow artists. Until recently i was a on and off again artist but, that changed last year. Now I want to take art more seriously but i don't know where to start? For the past year I've been trying to learn how to draw the human figure but, I haven't made any progress. I know about gesture drawing and how they help but i still don't seem to be making any note worthy progression. Am I doing something wrong and if so where do i start?

Maybe you could describe in more detail what you've been doing to practice? How long is a gesture drawing session for you? How frequent? Are you doing an hour of two minute gestures a day for example?

Like Gibberibberish asked, what learning process are you using?

Be aware that you won't improve much by just making a ton of drawings. You also need to acquire knowledge about the fundamentals (the basics) of what you're seeking to learn. Here's where books, classes and mentorship come into play. You need to learn what to think about and what to look for when you draw, and the tools to express your thoughts and observations.

It helps to learn how to draw first (how to control your lines, basic perspective, and how to draw simple forms in perspective) before you focus on a subject matter (like the figure in this case).

Having said that, it's also possible to learn the above using figure drawing as your vehicle if this is really the subject that excites you to draw. In that case, learn how the body is designed and works to keep itself balanced relative to gravity as it performs various actions. Understanding the figure's anatomy and natural rhythms come into play here.

I don't have a learning process or at least not to my knowledge. I have been doing at least 2-3 hour sessions of 2 minute gesture drawing for the past year. Since I don't have a learning process. What type of learning process should I use if I want to draw the human body?

"How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time!"

I'm sorry for the corny advice, but I find it's very, very true in art. Pick one thing -- this can be a fundamental like line, shading, gesture, etc., OR it can be a particular piece of anatomy like the shoulders, knees, hands, stomach, etc. -- and work on that for a week, see if you notice an improvement. When you can't figure out how to do something, look it up! Youtube, books, drawing friends, etc. are all great resources. Then lather, rinse, repeat. Address whatever bugs you most about your art, which should change as you improve.

I also found I started improving a lot faster once I started using class mode. The longest drawing should always be pushing you to do a little more than you're comfortable with.

thank you very much for the advice