So in terms of tips... I have a few cheapo tutorials with my own digi tools/approaches for "simplification".
To be honest, getting basics is the first step. Practice practice practice from life and master studies to understand composition, light, color, etc.
To me, when drawing something, shapes are the first thing my eyes see, shapes of component parts, shapes of light and dark, shapes of negative space.
To make strong shapes, you need strong contrast, either in value, or in hue, or even saturation. Now, we all know that blending and smooth gradations give more rounder, rendered finishes, but no matter how much we render, the initial shape is the strongest thing we see.
Now, the basics will only make you a technically proficient person, what is really important to go beyond, is focus on what it is you're trying to tell. Is there a story? Is there a focal point? If so, what are the points of emphasis, what are the extraneous bits?
I don't know if that was useful or not. Hopefully it helped a little???
colormeme
