Where does one start when making art? I'm really interested in learning but it's so intimidating and everyone gives different opinions on where and how to begin and "just try" is way too broad for my brain and it's all so overwhelming @w@
Ooh, that’s a tough one. You’ve probably gotten so many different opinions because there really isn’t any one place to start making art!
If you’re looking to jump right into technical skills, then drawing or painting from life or photos is always a good option. However, that doesn’t tend to make most people excited about making art, at least at first.
If you have any original characters you want to bring to life, that would be a good place to start! Try drawing their designs and how you picture them in your head, or maybe scenes of them interacting.
Otherwise, if that’s too overwhelming or you don’t have any characters in mind, try drawing some of your favorite characters from existing media! I’d say finding that joy of drawing is the most important first step, and you can always do studies to improve your skills later on.
Most importantly, I would start on good ol’ physical paper, rather than jumping straight into digital art. There's a sort of charm to art made with physical media that can get lost in the digital space, and learning how to convert your hand movements for working on a tablet can be a frustrating additional hurdle when you're first starting out.
(Unfortunately, all of this is just another flavor of “just try it,” haha!!! ^^' Good luck!)