There are several steps you can take to increase your natural ability to draw.  Just because you have spent hours as a child with a pencil or crayons and paper doesn't mean you have skill in the art of drawing.  But, by focusing on several of the following areas, your ability and skills in drawing will be enhanced to bring additional enjoyment to your preliminary efforts. When you first started drawing you probably used stick figures and your work lacked detail or definition.  But, as you matured, your stick figures matured as well.  You added detail and definition  and gave the figures depth and shading.

 

The first thing you can do to increase your own abilities and learn to draw is to study the drawings of the masters of the techniques of drawing.  If possible, you can even copy the works.  Even if you can't get to a museum where the masters works are displayed, you can purchase or borrow books which include works of the great masters.  As you study the drawings, try to formulate an explanation in your mind about how the particular artist achieved the results.  You can ask yourself such questions about the works which you see.  How was shading used by the artist?  Were the lines used thick or thin, and what visual effect did each have in the drawing?  How was the space used by the artist?  Sketches and studies of famous painters are not readily thought of as works of art in their own right, but looking at them is sure to be an enjoyable exercise plus add insight into how they were used in later paintings.

 

Another way to improve your drawing abilities and learn to draw is to find a teacher.  There are many professional teachers of art who are willing and able to provide you with the benefit of the expertise and experience.  When a teacher examines your works, he can help you to get past any problems or blocks which you might meet.  A critique by an expert is one of the best ways in which your technique can be improved. You should make sure you get an professional teacher that is willing to work with you in order to complete work you've already started.  It's important to find a teacher that is will help you improve your own style rather than to expend efforts trying to force you into the mold of his own or another style.

 

The most important tip for you to learn how to draw is for you to see.  Most beginning artists particular draw what they think they see, rather than what is actually there.  If you want to improve what you draw, you must keep drawing.  You should always carry a sketchbook with you and use it to practice in every spare moment.  Form a habit of sketching anything and everything that catches your interest.  Then ask for critiques on what you've sketched and try again, attempting to coordinate what you've learned.  As you practice, you will improve and at the same time gain in confidence.  You will also be developing a style of your own.