I think I am much different than a lot of people here in that I have only just recently started thinking seriously about getting into animation, and have just started practicing seriously. I have drawn casually all my life, but have not really tried to practice very much, and my drawings have been much more "cartoony" than what I see I need for a good portfolio. I only have about a year of high school left, so I realize I'll have to really get going on this. What I have been doing lately is just drawing pictures of objects over and over again.
What would you suggest to someone who has just started taking this seriously, and still has a lot to learn about perspective and shading and realistic characters and the like? As I said the drawing style that I am best at is cartoony, which I was surprised to learn was not what schools like Calarts were looking for. I know I am so far behind the rest of you guys, but I am really ready to go hard for this.
What are some good suggestions for practicing and learning how to draw? Are there any good books on this that you know of? Any suggestions at all would be appreciated, thanks!