Great effort and application Strelok!

Your thoughts are some deep ones. And I think that I can help you.

Artist you are studying -
In regards to the artist you are studying, it is important to take every piece that the artist makes as a meal...so to speak. But in order to digest it you must understand the metrics, or at least give the magic being performed, 'words of identification' - so that you know what is being manipulated at any given step - These same metrics control the style.

Digital Painting -
That is perfectly fine. Most of the time no one knows what a specific tool is used for when performing maintenance on cars or the house. People use needle nose pliers when they should be using a ratchet and socket with an extender. Or a chisel that they ruin instead of a screw driver. This causes similar frustrations for people - they know they can do it but they go to the tool store and the rows and rows of tools are too much.

The secret is that people's processes are the way they are because they break down each of the steps that you mention into digestible steps for them to control until the painting is finished. No human brain can do each step all at once.

Drawing (Shapes), Value, Edges, Color.
Each one has its own "rules". And That is their order of prioritization.
Those control everything.
The most important elements for you now in learning is Drawing, and Value.

There is a structured way to learn it all - for $15 I often reference and link Devin Korwin's "Advanced Basics". on Gumroad.

I went to art school and it wasn't the best. I had to supplement my teaching in other ways and I buy tutorials all the time for fun. This one blew me away - because it is what art school tries to teach you in about 3 hours. And it is entirely more simple and direct.

Once you watch it a couple of times. You can look at your other artists you enjoy and see how they use each step differently to adjust the styles! And trust me everyone is utilizing a version of this fundamentals separation steps. These metrics are the character creation sliders that we all wish we knew we had for art way sooner. It is a 'macro' view on the subject for sure because each one of those steps in the fundamental pyramid has its own class and teacher.

I also recommend buying his fundamental basics PDF. I often thumb through them when I am working on something or need help fleshing out a critique.

What that means is this - When you are studying a piece by an artist look at the drawing (shapes), values, edges and color choices they use to achieve the finished piece and see how they let them control their style with ease.

Next - how do you make those choices based off of the mood you want your piece to convey to attract a certain audience, or express yourself?

And artists wants to express something right? Well this guide by Clint Cearly for color is perfect for that. I recommend getting both his lighting and color pdf. He organized the ideas in ways that are also digestible - for example; positive, neutral or negative. And deciding the Emotion, Energy, and Visibility levels of a piece before you start. Look at a piece and analyze if those are

Understanding Mood: Lighting $15
Understanding Mood: Color $20
https://cubebrush.co/clintcearley/collections/environment-mood-tutorials

Structure and Learning - I see - I forgot that part when I started writing the previous section with links to monetized items.

However - The links I provided are the most cost effective education for fundamentals and their application to illustration I have ever seen in my life. Save up for them. They are worth much more in my opinion.

I watched that Sinix video and it is fantastic. Try to copy the way that he does at first with two values, try just grey and white. Find the "essence" of the dragon head shape from your references listed separating the light and dark like his example to learn his thought process.

It looks like yours were painting over your original line art in the second attempt and losing it, instead of utilizing it along with the shadow shapes that sinix talks about.

He was painting separating the light and the dark with shapes first . It looked like you were sort of shading your piece by painting over the line art with two values for each skin element. What would really work if you applied Sinix's lesson is more like this example below.

The essence of the shadow - But since you already have the line art and the flat color layers you could use this step on a multiply layer to apply the shadow shape to the figure. I do a similar thing when I painted my last piece in my blog here in the forums. Flats then shadow, bounce light (in the shadow side) or mid tones (in the light side) would be the third "value" he is talking about. Since the character you are studying is so light in color, bounce light or mid tones next would work fine.

When I was doing assignments for school - it didn't really teach me how to draw what I wanted. School was only was designed to teach me how to apply the principles of art to something, and force you to finish it, however skilled, under threat of a poor grade. Having the motivation of subjects that you want to draw is very important, and you can use those to push you to complete your own assignments.

Often times those looking for critique are also looking for if they are doing it the right way or not. I can say definitively through my experience you are on the right path. Keep making attempts at drawings that educate yourself that you dont have to show anyone. But also draw what you want sometimes to make sure to have fun.

Copying Artists - Definitely follow your instincts here. Analyze them regarding the fundamentals of drawing, value, edges and color. Watch their videos or process steps and see how they apply them, or limit them, to achieve their certain styles. Their graphic style that you reference just is line art and flat colors, or 'flats'. No shadow to relay the key light, bounce light, rim light or ambient light.

Take what you need to learn from them and move on. Practicing your own application is very important. I provide a lot of examples for that here saying what to pay attention to when helping zannareia here. It's a lot, take it in stride.
( https://forums.cubebrush.co/t/how-can-i-level-this-up-to-a-more-professional-standard-looking-to-improve-please-dont-hold-back/11842/3 )
Just Hit the Drop Down Arrow Over Here----------------------------------------------------------

This is a journey afterall. You have to practice the monk like qualities of patience and consistency. You should also celebrate your progress. No matter how much it is or how far away the next rung might seem. That desperate knuckle whitening clench of the next step only you will feel.

Break your goals down into the fundamentals practice too - not just study of subject. Practice with the digital tool you prefer and dont worry about the outcome. Practice midtones by painting grayscale studies with two values first - then paint the midtones in the light side. Or try painting bounce light or occlusion shadows in the dark side. (Separation of light and dark - What I refer to as NOTAN)

Keep posting and tag me in your blog or post in critique if you want me to stop by! I dont mind at all.

That's the best I can do for now. It is a lot to absorb.

Laters.