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You definitely need a tablet. This is not the EXACT tablet I used for years so I can't promise its great, but i had the V1 (that they don't sell anymore) and its been really solid. I also have another HUION tablet and it works great. I would suggest to start cheap, and when you get good and decide your committed upgrade to something nice. Also just a quick tip, tie the pen to the glove that comes with the tablet. If you drop the pen it will break, and you will need to buy a new one.

I recommend this tutorial : Map tutorial. I really like how you've separated the land with landmarks and how you draw islands.

Theres like 4 of these too coolest things

what about these ?? it’s just like 3 pencils but both normal and coloured lead im assuming or there’s these other ones idk if the first one erases well or not tho - a question on the second one said it didn’t but i didn’t see anything anywhere on the first

Use a paper under your hand to prevent smudging and use a drafting brush or feather to dust shavings often. Drafting brushes are usually made of horse hair so it's stiff enough to clean but not enough to smudge. Here's a link to one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Alvin-2342-Comfort-Curve-Dusting/dp/B004O4LVI8/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=3AIK3JG44XROI&keywords=drafting+brush&qid=1650415730&sprefix=drafting+br%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

Definitely adding some value(shading) could help. But alot of the time, when am artist is failing to achieve a layer of depth it's the tools you're using. Consider investing in a set professional pencils, here is some I suggest that are perfectly affordable with a variety of pencils that can help add even more depth if used correctly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GSRWD19/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_VST64QZ43ZVJPR7W2CM7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

don't be a bitch and fucking grind

I would say the best thing to remember is depth. When you have a broken wall with a hole in there are going to be random shards on the ground and also the wall itself should have some depth. When you punch a hole in a wall it's not just a clean break. There are some pieces that are there and still holding on and then the actual thickness of the wall you can see too. As for scratches on the table same thing try and add some depth using shadows and highlights. Hope this helped, this image might help too wall help

The only textbook my instructors ever had me purchase for my illustration degree was Imaginative Realism by James Gurney (the Dinotopia guy). Lots of good stuff in there, practical stuff that will be great for art in general, not just fantasy stuff. It's an older book, so you should be able to pick it up pretty cheap. Here it is on Amazon.

It all depends on what kind of feel you want, I like to recommend going onto google and finding pictures or paintings with colours that you feel would suit this painting. You could also make a palette using something like Kuler, which can make colour palettes based on the different types of colour schemes (analogous, monochromatic, etc). It's really a question of what you'd like the painting to be. Good luck finishing this project, it always nice to finish a painting that has been sitting for a while.

The book listed below helped me a lot with understanding a lot of drawing techniques. It covers a wide range of subjects, from anatomy studies to landscape drawing. It does cover (texture) shading and light, but not colouring however. Hope it helps.

Complete fundamentals of drawing

Closest I can think of is ofc the 8.25x5 moleskine sketchbook that has 100 pages. It takes ink well (I use a really black India ink, microns, brush pens) lays flat, is portable, acid free, accessible in most places, and reliable. although I'm not sure if you'll like the off-white color. That tends to be more of a factor for mixed media artists but I think it should be fine for ink and graphite

most of my sketchbooks are really smooth, random cheap ones, or for watercolor so sorry I can't come up with more options haha

I think I've found what you suggested! The thing is that the pen is rechargeable instead of needing a battery. A lot of people seem to love it and it comes with a glove and case too. I was able to get the price down to $53 with the options they offered so I just went ahead and bought it! Thanks so much my guy!

If you are just starting out and don’t know if you’ll stick to it, I’d recommend using a tablet like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/GAOMON-M10K2018-Graphic-Pressure-Battery-Free/dp/B07HQDN7W6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=57605632698&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiIicoIyA6wIVTNbACh3mIQeIEAAYAiAAEgLILPD_BwE&hvadid=274739582059&hvdev=m&hvloc...

I’d also recommend using Krita (a software), it’s free and works really well.