Learning to be a better artist

I have decided to start studying up on whatever materials I can find on tutorials and other ways to become a better artist. I have been showing some progress in my work, but it's still not enough for my liking... so I'm going to try to "kick it into overdrive" throughout the next year or so in order to improve as quickly as I possibly can.

Here is a portrait that I have just finished... I used a purple colored pencil for the linework, and colors with watercolor paint. The whole thing was an attempt at a "speed-illustration;" trying to produce a quality image with materials that do not allow for mistakes, and get it done as quickly as possible. This one took about 1 hour 10 minutes to complete; not including the time for the paint to dry.
Let me know what you think!