I've personlly not drawn too much in a while but when I did and used photoshop a fair bit I found that having a drawing tablet helped, if not to draw the entire piece then to help with lines and the like. After all trying to draw with a mouse is a pain in the butt :P
But the main thing I'd say to help a newcomer with their work would be practise, sketch alot of different things and styles until you find one that really suits how you want to draw, and don't be afraid to ask people to critique your work, when I used to draw alot I got people to do that and it helped me improve from their insights towards my pieces.
Yeah Celestyna made good points.
Practice is the way to make yourself perfect. I am still mainly using old pen and pencil drawing. I also use photoshop for coloring but as it is a bit unnatural for my taste i don't think my coloring style is too far from good.
Examine other people's work who works in the style you wanted. If reading a comic book takes 10 mins for me, examing pictures takes a life time for me. Always read even the tiniest of information you found about drawing.
For me most important part is ability to feel what you draw. If you can see what you want to draw even while your eyes closed and can feel it on your finger tips you can do it. Some minor details can make your picture look better. On the contarary too much details can turn your picture into a junk of lines.
I am not an expert on drawing but i hope this things helps you or others. 
Wait wait... I made good points? Call the press! The Armageddon is upon us!
Though I'm not an artist... Though I think I have a fair grasp of the theoratical side of it.
Oh, and is this for "creative" tips, or "drawing" tips?
Any way:
Step 1: Get to know the tools
Doodle, sketch, play around. Try different things. Maybe you'll find that pencils are your thing, maybe a tablue on your pc, or even just the mouse? How about paintier's brush?
Step 2: Practice shapes!
Sketch, copy things you see, copy from a photo, draw from memory. Draw a car, draw a fruit bowl... draw differnt things to get a feel for the shapes. Don't worry about light and shadows at this point, that comes later.
Step 3: Lighting
Where in step 2 you concentrated on shapes, in step 3 you take a better look at how light falls around those shapes. And try to add them to your work.
Step 4: Human annatomy
You might have drawn people, and you might have gotten the proportions wrong. Maybe you did it right and you have a good grasp of proportions. Examin the size difference between limbs.. how far does that arm reach? How big is the head compared to the body? Is the foot really as long as the forearm? Examin the joints, does the knee bend in the right direction? How far can the elbow bend?
Step 5: Anatomy part 2: Muscles and skin.
People have muscles that show under skin, skin that moves and with people's movements. To get a good understanding of how muscles show, look up body builders! Their exaggerated muscle tones help show where muscles are and how they show.
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
I'd agree with everything ShadowGhost says. Practice, practice, practice.
If you're going to draw figures then draw from life - there's nothing better for learning how the body's put together. If there's a life class in your area, think about joining it. If you can't draw from life, then draw from magazines. I wouldn't recommend copying from comics as all you'll be learning there is that particular artist's style (and many comic artists seem to have a shakey grasp of anatomy, especially female anatomy).
As you work, your style will evolve. Get the basics down first before you play with developing your 'inner artistic voice'.
Draw with what you feel most comfortable with. Personally I've never really gotten on with tablets, so still draw with a mouse, simply because I like it.
@Doctor Destiny
...from the Ryman League of posters
http://drdestiny.deviantart.com/
blog-thing
*Smiles
This should help!, apologies but the linked images to the book covers have long been deleted, but the book titles and publishers are valid should you wish to google/pricecheck the titles.
Happy Drawing Predatory! .o>
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(and many comic artists seem to have a shakey grasp of anatomy, especially female anatomy).
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And that makes me a real comic book artist 
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*Smiles
This should help!, apologies but the linked images to the book covers have long been deleted, but the book titles and publishers are valid should you wish to google/pricecheck the titles.
Happy Drawing Predatory! .o>
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thanks for the linky mumsy il look into those
Good tips guys
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(and many comic artists seem to have a shakey grasp of anatomy, especially female anatomy).
[/ QUOTE ]
And that makes me a real comic book artist
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Comic book art has a tendency to exaggerate specific characteristics, especially persepective, to enhance action and the like.
There's a book called "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" which gives a fairly good tutorial on figure drawing and comic-book conventions.
Of course, that's not to say comic book artists don't sometimes distort other things, or just get it wrong. The typical Image heroine has a highly exaggerated female figure with grossly narrowed waist and long legs. However, it's hardly a specific failing of comic artists. Pinup artwork from WWII is noteable for the extreme leg length of the models, and (of course) in real life women wear high heels and corsets (sometimes quite extreme corsets) to narrow the waist and lengthen the legs. The leg-length thing is because women tend to gain length of leg after puberty, so long legs is hard-wired into a male brain as sexually desirable. I think the narrow waist is similar; it tends to exaggerate the hips, and wide hips are good for child-bearing.
It's kind of depressing that we're all so hard-wired in what we find attractive. And don't think women get away with it either: why do you think mae comic-book heroes tend to be manly, with tight trousers showing off some considerable bulge around the crotch..? It isn't to attract teenage boys... 
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
Also another linky from me...
Linky for starters
thanks for all the tips guys, I made a pretty poor attempt at my tank last night but hopefully when i get my graphic tablet I can actually draw properly.
<copy/pasting from linked thread>
Wanna Learn to Draw? Pick up some life drawing class or go drawing life.
Some of those books are great, most are cheap though. Nothing beats the real thing:
Go out there, armed with a sketch pad and pencil, and constantly draw what you see. Sit in a cafe and draw the people around you, go to the park and draw trees and plants, go to the zoo or a farm and draw animals as they move around, ask a relative or partner to pose for you - naked or dressed - so you get to study the body, clothes and the textures. Go to museums and sit there, on the floor and sketch out those bones...
Remember that if your subjects are moving it's an even better excercise since it forces you to catch that moment in time.
It's cost friendly and the most efficient way of learning/training.
It's all you really need, in essence, to learn how to draw. Those books should come afterwards, when you start thinking about new tools to be using or how to expand using colours (watercolours or copic makers).
Let me get this straight. You'll never get to exagerate superheroes bodies - no matter how much artistic licence you apply - if you don't check the human anatomy first: bones/muscles/limbs...
If you guys are serious about wanting to draw, those are easy steps, easy on the wallet and the best "How to draw anything" technique.
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Wanna Learn to Draw? Pick up some life drawing class or go drawing life.
[snip]
Let me get this straight. You'll never get to exagerate superheroes bodies - no matter how much artistic licence you apply - if you don't check the human anatomy first: bones/muscles/limbs...
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This!
Learn how it's put together first, then play with the style!
@Doctor Destiny
...from the Ryman League of posters
http://drdestiny.deviantart.com/
blog-thing
Hey guys,
I havent seen a post like this yet and some of the art on the forums is simply amazing. However, I myself am new to this and would like to start drawing up some of my charecters.
Im sure a few people are like me when they simply have no idea where to start.
So, has anyone got any help for the people wanting to start drawing there charecters using something like photoshop? Or any tips & tricks you learned along the way to help the newcomer improve his/her work?