The people who talk about practicing a lot are talking about reaching an expert skill level. Raemon's example was a basic technique executed with "reasonable" competence.

Sometimes it's just the techniques. My drawing of faces became significantly better once I read a "how to draw" book that told me that the eyes are in the middle of the head (many beginner artists draw them towards the top). Likewise, knowledge of basic anatomy is helpful in drawing figures.

That said, I'm very interested in this series. Good luck!