In my humble opinion, the golden rule of drawing is to experiment and find your own style; you can draw stunning works of art and impress the masses with a style that everybody knows and likes, but the way I see it, a little doodle in your own unique style is just as nice. Maybe not as popular or aesthetically appealing, but a self-drawn, self-styled picture just has that unique little charm. I occasionally look at tutorials, but often they just don't suit me, so I just take the basic hints from them and work from there. If you're still a "beginner", it's okay to trace or "copy" other images, but remember that this will do you no real good in the long run - you have to learn to draw by yourself. Also, don't worry if your work looks crap at first; everybody who likes to draw, myself included - heck, myself especially - will most likely have a stash of older drawings they aren't very fond of. As you improve, try looking back at your older work and see how much you've improved, then strive to improve further.
Short version: start simple and develop your own style as you go. Practice really does make perfect.