Trying to paint

So I've never taken a formal painting class, though I've always sort of regretted not doing it.  I just don't know what I'm missing?  How much of it is about technique, and how much is just things you can learn your own?

I've never really done a formal painting before, I've painted things, but never picked up a canvas and started thinking what I wanted to fill it with.  I also don't have any canvases.

So what do I do when I don't have something that I think I can make instead of buying?  I make it of course!  I had some nice linen fabric that reminded me a little bit of canvas, and I thought would be kind of fun as a background for a painting, so I thought to use that.  Since I'm not good at woodworking, but always have mat board around I decided to use that for the frame.

I had already started painting at this point and don't have any progress shots of doing it since I didn't even really think it was going to work.  But the basic process of what I did was: get mat board, cut a window out, leaving an inch thick so that it's sturdy enough.  Drill holes ever inch, with 1/4" between them and the edge, so I don't tear any of them out.  Cut a piece of fabric with 1/2" extra on either side, and sew it on with embroidery thread.    I did my best to keep it even and stiff enough to paint properly, it's not perfect, but I found it wasn't really a problem!

Progress.  There's a white outline on the figure since I first drew it out on paper, then cut the silhouette out, put it down on the fabric and traced around it with a white pastel so I could keep it the same shape.

I started out with black shading though, which I'm not sure was the right plan?  It made the whole thing end up kind of dark.

And now, what I consider 'finished'.  I don't know about it though!  I think it's not bad for a first try at painting though, right?  I need more practice at light sources I think.  And color.  And anatomy, basically everything :(