Welcome to the forum!!! Im positive that with the quality people we have at this forum, the only direction you will go is up!!!! The only thing to remember is dont quit and paint anything you can get your hands on and everything i that you see!!! Practice is key and don't be timid to try the things these stellar artists will tell you! Again, welcome!!
You said it, this place has more instruction and helpful advice than you could hope for. It's as close to going to school for it as you can get. There are practice sheets, video tutorials, and one on one Q&A.
Welcome, the best $.,6#%^* site on the Internet by far. Have a good time and trust me, you won't meet a better bunch of artists anywhere. They are from all over the globe and are incredibly talented.