I totally agree! But abrunsen: You're off to an good start! I already se allot of improving through your pics in this thread.
Is it pastel you use? Personally I think pastels are hard to work with. They tend to give to intense colors, and its really hard to keep it naturalistic. This is my personal opinion..
then again I think Pastels are a good medium to start with, Youll learn alot.
Maybe after a while move over to watercolor. Its a big change, but for me it was a natural development. Maybe try it you too!
Sorry if I scary you with my English, Im Norwegian!