Expectations …

What If I asked you to draw a face in exactly 5 seconds? What would it look like? Compare that to the one you could draw if given a minute. Better right? Then another again, but you have 30 minutes. Would that be better than your first? How much better? 

This is exactly the type of progression you can expect when first being introduced to a new technique. Accept it … do the progression, enjoy the improvements at each and every  step of the way. Expecting ownership and understanding of a technique or idea at first pass - is like expecting to be able to draw a detailed sketch of a face in 5 seconds. Not going to happen.