Something of interest.
http://thecloseshave.com/mapping-your-beard-grain/
here's my two bob's worth of humble advice...I've trained my mind to "Shave the lather from my face,rather than the stubble"..this has helped me a great deal, and taught me to apply next to zero pressure to the razor, just letting the weight of the razor & blade do the work and me guding it to do so..Your right about Learning your technique,take your time and you'll see the rewards...Remember,it takes a while for your skin to adjust to DE shaving..
@Paul L is right about Wilkinson's body butter, a excellent Pre-shave,at a very reasonable cost..i would like to add, that you get some "Aloe Vera Gel" also as a post shave, this i guarantee with help 100% with irritation & razor burn, if you have a "Bodycare" shop in your area,i recommend you get some it only costs 99 pence...It's excellent stuff.
Last but not least, enjoy your new shaving experience. Regards.