For someones who just starting, thats so much better than what i've seen.
Not sure why but you have done a really grainy appearance which does'nt look right. You need to think of what your making, and what material its made of, for example, the blade of a katana would/could be a reflective shiny metal.
Heres an example
Not very good because i sorta rushed it, but you get the general idea. I didnt edit the outline at all ^_^