There defiantly is technique involved. Ten minutes of description and then go practice is a big part of learning.
Having some one to critique a weld can move your ability forward very quickly.
Part of it is getting the settings on the welder in the ballpark, that can be a catch 22 for a first timer, knowing if a bad weld is technique or machine setup.
Are there any adult education classes available? I took so many evening classes for 15 years it can give a good insight to many subjects for little time or monetary outlay.
Any friends who can really weld? Not just self learned but either work as a welder or at least taken some classes.

You can spend hours learning, but perfecting an error has no value. Every weld should be considered a critical weld.