Indeed.. Trust me, I got some really bad shots aswell
Loads of underexposed ones where I tried to do it manually
Need to know what buttons do what on the camera before I do that..
The camera should show a lightmeter through the viewfinder, or if it has an LCD display, it'll probably show it there.
If you're shooting fully manual, you'll need to work both aperture and shutter speed. Generally, I'd try to keep the shutter speed above 1/60. And slower than that and there's an increased chance of camera shake. Shooting outdoors though, there's a pretty low chance of shooting at that speed anyway.
Also, Canon DSLR's are fantastic with high ISO settings, so if you're indoors, switch to a higher ISO. This'll allow you to shoot without using the flash, which tends to flatten the image (as the Orangutan shows)
As for the settings on the dial, I couldn't explain all as I don't have that camera, and only have a Nikon D40x, but I guess most are similar or very self explanatory.
I mostly shoot on 'P' setting. Exposure is auto, but flash will only come on if you set it to. You can also control ISO. I forget what it stands for now - Programmed, or something like that. Someone please correct me if that's incorrect.
'A' setting - Aperture priority. Here, you can set the aperture, and the shutter speed will adjust itself accordingly for the exposure. Good for a variety of purposes - macro shots for example - you can control depth of field through aperture, so this will allow you to easily change it if need be. It could also be great for landscapes, as you could set the aperture to F11 or above to ensure everything is in focus.
'S' setting - Shutter speed priority. Pretty much the same as 'A', but with shutter speed. Ideal for action shots as you can maintain a fast shutter speed to capture the action, without having to worry about aperture as well.
'M' - obviously manual mode. You'll need to use the in-camera lightmeter here to expose your shots properly
All the other dials are pretty easy to work out. Generally they include; sports, macro, portrait, landscape, night etc. I generally avoid using them, as I don't really get the same level of control. Some may allow you to change some settings, others won't.
Also, since you have a DSLR, make sure you get used to shooting RAW. You'll reveal entirely new levels of editing possibilities and image quality and control. File sizes can me much larger, but if you want a quality shot, this is THE setting to use. It can also help correct minor over/under exposure issues, as well as editing white balance, sharpness etc. after you've taken the shot.
Hope that's of some help.
As for the shots, they're looking pretty good. Some nice closeups. Don't feel you need to limit your shots to just that if you want details. The location and body language of the subject can be just as important as what their face is telling us.
Keep those pics coming!