If you believe you can handle the technicality of OpenGL, then by all means do it. But as for myself and many programmers that I know, started with SDL.

SDL is a 2D library that can have support from OpenGL, so it's a good progression phase and would be a better platform for learning how games work; your experience with Java and C# should give you an advantage here.

I tried learning a complicated API first with C++, the Win32 API, however this threw me off coding and came back after several months and started with SDL as it's a low level API and builds up the thinking of an API and then the more complicated ones like OpenGL and Win32 API can be learned fairly easily.

This was how I learnt OpenGL and large parts of Win32 API, but of course we all learn differently. Good luck!

i have taken ever once advice

"ever once" --> "everyone's"

I started programming on a calculator, making games on my TI 83+....when i got on to the computer, i used VBA to make a very very simple game, with no internet to learn from, i used the references in the manual for VBA. Now, this is def NOT the way to go, but thats how i started the ball rolling. In grade 10 i was kicked out of high school programming class and placed in grade 12 advanced programming cause i had previous experience and i still past that with flying colors, thats where I learned C/C++....I've learned some more languages over the years, but my favorites are C/C++ and Java.

When it comes down to C++ game programming, I started with SDL. I would go back to it any day too! But if you want to really learn 3D, then I would find a simple opensource graphics library that uses OpenGL and take it apart and learn from the people who already did what you want to do. If you just want to program games, and you want to do it fast, then get a graphics engine. You got to weigh how much you want to do something, whats more important to you? Making games or making graphic engines? It's possible to do both, but in my experience, better aim for one. Think hard, and write the pros and cons of making your own engine, VS using another's. Since I wanted to make games more then remake the wheel, i chose to use another's engine.

The choice is yours, but think hard. And if you decide to make a graphic engine, Personally i say take an opensource engine apart and see how they do it! After you get the basics down first

FWIW, I've used SDL in the past, and it's nice. It provides most of what you want for simple 2D games.

But, compared to SFML, I think it's weak, and it doesn't have near the power. The main advantages of SFML is the graphics engine is on top of OpenGL, which provides HW acceleration for many of the graphics abilities SDL does not provide. When I wanted to rotate an object, using SDL, it was SOOOO SLOW. Using SFML, it was no problem.

SFML has a nice interface for Audio as well, and provides for advanced audio functionality, like spatial positioning, among other things. Input, Network, and fonts are also provided. Also, SFML has a C++ interface, which I prefer.

Personally, if I was going to advise beginners on which rendering engines to use, I would always suggest SFML.