Over the last few months, I've been trying to get better at graphic design and aesthetics.
Just as a quick reminder (you may skip), graphic design consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. [...] Its practice involves creativity, innovation, using manual or digital tools, and using text and graphics to communicate visually.
Design interest
I want to be better at design because I need this skill for crafting attractive user-interfaces (UI), for websites or applications. I do also enjoy creating artworks and sharing them (as most people).
After getting familiar with the basics, I quickly got tangible results: In real-life, when looking at a designed item, such as a logo, a street sign, an artwork, or any writing, I can see more things, I'm more interested, I interpret details and I may guess the designer intent.
Design practice
I mainly practice on Adobe Illustrator, the leading vector-drawing software, where I can draw anything, from simple shapes to complex compositions.
I like Illustrator because I can interact and play with the graphic design primitives (shapes, curves, colors, fonts..) in an intuitive and easy way. I then try combinations and iterate. This gives way to infinite possibilities.
As of now, I know the main shortcuts and I understand the main Illustrator tools. But I'm still far from mastering it, and more importantly, what to do with it once I master it.
Representing the real world
I tried drawing realistic sceneries, and I ran into the 3D perspective subject: Parallel lines do not always appear parallel to the eye. Instead some of those lines converge and meet at a distant vanishing point.
While I could follow a tutorial blindly to get the perspective working, I struggled to understand the perspective's logic. I later realized that I didn't understand the eye vision altogether.
The eye vision is difficult to understand because there are a lot of variables and situations, and because some simplistic explanations are confusing and misleading.