The question of how to develop effective composition skills outside of formal study is one I've worked through deliberately over two years.

The foundational exercise: collect a hundred examples of compositions that immediately grip you — from paintings, photography, film stills, anything. Thumbnail them (make small simplified value sketches). Then ask: what is the compositional strategy? Where does the eye enter, travel, and rest? What prevents the eye from leaving?

The analysis vocabulary: I developed mine from several sources — the rule of thirds (a starting point, not a rule), leading lines, figure-ground relationships, value contrast as focal indicator, color contrast as focal indicator, edge complexity as focal indicator.

The transfer practice: before any new piece, do three composition thumbnails. Name the strategy you're using in each. Choose the strongest. The naming forces deliberateness.

After two years of this practice: I can look at any composition I've made and identify what is and isn't working in compositional terms specifically. This diagnosis precision is what enables deliberate improvement.