the way i'm getting my head around synthesis is to simply just take note of how certain characteristics of a sound are made.

its best to learn the ropes with a very basic synth, such as the Pro-53 or a simple subtractive hardware synth. Virtual synths are good for this because you can see the knob positions change when you change presets. Dig around the presets, and find one you like. Fiddle with each parameter to get an idea of how it affects the resulting sound. Take a screenshot of the synth you are working with, save it, and open it up in a new window. Now move every knob, button, and fader to the 0 or lowest position. Now, starting with the oscilator section, rebuild the preset you took the screenshot of. This way, you will hear how things like modulation can sculpt the sound. Do this for a week, then try to build your own patch. I'll bet you a million bux that your synthesis abilities and creativity will increase.