I took a couple shots of same set up with dark and light backgrounds. I wanted some complexity but in hindsight, I think early on, as a relative new-comer to this kind of thnking, simpler forms, and choosing objects with local values that can be more easily grouped together might make this a bit more straight forward. That said, it did make me have to think about how I want to group things. Top row: Dark background. The histogram in PS makes this on the edge of a mid-key/low-key image. I chose the range from objects within the reference image (3rd from left). First image in the row I chose 2 light values and one shadow. I seem to get a better sense of the objects as sitting on the board. In the second image, I chose 1 light and 2 shadow values, and it feels like the lighting is more imporant, as the objects get a bit more form. The light value may be abit too bright, taking it from the cream coloured pot. Second row is the light background reference but this time I started with a 2-value study. It feels like two values is a great place to start to help decide what the priority should be. I did 3 2-value studies. I put the second one first and the first one second by mistake. See that Row 2 Image 2 just doesn't give a clear read on the light or the objects as a whole. R2 Image 1 we get a clearer idea of what's there. And by R3 Image 1, we have a good idea of what is what. So I took that one and moved into R3 Image 2 and refined the shapes, increased my accuracy a bit, and used the mid tone as a light to give a some indication of a plane change as the form goes round the clay pots, or the top of the skull, but I also used it to separate the creamy pot from the green one as they would have lost the idea of depth, or at least that's my thinking. I did try to keep them both the lightest value, using the mid-tone to create that ring around the front pot's mouth to give it a little plane change, but it felt like too much unnecessary information. Will keep doing this as practice but I'll use some simple forms from Lane Brown's awesome set of Simple Forms reference to make it easier in practice.

Thank you Stan for critique. I am so happy you choose mine. While doing the assignment I was confused. You have cleared my doubts. In the video you had mentioned about the fruit that looked like kiwi, well that is a fruit found in Cambodia called Logan.

Thinking in perspective is likely the most mind fuck thing for a beginner lol. I found the first lesson a bit challenge to follow along with as a complete beginner. Perspective the last step is most challenging, I still don't get it. But this seems like one of those things I just have to go through to learn this, it can't be helped. You are my last hope haha

Love what you said about the cheating part Stan. I tattoo for a living, and this is a big part of the industry ever since IPads came out. Lots of tattooers rely on these simple quick cheats, but have no idea how to draw. They’re fantastic to save time and be efficient, but too many people rely on them as a crutch to carry them, and not a tool to help them.