To do perspective without using math is a trick of shading, size, position on page, and so on. Our instructor wanted to constrain us even more and had us use ink to let us work modulo the darkness (value) clues we had been studying. So, this is an attempt to get a three-dimensional space without hardly any crutches to lean on.

I decided reference was important. I added branches to the tree trunks by going out of a mental image, but I was never happy with them. Then I saw some other drawings that I liked the structure a lot better. I think if I'd actually, you know, looked at some real trees before drawing branches, I might have done better.

I also learned that overlap is about the most powerful technique one can use to indicate relative depth. I played with it a little using branches. Seeing other people put in a horizon line, with some trees in front and some behind, really made a world of difference.

Third, I learned placing things in the frame matters, a lot. Having a tree go all the way off the bottom really helped ground the image. Without it, things just sort of floated.

Finally, and this is sort of abstract, I decided I should try to think of the page as a window into an empty room of completely white walls. Each mark I make is like putting something in the room. This is similar to how I think of photography and raytracing, so you think it would be obvious to me to do it in drawing, but I keep seeming to forget. Our instructor really keeps making a point of "think of the space too" so maybe I'll someday remember.

Another point he made that I have troubles keeping in mind is to construct the scene so that the eye automatically starts moving around. Lines of direction/motion/action/etceteras are very good friends to have.

Wow, that's a lot for one assignment. (Other ten versions of this same thing are not shown.)