In addition to my sketches, I included three other failed sketches where either I was trying to accomplish too much, or I was not thinking clearly about the shapes.

1st Sketch: I wanted to break the ice with something more comfortable like a castle. I like shading with lines.
2nd Sketch: Here I wanted to tackle my fears--industrial and artificial structures. I focused on big machinery with complex interior areas. The challenge was simplifying it in my study.
3rd Sketch: I wanted to tackle value sketching with no lines. I love the composition of Russian architecture so I chose that.

1st Advanced Sketch: This one was a struggle. I wanted something coastal with a big shape. The problem was that my reference's lighting was very flat and the lighting had no big, medium, small language to it. It was difficult to convey the subtle roundness of the rocks without changing the lighting. In retrospect, I should have just pushed the lighting.
2nd Advanced Sketch: This combined lunar landscapes with futuristic Russian architecture. This one was the fastest sketch out of all.