My project is not as abstract as some of the others who have taken this class. My background is as a biomedical illustrator, so I chose a subject I am familiar with, a cutaway image of a normal human heart. I used most of the techniques shown in the class, but I needed more precision with the shapes, so I used the pencil tool to draw the outlines.  Most of the shapes use a gradient instead of a solid color. In addition to the Drop Shadow effect, I also used Feather, Outer Glow, and Inner Glow (using Multiply instead of Screen for the mode). I combined several parts into each layer according to their overlay. This project took me an hour and forty-five minutes to complete.

Here is the final image:

Here is the final artwork on Layer 1. These shapes by themselves don't make much sense.

Here is the final artwork for Layers 1 and 2. Still not easy to figure out what's what.

Here is the final layered artwork for Layers 1 through 3. The openings for the superior and inferior vena cava and the pulmonary veins help them make more visual sense.

Here is the final layered artwork for Layers 1 through 4. Now it's starting to look like something. The big pink cutout helps pull everything together. There are still a couple of disconnected pieces.

Here is the final layered artwork for Layers 1 through 5. I added the cutaway view of the aorta. I originally created the three parts of the aorta on separate layers but later combined them into one layer.

Here is the final layered artwork for Layers 1 through 6. With the addition of the pulmonary artery, the image is complete. It's amazing what you can do with only 21 objects (3 are compound paths, so there are actually 25 shapes used in all).

Here is an image with all the layers in white. Kind of an interesting look.

Thanks for putting this class together. I learned a couple of new techniques and strategies!