starting to puzzle out perspective issues

  I have been working on this castle picture in my free time for a little over a week now.  It is coming along but part of the point of doing this picture is to give me a chance to experiment.  I am trying out a bunch of things like focusing on value before worrying about color,  incorporating photographic images in a manner that doesn't overwhelm or dominate the picture,  trying out building objects by blocking in shapes instead of line work,  and figuring out how to combine photos and drawing and come out with good perspective throughout the painting.  As I worked though I found that the castle and the two pieces of the village just weren't meshing. They looked wrong.  So this was my solution, I don't know if it was a good one but it seems to be working.  I added a black layer and then turned it to about 40% opacity.  Then I stared blocking in the building structures I wanted to keep as well as start adjusting for perspective.  There is probably a better way to do this but I have not found it yet.  Anyway this is what I have so far...