How I collage

Someone asked this in my Collage Composition group. How do you collage? Put it in the comment section. This is how I do it in general:


I think I work the opposite of how a lot of other people may collage. I actually pay more attention to the negative space rather than the positive space. Since I do so many techniques, I start with the background and work from there. I usually find a focal point that goes with my background and then work with secondary elements. It all depends. I might find a collage image I really like and build a collage around that. I usually try a technique and then build a collage around that. I might just play with paints and then build on a collage. I try to work with what is laying around. I don't plan things too much. I work quickly and intuitively. I just keep layering and putting stuff in different places until I like the arrangement. I do try to get my focal point to contrast from my background. I might see something in a magazine, book, or in real life, then I might want to try something like it but different. Something that I want to do to translate what I have seen. Specifically, I think about what size I want to work on first. I then think about how I want my background orientation. Do I want a painted frame, paint and stamps, stencils, acrylic foam stamps, landscrape background paper, punchinella, and so forth? Once I get the background looking good to me, I start looking at focal points that will work in that background. Once I have found that, I start looking for secondary elements. I also see if I need to contrast more. Do I have different values working? Is my line leading me to the focal image? Does my collage flow? I don't think I consciously think about a lot of it, I just do it now. I stop when I like how it looks. I give it a turn upside down, too. If it looks good that way, then I am done. You see what is there or not there when it is upside down. I embellish less than more now.