I am happy that you like them @thermoplastic:) Indeed, i experimented in various ways and still do. When i started doing collages i used the way you proposed but i was running out of material for the larger artworks. Still by using a bit of imagination i produced interesting results. Then it was this gradient coloured period where i learned a lot about highlighting and shadows and in the end i switched again to photographs, but this time prints on a thick and quality paper:)

Here you can see a desert for the skin and a sea waves for the hair:)