You need only observe the many graphic illustrations and images in daily life to find ideas and subject matter. Collage can be used to eloquently illustrate ideas that are often difficult to capture and express. Photographic collage subjects that can be incorporated into artwork can be found in common sources such as newspapers, magazines, color printouts, and illustrated books as well as photographs. If original images cannot be used for an actual photocollage project, high-quality color copies can now be inexpensively made. Since photocollage can be textural and layered, care must be given to the type of support material that acts as a base.
Illustration board is often the best solution when light paper and photographic images are used.
To build a photocollage, most artists usually start by gathering the source images that will be used to create the composite image. Once assembled, the images are first roughly cut to size and then laid out on a flat surface to assess size, color, proportion, and general compositional layout. As the photographic images are seen altogether and then shifted about, ideas concerning their layout and association become more apparent. At this point, the images can be further trimmed and matched to other adjacent compositional images. As the arrangements become finalized and you like what you see, you can then go ahead and start gluing the images down.