Mixed Media Portrait Study

I have been experimenting with some mixed-media collage type studies. 

 In this, I started with a discarded watercolor and did a partial collage on top with torn areas of text from an old book.  Then I painted textures on scraps of white tissue paper with white gesso, and then collaged those scraps on top of the text .  All of this allows some of the original watercolor to peak through, but not that it is recognizable.  

I then took an image of a man's face, made many changes so that it is my interpretation of a face and drew it on top of the collage.  I painted it with watercolors, and then added prismacolor pencil shading and details. 

 Finally, I used block-out white and a small pointed brush  for the beard stubble and mustache.  I like the way the gesso collage shows through the watercolor.