When cutting the tiles, I don’t have any idea what the picture will look like.  I begin playing with the bisqued tiles—starting with a border (to define the size).  Then I see what the more difficult/interesting tiles may do.  These define the focal points in the mosaic, but sometimes they don’t work. 

       Once the border and focal points are in place, I start to define the perspective.  This requires a foreground, middle ground, and background.

       At this point, I begin to think about what colors I may use to finish the mosaic.

focal point