Small elements create and change the scale of what is already present in your work. Lines can be used in many ways, one productive way is to draw connections between areas and elements within a given piece. Both of these techniques also can be used to create depth, test colors, test shapes, and create divisions within your work without any of the interactions becoming too dominant. 

Grabbing is used to focus us in on an area we like, an area of variation we think will look good together. It separates the grabbed area from the rest of the painting. We paint around areas we like to reveal them and make them clear to see by painting out what is around them. The grab is fast and powerful as it recomposes the entire piece, creates a composition within the grab of colors, sizes elements and space, adjusts the palette by the use of a large amount of flat blocking color. Grabbing removes activity to make room for new activity, as well as creates shapes within the grabs.

The grab is one of the most powerful moves at the base of my techniques. Its a very backward move from what many people are used to, painting around a shape you want to create rather than painting in the shape. This is what gives the collage look. It allows you to capture expression you have already created by grabbing shapes and allowing things to be forced together. This tends to  encourage random and raw capture, oppose making a plan and executing a composition or form. In this case although the plan seems clear we are far more likely to end up with harder questions color choices, the question of is this right or worthy. In contrast to the grab where it seems as though things appear. It also keeps us focused on color, size elements, variation, contrast and base shapes rather than details that can convince us to overlook these more predominant elements of our work. The details are the least important bits, we want to give them the last of our attention. To keep our ideas movements and choices free and experimental.