Composing from the Center or from the Background? -121

The Center of Interest and its surroundings must hang together. Creating a great center of interest is essential but does not necessarily lead the process which, given a fixed architectural setting, for example, may not even be possible.
In Response to a Recent composition workshop participant

QUESTION: In your workshops you have shown how you evolve a composition from the center of Interest but you have also described Gammell, Pleissner and Gerome putting the figures, the center, into a landscape or architectural setting. Is there an absolute best way or how do you determine when to do which and what difficulties might be involved whatever your decision?