40+ Best Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Photoshop


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Photo manipulation art has become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to the growing accessibility of tools like Photoshop and the rise of social media platforms that allow digital artists to easily share their work with a broader audience.

Some common themes in photo manipulation art include surreal landscapes, magical or mystical creatures, dreamlike scenes, and dystopian or futuristic worlds. These images combine elements from multiple photos or digital assets, creating a unique composition.

Learning photo manipulation may take a little time and practice, but anyone can learn with dedication and access to the right tools, like Photoshop, and resources, like brushes, textures, and layer styles.

With these photo manipulation tutorials, you will discover how to create mind-bending, otherworldly images that push the boundaries of reality, using techniques like compositing multiple images together, creating intricate photo collages, and adding special effects like flames or explosions.

You will also learn a wide range of new skills for editing, altering, and enhancing digital images that will allow you to expand your skill set in Photoshop. Let’s learn how to turn your ordinary photos into artistic masterpieces!


The Top Photo Manipulation Photoshop Tutorials for Creatives

How to Create a Fantasy Underwater Scene with Photoshop

In this highly imaginative tutorial, you will learn how to photo-manipulate a fantasy woman that is gently floating underwater.

A Fantasy Underwater Scene with Photoshop

How to Create a Beautiful Sunrise Landscape Photo Manipulation

In this tutorial, you’ll create a photo-manipulated sunrise landscape in Photoshop, learning how to combine different images to create a cohesive scene.

Beautiful Sunrise Landscape Photo Manipulation tutorials

How to Create Surreal Digital Art in Photoshop

Starting with a simple city image, in this tutorial, you will learn how to recreate the below manipulation, entitled “Dark Power Unleashed.”

Dark Power Unleashed tutorial Surreal Digital Art in Photoshop

How to Create a Science Fiction Environment in Photoshop

With this tutorial, you will learn how to create the below science fiction scene, learning how to set up your color scheme, set your perspective, and how to create a monster robot.

A Science Fiction Environment With Photoshop

How to Create a Fantasy Fiery Portrait Photo-Manipulation

You’ll learn how to create realistic fire and lighting to bring this ‘fiery portrait of a woman’ together.

A Fantasy Fiery Portrait Photo-Manipulation

How to Create a Planet Explosion Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an impressive planet explosion effect using a few simple manipulation and selection techniques.

An Awesome Planet Explosion Effect in Photoshop

How to Create a Horror Movie-Themed Photo Composition

In this tutorial, you will learn how to, by using the appropriate light balance, use of mid-tones, depth of field, and blending, create this horror movie manipulation.

A Horror Movie-Themed Photo Composition

How to Create a Dark, Conceptual Photo Manipulation

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a realistic and dark photo manipulation by learning lighting and blending techniques, as well as some helpful post-production tips.

A Dark Conceptual Photo Manipulation With Stock Photography

How to Create a Giraffe Neck Knot in Photoshop

You will learn how to recreate a realistic giraffe with a neck knot and how to apply a spotted skin pattern to the knot shape.

A Giraffe Neck Knot Tutorial

How to Undress a Giraffe in Photoshop

This tutorial demonstrates how to undress a giraffe by removing its spots and how to turn them into clothing that is hung over an ironing board.

Undressing a Giraffe in Photoshop tutorial

How to Create a Dark Abstract Crow Photo Effect

This tutorial will show you how to create a dark abstract photo manipulation with crows and then give it a disintegration effect.

A Dark Abstract Crow Photo Effect

How to Create an Intense Blade Runner Inspired Composition

You will learn how to create a photo manipulation of a Blade Runner on an interior skyscraper, learning techniques that will help you create better matte paintings and photo manipulations.

An Intense Blade Runner Inspired Composition

How to Convert a Portrait Into a Creepy Human Puppet

You will learn how to create a creepy human puppet hybrid, as seen below, using just a regular portrait photo of a beautiful model.

Convert a Portrait Into a Creepy Human Puppet

The Creation of ‘Thinker’ Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn the processes for creating this ‘Thinker’ photo manipulation in Photoshop. You will learn how to use a model image and combine it with simple abstract lines and a few flying stones.

The Creation of Thinker Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

How to Create a Colorful Retro Poster Tutorial

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create the below colorful retro poster using stock photos and also learn some creative techniques that can be used in your other projects.

A Colorful Retro Poster Tutorial

How to Create an Eerie Abstract Photo Manipulation

You will learn how to create this eerie abstract photo manipulation called ‘The Pain,’ learning how to combine different stock photos and apply a cold color tone to them.

Create an Eerie Abstract Photo Manipulation

How to Create a Space Battle Scene in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create the below sci-fi artwork that includes a spaceship, planets, and a galaxy.

A Space Battle Scene in Photoshop

How to Design a Futuristic Abstract Portrait

This tutorial will walk you through the steps of creating your very own futuristic artistic portrait.

Design a Futuristic Abstract Portrait

How to Create an Emotional Soft-Tone Photo Manipulation

This Photoshop tutorial will show you how to blend a beautiful lady with a dreamy background. You will also learn how to create the color, add lighting, and make contrast adjustments to fit everything into this emotional art piece.

An Emotional Soft-Tone Photo Manipulation

How to Create an Elephant Sundae Using Photo Manipulation Techniques

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create, using stock images, an elephant sundae.

An Elephant Sundae Using Photo Manipulation Techniques

How to Create a Lamb’s Coat in Photoshop

Here you will learn how to recreate a lamb’s coat in Photoshop using several stock images.

Creating a Lambs Coat in Photoshop

How to Create a Surreal Photo Manipulation of a Monk

This tutorial will teach you how to create a cave by transforming and merging different rock parts.

A Surreal Photo Manipulation of a Monk in the Caves

How to Create a Magical Photo Manipulation

In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn how to not only photograph the photos required but also how to retouch them and combine them with stock photos to create art that resembles a sketch.

A Magical Photo Manipulation

How to Create a Leafy Face Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create the below ‘Leafy Face’ manipulation in Photoshop.

A Leafy Face Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

How to Create ‘Unleash the Dark Power’ Scene in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn the steps to create the surreal artwork below, entitled ‘Unleash the Dark Power.’

Create Unleash the Dark Power Surreal Scene in Photoshop

How to Create a Flying Angel Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

This tutorial will show you how to create a dramatic cloud background, add glowing wings to an angel, and add particles.

How to Create a Flying Angel Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

How to Create a Mystical Night Forest Scene with an Angel

You will learn how to create the below mystical forest scene with a beautiful angel reading a book.

Create a Mystical Night Forest Scene with an Angel

How to Create an Emotional Autumn Scene Photo Manipulation

In this Photoshop tutorial, you’ll learn how to create an emotional autumn scene, learning how to blend stock images together to make a cohesive scene, as well retouch the model and create a rain effect.

An Emotional Autumn Scene Photo Manipulation

How to Create a Melting Camera Scene

In this tutorial, you will learn how to melt a camera using the Layer Mask Tool and Liquify filter.

A Melting Camera Scene

How to Create a Fashion Photo Manipulation

In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn how to integrate a model in a dark environment and apply abstract lighting effects.

Fashion Photo Manipulation with Abstract Smoke and Light Effects

How to Create Surreal Gothic Artwork in Photoshop

You will learn how to create the creepy gothic artwork below in this Photoshop tutorial.

A Surreal Gothic Artwork in Photoshop

How to Create a Serene Fantasy Photo Manipulation

This tutorial shows you how to combine different stock photos to create a calm landscape photo manipulation.

A Serene Fantasy Photo Manipulation

How to Create a Dramatic Fisheye Spartan Scene

In this tutorial, you will learn how to blend and distort various desert landscape stock images to create a dynamic fish-eye perspective and use adjustment layers to add different coloring to the manipulation.

Dramatic Fisheye Spartan Scene tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Beautiful Abstract Portrait

With this photo manipulation tutorial, you will learn how to create a beautiful abstract portrait.

Beautiful Abstract Portrait tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Surreal Apple Habitat Scene

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a surreal apple habitat scene.

Surreal Apple Habitat Scene tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Surreal Desert Scene

In this photo manipulation tutorial, you’ll create a surreal desert scene with everything turning into sand.

Surreal Desert Scene tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create an Inspiring Light Bulb Photo Manipulation

Learn an easy and quick way to blend glass, apply lighting effects and apply color adjustments to get the exact picture you want.

Inspiring Light Bulb Photo Manipulation tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Dark Human Photo Manipulation

This tutorial takes you through the steps for creating a liquid human photo manipulation with textures.

Dark Human Photo Manipulation with Liquified Water Texture tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Photo Manipulation with Nebula Effect

In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn the steps to create a unique, dark, and surreal photo manipulation with the Nebula Effect.

Photo Manipulation with Nebula Effect tutorial in Photoshop

How to Create a Cool Flying Snail

This tutorial shows you how to create a surreal scene by blending stock photos seamlessly. You’ll also learn how to fix and enhance the lighting of your images.

Cool Flying Snail tutorial in Photoshop

Photo Manipulation Tutorial FAQs

  • What are photo manipulation Photoshop tutorials?
    These tutorials teach you how to use Photoshop to alter, combine, and transform photographs into creative, often surreal artworks. They cover a range of techniques to achieve different artistic effects.
  • Can beginners try these photo manipulation tutorials?
    Yes, most tutorials are beginner-friendly, offering step-by-step instructions. Others might be more advanced but are great for learning as you build up your skills.
  • What kind of projects can I create with photo manipulation?
    You can create various projects, from surreal landscapes to fantasy portraits. The possibilities are endless.
  • Do I need the latest version of Photoshop for these tutorials?
    While some tutorials may use the latest features, many can be followed with older versions of Photoshop that have basic editing tools.
  • How long does it take to complete a photo manipulation tutorial?
    It varies depending on the complexity. Some can be done in a short sitting, while others might take a few hours to fully grasp and complete.
  • Will practicing these tutorials improve my Photoshop skills?
    Definitely! By working through these tutorials, you’ll not only learn specific photo manipulation techniques but also improve your overall proficiency in Photoshop.

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