19 Useful and Creative Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Photoshop

Throughout this article you will find a fantastic compilation of creative photo manipulation tutorials that you can follow using Photoshop. All of the tutorials have been carefully selected so in combination they cover the majority of basic manipulation techniques, tricks and tips to help you on your way to manipulation mastery. With the basic techniques that these tutorials discuss you could experiment till your eyes are sore and beyond to create your own styles and processes thus creating more beautiful imagery for the web and print. 

If you feel that we have missed out a tutorial that covers a vital step in learning photo manipulation let us know in the comment area! and we will take a look. 

You might also like – 11 Creative Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Photoshop 

Honey Covered Flower Tutorial 

Learn how to create this honey covered flower without a honey source file in sight! with the techniques that ‘ImagiCreatrix’ talks about through this tutorial you can go away an create gloopy liquid covered anything! 

Surreal Watercolor Styled Portrait Tutorial 

In the walkthrough above the author shows you a great way to incorporate Newspaper cut outs and watercolor/ink photoshop brushes into your Photo Manipulations effectively.

Surreal Horror Styled Photoshop Tutorial

This manipulation shows a girl looking through a broken window out onto a mysterious and surreal landscape. Yet another tutorial that will walk you through a few techniques of stitching together several photos seamlessly. Also a great lighting tip that I have used a lot (white brush, overlay layer).

Creative Photoshop Manipulation Tutorial

This is by far the most creative manipulation tutorial that I have compilled within this article. Although the tutorial is breif and not as detailed as you might have hoped for, it explains the basic knowledge that you need to achieve this. The rest is down to your own creativity.

Color Drips Photoshop Tutorial

Movement and Photo Manipulation is like a match made in heaven, and quite often produces excellent pieces like the above and the good news is that you can learn how to achieve this style yourself. Check out this tutorial! its easier than you might think.

Paint Dancers Manipulation

This technique of manipulating various water splashes and paint / ink is becomming more and more popular. Especially in the advertising industry, there are a couple of good examples in our ‘42 Creative and Popular Print Advertisements‘ article along with other brilliant photo manipulations.

Ocean Within a Bottle Manipulation

“In this tutorial, our Photoshop Maestro is going to fit an entire oceanscape into a tiny little (magic) bottle!! Techniques here are pretty advanced, so we hope you’ll be able to tough it out with us as we fit an entire ocean complete with dolphins, rough seas and a boat to boot!”

Another Ocean Within a Bottle Manip

In this tutorial you will be shown how ‘WeGraphics’ created “A Life Of Aquatic Sounds”. You will achieve it using a variety of blending mode tricks, photo filters and other useful Photoshop techniques.

Creative Portrait Photoshop Tutorial 

In this tutorial Nik Ainley walks us through the process of making a spectacular image. This tutorial focuses on the big picture steps taken to create this image. You’ll learn some incredible techniques in this tutorial, and get a view into how Nik creates beautiful photo-manipulation based images.

Abstract and Creative Manipulation

This photoshop tutorial will discuss various cut and paste techniques, as well as blending tips to enhance the ‘realism’ of your manipulations.

How to Create an Alien Face

A random photo manipulation trick that could come in handy, or the beginning of a possible business venture. Either way an interesting insight into how something like this could be achieved. $5 to be turned into an alien anyone?

Portrait Tutorial – Create a Greek Statue

This particular tutorial is probably my favorite of the bunch, the author explain some fantastic texturing techniques, and again more photo blending!

Dramatic Manipulation

This photo manipulation walks you through industry standard techniques explained by designer Matt Kloskowski

Fantasy Landscape Tutorial

Another fantastic manipulation tutorial that shows you more techniques to help guide you on your way to mastering the stitching of photos to create something more beautiful.

Fantasy Landscape Photo Manipulation Tutorial

This tutorial shows you how to combine different stock photos to create calm landscape manipulation. You will learn different techniques of blending, changing lights and shadows and color adjustments.

Elephant Sundai Manipulation

I dont think I know of any designer that has ever stumbled into the predicament of having to design an elephant sundae, and I don’t think I ever will. BUT! Im sure I know somebody that has had to use similar techniques, tricks and so on. So give this tutorial some love and attention.

Living Pictures Tutorial

This concept is something that I had actually used at university for a ‘Bravia’ TV advert. Within which I had little ‘Nemos’ (Clown FIish) swimming out of the screen. Using similar techniques to what these guys walk you through in the tutorial above.

‘Turtle Island’ Tutorial 

I guess the reality of turtles becomming a home for smaller lifeforms has its potholes, but it sure makes for some interesting conceptual manipulation work. Throughout this tutorial you should learn some great techniques of how to blend several photo’s together effectively by manipulating the light, color and focus.

Abstract Photo Manipulation Tutorial for Photoshop

In this tutorial you will learn some fantastic lighting techniques and how to mask images the proper way without any of those nasty outlines. Best thing is that the website that created this tutorial also allows you to download the source files for a better inside look!