Magical Compositing Learning Path

What You’ll Learn

The Magical Compositing Learning Path is seven tutorials on images that could not exist: floating figures, underwater worlds, alien cities. Each one builds a complete scene, and each step is bigger than the last. It starts with composites made almost entirely with blending modes, moves to full scenes from stock photos, and ends with an epic built from dozens of images.

• 1. Composite with blending modes Seven conceptual portraits built with double exposures, star overlays and sky composites, mostly from blend modes.
• 2. Match light and color across stock A fantasy scene from stock: integrating a subject, reflections, edge fringing and unified light and color.
• 3. Build a surreal nature scene A giant-deer composite: planning with the golden ratio, refined edges, custom hair brushes and matched light.
• 4. Learn a fine-art process Guest artist Rob Woodcox breaks down how he plans, shoots and composites surreal fine-art images.
• 5. Composite by hand Four composites (fairy wings, a light dove, frozen levitation, a winter scene) with traditional techniques.
• 6. Build and animate a scene An underwater world from fifteen stock images, matched through the scene, then brought to life with animation.
• 7. Create an epic composite The 2026 edition of A Dark Force: dozens of photos combined into one sci-fi epic, almost entirely by hand.

Who This Path Is For

Artists and photographers who want to create fantasy, surreal and conceptual images, and anyone who has finished the Everyday Compositing Learning Path and wants bigger projects.

You should be comfortable with layers, masks and basic selections.

What You Need

• Photoshop Any recent version. The techniques here are mostly manual.
• Sample and stock images Included for every project.
• A graphics tablet Recommended. Painting light and hair is much easier with pressure sensitivity.
• Patience These are long projects. The last one is over six hours.

Animation in step six uses After Effects; the composite itself is done in Photoshop.

How Long It Takes

Seven tutorials and 61 lessons, about 27 hours of video. A Dark Force (2026) is the longest. At a few hours a week, plan on five to seven weeks.

Try one composite of your own between tutorials; that is where planning and photo choice start to make sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a PHLEARN PRO membership?

Yes. This is a PRO Learning Path, so all seven tutorials and their sample files are included with a membership.

Is this for beginners?

Not quite. Start with the Everyday Compositing Learning Path if you have not composited before.

Do these use AI?

Very little. The later tutorials are deliberately manual so you learn the light and color decisions AI cannot make for you.

Do I have to follow the order?

It is built to be followed in order, with each project larger than the last.

Do I need After Effects?

Only for the animation in step six. Everything else is Photoshop.

Where to Go Next

• Portraits Learning Path Sharpen the retouching that composite portraits depend on.
• Graphics & Text Learning Path Add type and graphic elements into composited scenes.
• AI Photo Editing Learning Path Go deeper on the AI tools used throughout this path.
• 30 Days of Photoshop Firm up masking and selection fundamentals.
• Fantasy Composites Learning Path Seven full fantasy scenes, from underwater worlds to dragons.