Photoshop Compositing Tutorials
Learn to combine images in Photoshop so no one can tell: clean cutouts, matching light and color, believable shadows, perspective, and atmosphere. Nearly 200 free and PRO video tutorials from Aaron Nace, from your first two-image blend to full conceptual scenes built from stock photos.
What You’ll Learn
A composite fails for one of four reasons: the edges, the light, the color, or the perspective. Every tutorial in this category is really about one of those four, so once you can name the problem you can find the fix.
- Cutouts that hold up. Select Subject, Select and Mask, Channels, and the Pen Tool, including hair, glass, and motion blur.
- Matching light. Reading the direction and quality of light in each source image, then painting shadows and highlights so the subject belongs in the scene.
- Matching color. Match Color, Curves, gradient maps, and Blend If, so every element shares the same palette and contrast.
- Perspective and scale. Rotating and placing objects correctly, vanishing points, and the AI and manual tools for extending a scene beyond its edges.
- Atmosphere and finish. Fog, light rays, depth of field, grain, and a final grade that ties the whole image together.
Where to Start
Start with Compositing Intro, then the Everyday Compositing Learning Path for practical jobs like sky replacement and background swaps. When you are ready for full scenes, the Magical Compositing Learning Path and the PRO course The Ultimate Guide to Manual Compositing are the deep dives.
Free and PRO Tutorials
Free tutorials are complete lessons, not previews. PRO tutorials go deeper and longer, and they include the sample images, RAW files, actions, and presets used in the lesson so you can follow along on the exact same file. A PHLEARN PRO membership unlocks every PRO tutorial on the site, including all of the ones in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a composite look fake?
Almost always mismatched light or a hard, uniform edge. Check that shadows fall the same way in every element, soften and vary the edges, and match the black point and color temperature across layers. The light-and-color tutorials here cover each check.
Do I need to shoot my own images to composite?
No. Many tutorials here build scenes entirely from free stock photos and show how to choose images that will work together: similar light direction, focal length, and resolution.
Can AI do compositing for me now?
Generative Fill and the new extend tools handle backgrounds and fills well, and several tutorials show where they help. Placing a subject convincingly still depends on the manual skills taught here.
Where to Go Next
Compositing draws on everything else. Sharpen the cutout skills in Tools & Techniques, the light and color work in Color & Tone, and the finishing touches in Photo Effects. The PRO library for this subject is at PRO Compositing.
Start Compositing
Compositing Intro teaches the four things every composite depends on: edges, light, color, and perspective.
On This Page
PHLEARN PRO
Every PRO tutorial in this category, with sample and RAW files, plus the full PRO library.
Relight in Photoshop lets you move the light after a photo is taken. Learn the settings, the 30-credit cost, the Lighten fix and how it compares to Harmonize.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Use Rotate Object in Photoshop to turn a pasted object in 3D, then match the light with Harmonize and ground it with a generated shadow for a real composite.
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Combine over 18 images to build a vivid new world! Master advanced compositing in Photoshop 2026 with this updated PHLEARN classic, featuring sample images, an exclusive brush, and a PDF guide.
Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 6.5 hours
18 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 Photoshop Brush | 1 PDF Guide
Build a light effect in Photoshop with Path Blur: draw light streaks that sweep past your subject, keep the eyes clear, and stay non-destructive throughout.
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Use Reference Image in Photoshop 2026 to make Generative Fill precise: select the object, drop in a reference photo, and pick the variation that actually fits.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
5 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Build a glow motion blur effect in Photoshop from a silhouette up: shape the light, add the motion blur, then map the color so the streaks read as movement.
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Discover the world of advanced compositing! Master manual lighting, masking, and color matching across four projects. This tutorial includes sample images, and even two exclusive brushes, so you can follow along!.
Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 3.25 hours
13 Sample Images | 2 Photoshop Brushes
Nano Banana PRO in Photoshop rebuilds the whole scene around your subject. See how to select, prompt, review the variations, and what each generation costs.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 3 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
Harmonize matches the color and light of a pasted subject to its new background, and Generative Upscale rebuilds the detail. See where each one works and fails.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
5 Sample Images | 3 Sample PSDs
Select Subject gives you a one-click cutout, but the selection is worth more than the cutout. Reuse it to swap a background, grade the subject, or build a mask.
Photoshop | Selections & Masking | Advanced | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 4 Sample PSDs
Fix dull skies in Photoshop by spending the time on the match, not the selection: position the new sky, match the light, then blend the horizon line.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Explore Photoshop Blending Modes to easily create conceptual portraits in Photoshop! We’ll show you how to add texture and light, craft double exposures, and build captivating composites in no time. We’re even including a handy Blending Modes PDF guide to help you get started!.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 2.25 hours
22 Sample Images | 7 Sample PSDs | 1 Blending Modes PDF Guide
Create a composite in Photoshop that reads as one photograph: match the light, wrap it around your subject, then unify the whole frame with one adjustment.
Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 30 mins | 1 video
7 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
Realistic sky replacement is a matching problem, not a selection problem. Learn to match the light and colour so the new sky belongs in the photograph.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
A mockup only works when it inherits the photograph’s own light. Learn the three phases: clear the surface, place the design, then borrow the light.
Photoshop | Text & Graphic Design | Advanced | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
Blend If targets your edits by brightness instead of by brush. Split the handles for a soft transition and blend a new sky or a color tone into just one range.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
A layer mask hides part of a layer without deleting anything. That one sentence is the whole idea, and it is why nothing you do has to be permanent.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
Transform photos into art! Learn to blend multiple images in Photoshop, from AI tools to classic techniques, to create stunning, realistic composites with perfect color and light.
Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 3.25 hours
26 Sample Images | 6 Sample PSDs
The Harmonize tool matches a pasted object to the photo it lands in. It works well on objects, unevenly on people, and you should not use it on skies.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Craft extraordinary surreal portraits, entirely by hand in Photoshop! Discover essential compositing techniques, and as a thrilling bonus, learn how to animate your creations with AI.
Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 1.75 hours
21 Sample Images | 5 Sample PSDs
Discover the fastest Photoshop and Lightroom techniques for dramatic improvements: batch processing, dramatic sky replacements, captivating subject highlighting, flawless color correction, AI object insertion, and more!
Photoshop, Lightroom | Workflow & Productivity | Medium | 1.5 hours
21 Sample Images | 4 Sample PSDs
How to apply graphics to a photo in Photoshop: drop a white background with Multiply, extract and knock out text, then recolor the artwork so it matches.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Blend If blends two images together based on brightness alone, no masking required. See it used three ways: adding bokeh to a portrait, compositing stars into a night sky, and coloring with a Gradient Map.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
5 Sample Images | 3 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
How to change a background using AI in Photoshop: Remove Background, generate a new scene from a prompt, then keep the real floor with the hybrid method.
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
How to add accessories using AI in Photoshop: draw the selection where the item belongs, keep the prompt simple, and put one item on each layer.
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 3 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
How to use Select Subject and refine edges in Photoshop: place the new background first, soften the edge, bring the hair back, then kill the color fringe.
Photoshop | Selections & Masking | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Learn the basics of Compositing in Photoshop! In this tutorial we’ll teach you our top must-know methods and tools to get started creating stunning composite images.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 2 hours
16 Sample Images | 8 Sample PSDs
How to create a double exposure effect in Photoshop: blend two frames with Screen mode, control the balance with Levels, flip the overlay, then stack a third.
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
How to generate images from text in Photoshop: start from a blank canvas, steer the result with a reference image, iterate, and generate behind a subject.
Photoshop | AI & Generative Tools | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 2 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
How to add realistic clouds in Photoshop: bring in a cloud plate, mask the sky, unlink the mask, then use Blend If to hide the dark sky behind it.
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Elevate your graphics with a captivating journey through Photoshop for advertising! Learn the essential skills of text, graphics, and compositing, then bring your creations to life in the real world through billboards, magazines, and more!
Photoshop | Text & Graphic Design | Advanced | 4.25 hours
10 Sample Image Links | 12 Sample PSDs