Photo manipulation is the process of combining the art of photography and graphic design in trying to make a realistic view of an unrealistic situation or picture. This involves combining different sets of photos, extracting different elements from different photos, the use of different brushes, effects, and combining all these into a single picture in creating a certain mood or image that the artist wants.

The challenge in photo manipulation is maintaining or creating detail, making a picture more believable even when everybody knows it is manipulated. The goal of photo manipulation is to give a creative picture that persuades even an expert’s eye. This requires imagination, creativity, and expertise – characteristics true artists have.

Photo manipulations are a great source of inspiration basically because these trigger other artists’ imagination especially for starting graphic designers. This roundup is a collection of 20 ridiculously detailed photo manipulation artworks. Try to study their technique in execution and signature style. For a larger image, please click on the photos to visit sources.