Note on making composite images in Photoshop:

You don’t need sophisticated masking and blending techniques to make effective composite images. The simple cut-and paste approach shown in the video tutorial is enough. Feel free to experiment with the more advanced tools. Generally, though, it’s better to stay within your abilities and use only the tools you feel comfortable with, rather than trying something ambitious and not really succeeding at it. Good creative decision-making at least as important as technical proficiency.

The following slides contain a few examples of composite images or photomontages created by artists. Only the last three were done digitally.

Hannah Höch, 1920s

Höch, self-portrait

John Heartfield, 1930’s

Translation: “Adolf the superman eats up gold and spouts garbage”

Music poster, 1970s

John Baldessari, 2006

Mariko Mori, 1998

Lucas Blalock, 2015