Photoshop tutorial: Create digital collages without using filters

You can create a digital collage to combine your own drawings with stock or found art, photos and scanned textures into a single illustration, that has more interest than just flat colour, and without each element looking stuck on or out of place.

However, rather than using filters, which can look obvious, I tend to use combinations of layers, changing their opacity and the lighting options. Experiment with these combinations to get different effects.

I always start with a hand drawing, and a rough idea of how the illustration should fit together, but this can change. I prefer a ‘non-perfect’ line in my artwork. It gives a more human touch, and avoids the image looking too ‘digital’. Remember, the computer is just a tool, and a pencil and paper are just as important. To create an illustration like this, you should expect to spend about 4-5 hours

Resource: http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk