The Steampunk style has been a part of fantasy and science fiction artwork and literature for a few years now. Some proponents insist on keeping it entirely science-based, while others like to throw in healthy doses of fantasy. The question they all seem to be asking, though, is "what if X ran on steam?" X can be anything from computers to cars to personal jetpacks. Working prototypes of steampunk-esque machines have even been made (and used). It’s an entire subculture, defined by a propensity toward Victorian aesthetics, practicality, and steam-powered anything. Below are 80 fantastic steampunk artworks to get your gears turning and start you on your way to designing your own steampunk creations.

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The eyes have long been considered the windows to the soul. Photographers often try to focus on a subject’s eyes as a way to add depth and emotion to a photo. But there are still only so many ways you can emphasize the eyes in a standard photo.

That’s where photo manipulations like those below enter the scene. Some are macabre and just a little bit (or extremely) frightening, while others make us think of fantasy worlds filled with fairies and nymphs. And then there are those that are done just to make the subject appear more striking. In any case, all are inspiring and a great place to start if you’re looking for some ideas.

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Book covers can be incredibly creative design projects. They can also be wildly challenging when compared with many other types of designs. A cover has to not only tell something about what the story is about, but also be appealing to the book’s target readership.

Many book cover designers turn to photographs when creating book covers. Not all books have the budget for custom photo shoots, so often stock images have to be used. And what many readers don’t realize is that many book covers are actually composite images, made up of multiple stock images to create the look and feel the designer is after.

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Winter is now in full swing for the Northern Hemisphere. Snow and cold have engulfed the northern latitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, summer has taken hold, bringing with it blazing temperatures. For those of you in the north, the image manipulations below can help us appreciate the beauty of winter. And for those in the south, they can bring some much-needed relief from the heat.

Photo manipulations are probably one of the most entertaining and interesting things to do with Photoshop. Combining unrelated elements into a single image, often combined with other filters, textures, and effects, to create one-of-a-kind works of art can be as challenging or simple as you want it to be, depending on exactly what you’re trying to create.

There are a variety of ways these artists use to combine individual elements into a cohesive whole. Lighting effects, texture overlays, softening, and more are all put to the test with some of the examples below. And if you try all of those and aren’t happy with the results, sometimes emphasizing the fact that the image is a composite can work wonders.

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