Thumbnail, Key Art, & Compositing

Images that stop the scroll, tell the story, and earn the click.

I create story-driven visual concepts using Photoshop compositing, illustration, custom photography, stock assets, 3D support, and graphic design. This page highlights work relevant to thumbnail/key art production: clear hooks, fast readability, emotional storytelling, and polished mixed-asset image building.

Scroll down to see a detailed process example.

I have a whole photo compositing portfolio you can see here: https://www.moon-man.com/photo-illustration

These compositing examples combine custom photography, stock photography, 3D assets, digitally painted elements, vector graphics, and Photoshop compositing.

Recent Compositing/key Art Examples

Traditional Photoshop Compositing

Many of these examples were created before AI image generation was part of my workflow. They were built through traditional Photoshop compositing: custom photography, green-screen cutouts, stock photography, masking, painted shadows, colour matching, lighting adjustments, and hand-drawn or graphic elements. This work demonstrates the production craft behind the final images: making separate assets feel like they belong in one believable, attention-grabbing scene.

See It, Be It, STEM It Compositing Process Example

This piece began with a clear visual concept, then was built from multiple sources: custom photography, stock photography, 3D reference, hand-drawn planning, and Photoshop compositing. The goal was to create a polished, believable image that could communicate the idea quickly and hold attention.

The process included sketching the concept, gathering and creating the right source assets, matching perspective and scale, integrating lighting and shadows, adding graphic elements, and refining the final image for clarity and impact.

What this demonstrates: mixed-asset image building, visual problem-solving, Photoshop compositing, lighting integration, 3D support, and the ability to turn an idea into clear, attention-grabbing key art.

Process

Concepting

We started with the idea of placing Mehak and the Skyjack in an exciting film-production scene. I created quick composition sketches to establish the visual hook, then sourced background art that helped guide the lighting plan for the portrait shoot.

Photoshoot

I designed the lighting direction and colour so photographer Trina Koster could capture Mehak in a way that matched the chosen background environment. This helped the final composite feel integrated rather than pasted together.

Compositing
I used a 3D model of the Skyjack in Blender, posed and lit it to match the scene, then exported it for Photoshop compositing. I integrated the machine, shadows, stock background elements, additional figures, smoke/light effects, and purple ambient lighting into the final image.

Refinement
The final pass focused on masking, painted adjustments, lighting balance, hair detail, shadows, and colour integration so the mixed assets sat believably in one polished scene.

Thumbnail Design for “Dead Skunk” TV Show Pitch

Comics Covers as Image Concepting Examples

Comic cover design is a good proxy for streaming and social platform thumbnail design. The job of a thumbnail, book cover, or movie poster is to build tension and curiosity through intimate, novel, emotionally charged scenes. Like a strong comic cover, the image presents a conflict or question the viewer wants to resolve. And it needs to present a promise that gets paid off in the narrative it attracts us into. A strong thumbnail is performance-driven key art: one clear visual promise that communicates stakes, creates curiosity, and hooks attention.

Traverse Comics Covers

A self-directed series of concept covers for an imagined sci-fi adventure comic. These pieces explore how title design, composition, colour, and visual contrast can create curiosity, mood, and the feeling of a larger story world beyond the image.