Gathering many people and other busy collages

Over time, I’ve worked on countless briefs with recurring challenges that have taught me how to tackle specific issues. One common task is creating illustrations featuring many people from images sourced from all over. Working with a few beautiful photographs is one thing, but combining dozens of not-so-great images is a different story—and it’s a skill I’ve honed over the years. Composition, added elements, colors, textures, and a few other secret ingredients are what make these illustrations engaging, fun, and as cool as they can be. Here’s a (random) selection of busy collages packed with people and all kinds of other details.