Select the top three layers in the layers panel by holding down the shift key and clicking on Layers 1, 2, and 3. In the Transform settings panel, in the text box next to the angle symbol, enter 90 and press enter. With Layer 3 selected in the layers panel, click Edit > Transform > Rotate. In the Transform settings panel, in the text box next to the angle symbol, enter -45 and press enter.ĭuplicate the Background layer one last time, renaming the layer “Layer 3”. With Layer 2 selected in the layers panel, click Edit > Transform > Rotate. Layer 1 will be rotated to a 45-degree angle.ĭuplicate Background again, this time renaming the layer “Layer 2”. In this text box, type 45 and press enter. In the Transform settings panel, there is a text box next to the symbol of an angle. With Layer 1 selected, click Edit > Transform > Rotate. Right-click on Background in the layers panel and select Duplicate Layer. Select the Background layer, and with the Move tool selected, drag the layer into the center of the canvas. You now have the template for your kaleidoscopic image! Step 3 – Creating the kaleidoscope If it hasn’t done so automatically, it is a good idea to rename this merged layer as “Background” so it will be easier to keep track of which layers are where. To do this, right-click on the layer titled Background in the layers panel and select Merge Visible. The next step is to merge the layers of the rectangle you have made so that it can be moved around as one layer.

To complete the pattern, keep Layer 3 selected click Edit on the main toolbar and then Transform > Flip Vertical. With Layer 3 selected, click Edit on the main toolbar and then Transform > Flip Horizontal. Layer 1 will flip to create a mirrored image of the Background. Keeping Layer 1 selected, click Edit on the main toolbar and then Transform > Flip Horizontal. With the Move Tool selected, click on the top layer, and with the left mouse button depressed, drag Layer 1 next to the Background image. This will help avoid confusion later.Īt the moment, both layers will be in the same spot on the canvas, with Layer 1 sitting on top of Background. Rename the original image layer as “Background” by double clicking on the name “Layer 0” in the layers panel. Click OK and a new layer will appear in the layers panel. In the Duplicate Layer prompt, rename this layer as “Layer 1” as we will be duplicating a number of layers over the next few steps. Don’t worry about making this too exact as we will crop it to more exact proportions later. Now, duplicate this layer by right clicking it in the layers panel and selecting Duplicate Layer (or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+J). Leave a few centimeters between the image and the edge of the canvas. Zoom out so you can view see the entire canvas and select the Move Tool located at the top of the left toolbar.Ĭlick on your photograph on the canvas, and with the left mouse button depressed, drag the image to a corner of the canvas. Add the same value to the smaller side of the image so that the canvas will be square. For example, the image I selected was originally 59.44 x 39.62cm so I multiplied 59 by 2 to get 118m then added 4 to get 122. To calculate the dimensions of the canvas, look at the largest side of the image, double that figure and add four. Now we need to add some space around the image. Go to Image > Canvas Size and a window will pop up with the dimensions of your current image. This will enable you to move the image around the canvas. Once you have selected an image and opened it in Photoshop, right click on the image in the layers panel and select Convert to Smart Object. From my own experimentation I’ve found images with bold, contrasting colors and negative space result in the best kaleidoscopic images. I’ve chosen this photograph of some fungi growing on an old tree stump. Step 1 – Setting up the canvasįirst, select a photograph. Although I now spend most of my time looking through the viewfinder of a camera, the magic of the kaleidoscope remains in my mind as an early foray into image making.

Remember kaleidoscopes? Those curious tubes with an array of mirrors and colorful beads inside? As a kid, I would while away sunny weekends straining my eye against the viewing aperture, hypnotized by the endless combination of shapes, patterns, and colors.

The resulting kaleidoscope patterns make fantastic desktop backgrounds and wallpapers too. This tutorial is a lot of fun, transforming photographs into kaleidoscopic wonders, often with surprising results.

Black and white kaleidoscope patterns