How to Create a Kaleidoscope Effect in Affinity Photo

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to create a kaleidoscope effect in Affinity Photo. A kaleidoscope is an optical, tubular instrument that consists of mirrors. The mirrors in the tube are rotated at a certain angle (usually 45 or 60 degrees). When you look into a kaleidoscope, you’ll see a variety of patterned images due to the mirrors reflecting each other when rotated. This instrument was invented by Sir David Brewster, and he patented his invention in 1817.

Before you start, go to the following links to download the images used in this tutorial.

Woman

Step 1

First, got to File > Open and select the picture you downloaded.

Step 2

Press CTRL + J to duplicate the layer. Turn this layer off for now.

Step 3

Next, go to Filters > Distort > Mirror. I set the Number of Mirrors to 16 and the Input to 225 degrees. You can set these values to whatever you want.

Step 4

In the Layers Panel, turn off the kaleidoscope layer. Then, select the original picture.

Step 5

Grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add, and check the Snap to Edges box.

Step 6

Take the brush and select the woman and her purse. If you select an unwanted area, press and hold the ALT key and go over that area to deselect it. Also, press and hold the ALT key to select the area between the chain and the purse and for the area of space between the woman’s hand. When you get to the shoe area, include the shadows of the shoe too.

Step 7

After selecting the woman and her purse, go to the Context Toolbar and hit Refine. In the Output section, select New Layer and click Apply.

Step 8

In the Layers Panel, take the woman and drag the layer to the top. Turn the kaleidoscope layer back on.

Step 9

Grab the Move Tool from the Tools Panel. Go to the Transform Panel and click the Lock Aspect Ratio. Then, resize the woman to your desired look.

Step 10

In the Layers Panel, turn off the woman layer. Select the kaleidoscope layer and press CTRL + J to duplicate it.

Step 11

With the duplicate selected, go to Filters > Distort > Affine. To create a pattern using this filter, set the Scale X and Scale Y to 50 percent or any number below 50 percent depending on your desired look. Set the Extend Mode to Wrap. Then, hit Apply.

Step 12

After that, go to the Layer menu. Select New Pattern Layer from Selection.

Step 13

Go to File > New to create a new document. The document size doesn’t matter.

Step 14

Then, grab the Move Tool and resize the pattern.

Congratulations, this tutorial is complete! You now know how to create a kaleidoscope effect in Affinity Photo. For more Affinity Photo tutorials, check out this article on how to create a light leak.