The kaleidoscope effect is a technique that utilizes symmetry, repetition and rotation to create patterns that can lead to some wild and creative results. This brief tutorial is very simple but the results you can get can be very complex and unique. There is no limit to the intricacy you can achieve with the kaleidoscope method. By combining various steps along with Photoshops Layer Modes you can generate some pretty detailed work.

The kaleidoscope, from the Greek for “beautiful view”, is a toy made from a tube that contains bright objects and a set of mirrors that reflect the view into repeating symmetrical patterns. The mirrors are mounted at various angles that control the amount of duplicate views. The same principle of symmetry, repetition and rotation works with 2-D graphics.

You need a graphic or image to work from. I selected several stock images and arranged them on a background I created with various shapes, colors and gradients.

1. Now we need to take a selection from the source image. Make a square selection of an area you find interesting by holding down Shift while you drag the Rectangular Marquee tool. Now Copy and Paste this selection into a new layer.

2. Using the Polygon Lasso tool, make a selection from the bottom left corner to the top right corner and clear the lower triangle. Now duplicate the remaining triangle and flip it horizontally.

3. Position the duplicate to the right of your original selection and merge the two layers together. This new shape is the base for your kaleidoscope, so take a moment and make sure you are happy with it.

4. Duplicate this layer and flip it vertically, and then merge the layers. Try and make the points meet at the tips.

5. Duplicate this layer again and rotate it 90 degrees clockwise. Try to make all the edges touch and that there are no gaps, or you can play with gaps and random edges to create something new. This is your very basic kaleidoscopic image.

Tips: You can then take a square selection like step 1 from this last state and repeat steps 1-5 again to further complicate and add more complexity to the image. This could go on forever like a fractal, for my example I only took it so far.

Play with duplicating the final image then rotating at various degrees, and use the marquee tool to clear selections to reveal the layer underneath. For my image I selected the circle marquee tool and in the center cleared the layer above.

Also, try mixing in some of the original elements from the source image- this will destroy the kaleidoscopic effect, but can be very interesting. I created another kaleidoscope image from the original and placed portions of it on top of my step 5 state.

That’s it! Remember just play around with the various steps and you may come up with a completely new concept or exciting effect of your own!

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