In this tutorial you'll learn how to use Painter's Dynamic Layers Kaleidoscope plugin 
(Painter 5,  P. Float Kaleidoscope plugin). It's fun and it's easy so here's how it works:

1. Open any image.. one you painted or a photo you have. It doesn't have to be a finished image. Just choose something with plenty of color and contrast or the effect won't be as interesting. (Later, when you see how it works, you may choose something less vibrant if it suits your purposes, but for now this will work best.)

3. Find the Kaleidoscope icon or click the word Kaleidoscope in the drop down list.

4. Click the Apply button at the bottom of the Dynamic Layers section (Painter 5 - 
P. Float section).

5. A small dialog box will open. Type in the number of pixels to create a Kaleidoscope square. The default is 100 and that will create a 100 x 100 pixel square to use when selecting the Kaleidoscope image. 

6. Click the OK button in the dialog box. Now you'll see a Kaleidoscope square, the size you specified, somewhere over your Canvas. (Sometimes they're hard to see.)

8. In the Objects palette, click the right-pointing triangle at the left end of the Layers section name bar to open that section. You'll see Kaleidoscope 1 in the Layers list above Canvas. (Painter 5 - Click the Floaters icon. You'll see Kaleidoscope 1 in the Floaters list.)

NOTE: Notice that no matter what tool was currently active in the Tools palette, when you click the Dynamic Layers Kaleidoscope Apply button (Painter 5 - P. Float Kaleidoscope Apply button), the active tool becomes the Layer Adjuster (Painter 5 - Floater Adjuster) tool (hand with pointing index finger). You'll use that tool in the next step.

9. Now let's do some playing: In the Dynamic Layers section (Painter 5 - P. Float section), make sure you still have Kaleidoscope active, click the Apply button, then type in the size for your next Kaleidoscope image. You'll see another Kaleidoscope square over your Canvas.

10. This time, click the Kaleidoscope square and move it around over the Canvas and watch the Kaleidoscope image change. You can also move it using the up, down, left, or right Arrow keys on your keyboard. This nudges the Kaleidoscope square a tiny bit with each tap on the Arrow key and it's useful when you want to get it in just the right location.

NOTE: If you want to change the size of the Kaleidoscope square before commiting it to an Image Layer, in the Dynamic Layers menu (Painter 5 - P. Float menu), choose Options and type in a new number.

11. When you find something you like, go to the Dynamic Layers menu (Painter 5 - P. Float menu) and click Commit. Now you'll see Kaleidoscope 2 in the Layers list (Painter 5 - Floaters list)  above Kaleidoscope 1 and Canvas (Painter 5 - above Kaleidoscope 1).

13. In the Edit menu, choose Paste Into New Image (Painter 5 - choose Paste then, from the flyout menu, choose Into New Image). Now your Kaleidoscope image is over a Canvas of its own size.

14. Now you can save it as a JPG for the Web or a TIFF for printing... and use it again in another larger image if you want to by copying and pasting it into the larger image.

15. Make the original image active again (the one with the Kaleidoscope Image Layers [Painter 5 Kaleidoscope Image Floaters]), then save it as a Painter RIFF in case you want to work on it again and create more Kaleidoscope images. (Saving in Painter's RIFF format retains Painter specific information like Layers, etc.)