Spyrograph Effect (Exclusive Tutorial)

I have been always enchanted by the process of creating intricate and fancy design with the help of spirograph. In childhood this inelaborate device seemed to do miracles on the paper. Why not try to repeat the effect now? We're going to do that with the help of photoshop of course ;)

Let's start with the creating of a new photoshop document of 400x400px. Create a new layer and make a round selection of 80x80px at the top of the canvas.

Apply Stroke to the selection and Deselect.

Now fetch Free Transform tool, move the central point (kingbolt) to the middle of the canvas and set the angle of turn of 6 degrees clockwise.

Push Enter. Now Transform Again and you'll get two circles.

Push Transform Again as many times till the closed circuit is formed (60 times, if you set the angle of turn of 6 degrees). This is the key-note of creating patterns in photoshop. You choose any Shape, set some angle of turn, and make Transform Again till the pattern is formed.

Merge layers and your pattern is ready. Now you can do anything you like with it: paint it, add something, use it as a part of your design, etc.

Now I'm going to form it as it is penciled on the paper and a little erased. Fetch Hue/Saturation and paint it blue.

Now click Add Vector Mask and dab a little using Grunge brush.

Here're example of spirograph usage: