Picture inside a unique shape

[LisaE]

Can anybody tell me how to achieve the effect in the attached picture - a photo 'behind/inside' an unusual shape? I'm aware of the 'Insert inside selection' tool, but I don't know how I'd make the two curves.... thanks

[Madame]

I first made the main shape (circle) with the ellipse tool and placed a mask over it. 
Then I took the donut tool and alter the radius. Placed it so it looked like in the picture you posted.
I nested it under the picture with the mask.
I made a layer in the same colour as the donut. I dragged it underneath all the other layers.

 

 

 

 

[crabtrem]

This is probably not the best method, but here it is anyway. I did try to make a video showing how I did it, but it was too big to upload. I tried. I did put a screenshot of the final product.

 

1. I start with an ellipse of your choice. I alt-drag to make a copy of the ellipse and place it so it makes the lower part of the curved triangle you want.

2. I alt-drag again positioning this copy to make the upper line of the lower curve. I alt-drag another copy to make the bottom curve.

3. I end up with 4 ellipses positioned in a staggering sequence. In the layers panel I select the first (bottom) two ellipses. These make up the upper curve. I use the subtract boolean. You get a C-shaped object, but most is off the page. I do the same with the next two ellipses.

4. I make a rectangular shape to color and shape the background, and place this at the bottom of the layers. I group the now 3 layers together using CMD-G.

5. Now I get the picture I want. In this case I opened it up, copied the layer (photo), and used the paste without format command so I can resize and move the picture. 

6. Next I take my group of shapes colored white objects to pass and black background to block, and I rasterize the layer to a mask.

7. I place the mask on the photo and I have this shape as the mask, with the photo in the background. You can now select the mask to resize and reposition. Then select the photo to move the entire masked object into position.

 

 

[JimmyJack]

Good options both.

Interesting that you guys saw ovals.... the human brain right!!

 

I started with a triangle :P .

Along with no masking (not that that is a bad thing at all!!)... this method retains transparency on that middle section, is non-destructive and totally editable.

 

(it's important that this is done within a layer.... I'll explain at the end)

1: INSIDE A LAYER make a skewed triangle and bow edges in and out ..... image 1: I have the handles visible. The red is just a plain fill duplicate so you can see it clearly.

2: make a copy of the triangle and move the points/handles to make the middle cut out shape. Place it above the original and set the blending to Erase. See image 2.... handles showing on the manipulated triangle.

3: Place an image as a clipping child under the original triangle.

 

The blue is just to show that the middle "cutout" effect works.

 

Okay, so the layer thing is important because of a bug.... I think.

Outside of a layer, Erase leaves an edge artifact.

[LisaE]

Thank you all very much for your suggestions - will give them a try. @JoePoe if you ever get time to do a screencast how to that would be great ;-)

[Affinity Photo Tips]

There's no need to create a raster mask, you can simply nest the original image under the shape that was created. This way the shape can be modified easily again as a vector.

 

 

 

 

 

3. I end up with 4 ellipses positioned in a staggering sequence. In the layers panel I select the first (bottom) two ellipses. These make up the upper curve. I use the subtract boolean. 

 

What do you mean by "subtract boolean"?

[crabtrem]

In response to Desmond at Affinity Photo Tips,

 

There are many ways to get to the same result, I only went through one. To answer your question of what I refer to the subtract boolean operator, here is my response. I am going to be as specific as possible to describe what I mean, because I'm not sure what would suffice to answer your question. It helps me go through all my options, so forgive me if this becomes too verbose.

 

In this first screen shot I show the placement of two overlapping oval shapes to create the basic shape of a curved triangle I want. Under the Layer-Geometry menu you will see I have subtract highlighted. 

 

This command is also available on the command bar at the top of the screen, in line with the performa selections on the right side, in between the snapping and the placement order commands. You can also get the command by making your selected objects into a compound object 

.

And then on the layer panel inside the compound object you will see the boolean operators selectable on the child objects layer, 

,

and you can select subtract from here 

. 

 

You are right, you don't have to use a raster mask, it is only one of many methods, several great one's already described in this post. Depending on the terminology used, the pasting the image inside the multiple objects, or compound objects doesn't work. So in my case I elected to make the objects with a background into a raster mask to get the result I wanted.

 

In order to use the paste inside technique as I like to refer to it, because it is the same command and layer placement is to do this.

Using how I started to create the objects.

Go back and overlap your ovals, use subtract to make the shape you desire.

Create the second one and position it how you want.

Select both of these objects, not compound objects, and use the boolean (geometry) command COMBINE.

This makes your multiple objects into a single shape, that you can now place your picture under that object's layer as a child to mask it.

 

Sorry if I was too verbose in my response, but I wanted to convey my intent and meaning. 

 

I learn a lot from participating in these forums, so my only intent is to learn. 

Thanks.