Learning Affinity and tips

[Corrie Kinkel]

I have been playing and trying some things; here I placed some of my experiments together on a backgroundpaper. There is a tutorial from the LilyPad on how to use jpg pattern tiles and I have some jpg pattern tiles by Carole that placed in a folder called Assets (in the Window menu on top). Then I made a custom shape, outline no fill and with the gradient fill tool (I had to find that via customize and placed it on the lefthand side toolbar) active click on the pattern and by magic it is inside the shape. Afterwards it is possible to change the size of the pattern. That was the heart, then I tried it on a text and it works the same. Then I used a text and filled it with a photo which works just like we did in the Bootcamp with text filled with a paper. The word Spring has a small bevel and Coming has a very thick one, just to get more familiar with the settings and both have a dropshadow as well. Before using two different effects on a same layer(text) I had to duplicate and use the bevel on the top and the shadow on the bottom layer of the two. The heart has a shadow and a reverse shadow, also on a duplicate layer and then group them. This is something I have to get used to, more duplicating layers! I have a lot of abr. brushes imported in PSP but luckily I kept the zipfiles too and now I can use them in Affinity as well. I tried to use 2 of them as a stamp and recolored them just to practice. I find the colorpicker very difficult to use, especially picking a color from a photo because it uses 1px by 1px size. Not doable with my unsteady hands but in the lefthand toolbar is a colorpicker icon too and if you click on it, there is a toolmenu on the top where you can set the size of that picker to your liking or needs.

That is it for today, I think next I will try text on a path and reverse text, wrapped text and whatever comes up to explore.

[Corrie Kinkel]

Today I looked at text on a path, text on a shape (circle) with the text inside the shape on top and outside on the bottom. For wrapped text in a shape I choose I a heart and I'm so happy that in Affinity I can finally use this feature again! I like it very much and am still a bit disappointed that PSP 2023 won't do this any longer and that this bug will stay for ever now PSP is terminated. Furthermore I tried the tutorial from the Lily Pad about a  simple warped shadow with the mesh warp tool. I used a journal card from Jessica Dunn for this, but I could have used a photo as well. I found it very much like the mesh warp in PSP. In Affinity you have to set all the lines for the mesh yourself, which is a bit tedious if you want to use many.  Maybe there is a further setting that takes care of this, but I haven't explored the tool settings much further for now. However I have the same problem with both PSP and Affinity; my hands are not stable enough, I have to redo many times until I get something that is acceptable. I don't complain, it is a fact that I live with it for almost 30 years now and I make the best of it🥲

[Cristina]

 I only found this thread today, thanks to Rene, who pointed me here.

It would be good to have just one part of the Forum just for Affinity Stuff, such as already existing Lobby, Showroom,  Let's Talk, Challenges, etc., because I think the tendency is to increase the interest in this program over time. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corrie, these are very nice examples of what can be done in Affinity. It's good to see what others are discovering, too. Learning together is more fun.

Both apps (Affinity and PSE) have great features, but one of the things I like most about PSP is the ability to check the dimensions of an image at the bottom right corner.

However, I would love it if they offered a great deal to purchase the suite after the Trial version ends.

[Cristina]

  On 2/7/2025 at 11:00 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

I find the colorpicker very difficult to use, especially picking a color from a photo because it uses 1px by 1px size.

Expand  

I don't know if you've already used this method, but I watched a video, and there are two places to get the Color Picker Tool. 

One is the one on the top right side, which is more accurate.

The other is on the left side, and it works like PSP.

Under the same tool, there is a Style Picker Tool, which is perfect for repeating the same style (color, bevel, shadow, etc.) on something else.

 

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/15/2025 at 12:51 PM, Cristina said:

I don't know if you've already used this method, but I watched a video, and there are two places to get the Color Picker Tool. 

One is the one on the top right side, which is more accurate.

The other is on the left side, and it works like PSP.

Under the same tool, there is a Style Picker Tool, which is perfect for repeating the same style (color, bevel, shadow, etc.) on something else.

 

Expand  

Thank you but I too have found this option by using a short video, maybe we saw the same 🥰

[Cristina]

  On 2/15/2025 at 11:00 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

Thank you but I too have found this option by using a short video, maybe we saw the same 🥰

Expand  

I have been watching many tutorials, whatever YouTube suggests, and I find it interesting.

One of the videos was from the Affinity Revolution Channel, an official Affinity channel from 2021. The videos are short and well-explained.

The video description offered a free Photo Course in one of them. However, following the link to the Affinity site, the only free course offered is "The Affinity Freebie Bundle." I took it and liked it.

[Rene Marker]

  On 2/16/2025 at 10:50 AM, Cristina said:

I have been watching many tutorials, whatever YouTube suggests, and I find it interesting.

One of the videos was from the Affinity Revolution Channel, an official Affinity channel from 2021. The videos are short and well-explained.

The video description offered a free Photo Course in one of them. However, following the link to the Affinity site, the only free course offered is "The Affinity Freebie Bundle." I took it and liked it.

Expand  

I took that course as well. Affinity Revolution is one of the first channels I found about Affinity. I agree that they are well explained. I also downloaded her freebies that came with the course.

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/16/2025 at 10:50 AM, Cristina said:

I have been watching many tutorials, whatever YouTube suggests, and I find it interesting.

One of the videos was from the Affinity Revolution Channel, an official Affinity channel from 2021. The videos are short and well-explained.

The video description offered a free Photo Course in one of them. However, following the link to the Affinity site, the only free course offered is "The Affinity Freebie Bundle." I took it and liked it.

Expand  

Thank you I'll have a look, sounds interesting......