Masks Workshop (2025)

[Sharla]

Day 4: Created in Affinity. I enjoyed making the mask. I added a layer with a grey colour from the photo and added some noise.

 

[Sue Thomas]

Day 4.  I had previously added watercolours, which I  have used here.  I did find it a bit of a challenge, as I couldn't rotate, although I did change the settings to random. I felt that I have more control when it comes to editing masks in PSP, perhaps it is because I am so familiar with  them.  I need to play  with Affinity more, as there are settings I need to locate.  For me Winter is the best time to  really get to grips with  this programme.

Edited June 20 by Sue Thomas

[Cristina]

20 hours ago, Susan Ewart said:

So sad about the Chick #1. 

Yeah, Susan, life in the wild can be harsh. While they enjoy freedom, it's a constant struggle for survival.

Still, it's better than keeping them in confinement.

[AprilDawn]

Here is my Lesson 3 and Lesson 4.  Both photos were taken by my cousin about 20years ago when she did a group trip. the png masks  used on both are from an old software i had called Craft Artist. the brushes used on softening edges are free ones  downloaded from  an Affinity Forum i found when searching for brushes called TB Dots 01 pack 11.

 

[Cristina]

16 hours ago, Gerry Landreth said:

Affinity has been closing down without warning. It started in the last couple of days. Has anyone else experienced this issue and been able to identify the cause?

It has happened to me a few times, Gerry, and I couldn't pinpoint the reason since it occurred on different days, layouts, and so on.

[Cristina]

6 hours ago, Susan Ewart said:

Lesson 3 Diamond Template.

Font is Single Fighter (CF).  I made lots of tiles using the Kaleidoscope, some seamless and some not seamless that looked cool as a smaller size.  the background is subtle(and might not show up)  and is made from two not so seamless tiles in a small size and at 45 degrees and a blend mode of lighten.  Then i added a texture of bricks to simulate a graffiti wall over the mask group(rasterized) and the text group (rasterized).  Such a fun effect.  Everyone has been making such cool plaids and backgrounds, super inspiring.  Photo is mine.

 

Beautiful layout, Susan. 

[Cristina]

 

Here is Day 4. 

After Carole’s comment about the importance of having a 1-pixel selection to create the plaid pattern, I decided to redo it.

I used the Move Tool to position the selection exactly where I wanted it and also used the Transform Tool to adjust the selection's size.

Instead of using the Watercolor Brush, I chose the Acrylic Brush, as the former was taking too long to achieve the expected result within the limited time I had to work with it.

 

 

[Cristina]

15 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

Here's my Lesson 4 - Daughter Deb took the photo for this one at The Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) in NYC. I played with the brushes a bit, used a solid brush to clear up the center of the painting and a really small watercolor to finish the edges. Then I applied a drop shadow to the whole group. The fonts are Niagara Solid and Copperplate Gothic Bold. The text at the bottom reads: The Metropolitan Museum of Art proudly presents Iba N’Diaye: Between Latitude and Longitude, a landmark exhibition celebrating the legacy of Iba N’Diaye, a pivotal figure in African Modernist painting. Tabaski III celebrates the Muslim ritual of sacrifice. Oil on plywood painted in 1970, it is an imposing size, measuring about 5 feet in height by more than 8 feet in width.

EDIT: I'll also post the original photo so you can see my transition.

Love the layout, Ann.

[Cristina]

1 hour ago, AprilDawn said:

Here is my Lesson 3 and Lesson 4.  Both photos were taken by my cousin about 20years ago when she did a group trip. the png masks  used on both are from an old software i had called Craft Artist. the brushes used on softening edges are free ones  downloaded from  an Affinity Forum i found when searching for brushes called TB Dots 01 pack 11.

 

I really like the layouts, Dawn. The second picture, of a lake, gives such a peaceful feeling.

And I like the brushes, too, especially the second one.

[Donna Sillia]

11 hours ago, Cassel said:

@Connie CollierSimple is beautiful, and it helps showcase your photos and your skill.

@Jeni SimpsonBeautiful layouts. Yourfirst kaleidoscope pattern, I had to look at it twice to realize it was done with that technique. It looks so delicate!

@kasanyDoes the rose have a black background or is that the shape of the mask? If it is the actual background, I think it would work better if the paper is also dark, otherwise, the contrast does not give a smooth transition. Your latest project is stunning with the black background!

@Sharla I think that this pattern looks good. Right now, you are "very close" to your design so it might become "boring" to you, but for us, viewing it in a project, we just see the overall effect and it looks great.

@fiona cookThat is a great end result. And you are totally allowed to play with all those effects. That is how you can discover something new or something you didn't think you would like.

@CristinaUsing the pattern only on the edges is a great way to use it without overpowering. And with that light-colored photo, it was a smart choice.

@Jen Brown Great to see you! Your first layout is wonderful. Looking forward to your other projects.

@Robert GarrettThe effect is much more striking with the resized mask/photo.

@Donna SilliaYour use of the nested frames in your PSP project is puzzling me. It looks like some sections have a bevel but not all. It LOOKS like what is overlapping the mask has no bevel but the rest does. I think you COULD consider erasing some parts that overlap the mask and it would even show off your photo more.

@Karen BorgmannThose Those boards are great! Did you make them from scratch or were they part of a kit?

@Corrie KinkelYes, some things are harder or just not possible in Affinity. You will see that on Saturday!!! 😞

@Julie MagerkaYou might not think much of those kaleidoscope patterns, but I definitely think that they have great potential. Once you don't have them right "in your face", you might appreciate them more.

@Gerry LandrethYour pages are wonderful. I think that Affinity is just like PSP: it can get finicky with closing and it is inconsistent. It is annoying, and usually, there is no specific solution unless it can be reproducible on demand.

@gwen jewittthe bird layout made me smile! That is a great way to combine different layers in a single "story".

@Hank SobahAre we invited to those festivals? They look great.

@Ann SeeberIt is interesting how that shadow was essential for the text, and it looks good, making the text legible.

@Clarineare you planning on printing an album about your grandfather? With all those layouts (and more that you can add), it would be great! 

There is no bevel, but I added a shadow after I had merged the frames with the flower which was a mistake. I should have added the shadow to just the frames before merging.

[Cristina]

Here is Day 5.

I practiced the kaleidoscope technique again. I liked these Sprays and Spatters brushes very much. 

[fiona cook]

Lesson 5. My photo of the 'Peace' rose doesn't have much of a background area as I took a close up so I created a  full background using a mask from Lesson 2. Then I applied the circular selection mask to make the designs around the outside and added a pink background under the mask layer.

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

Eindelijk nummer dag 2 Mijn dochter Wendy en haar dochter Nike op het strand.gemaakt in psp 2023. Ik was even vergeten dat deze in 3600x3600 germaakt is daarom is het ruitmotief wat klein uitgevallen. Maar mistaat niet. Ik heb het gehele template/masker een kwart slag gedraaid omdat ik de mooie japon van mijn dochter goed in beeld wilde krijgen. Ik weet niet hoe het komt maar het gehele masker is wat doorschijnend geworden. Terwijl die orginele er toch onder zat. 

Edited June 20 by Jannette Nieuwboer

[Susan Ewart]

30 minutes ago, Jannette Nieuwboer said:

Finally number day 2 My daughter Wendy and her daughter Nike on the beach. Made in psp 2023. I forgot for a moment that this was made in 3600x3600, so the diamond pattern turned out a bit small. But it doesn't look bad. I turned the entire template/mask a quarter turn because I wanted to get my daughter's beautiful dress in the picture. I don't know how it happened, but the entire mask has become a bit transparent. While the original was still underneath. 

Love how the dress and background match.  Was the opacity of the mask already lowered before being turned into a mask maybe?

[Robert Garrett]

Here is my Lesson 5 using PSP. Meet Thurston. Thurston was a stray Himalia that showed up on our door step many years ago. 

[Gerry Landreth]

Day 5 - This is a very unhappy Felix, my youngest nephew. The layout was created using Affinity Photo.

The spectres are brushes I found on DeviantArt, on a separate layer set at 40% opacity with blend mode set to 'contrast negate'. 

[Sue Thomas]

Day 5. It is rare for me to say that I am not overly happy with the result.  I realize that I am after all a newbie to Affinity, and in time I will get the hang of this programme.  Practise is what I need, but I am afraid not during the summer months.

[Ann Seeber]

23 minutes ago, Robert Garrett said:

Here is my Lesson 5 using PSP. Meet Thurston. Thurston was a stray Himalia that showed up on our door step many years ago. 

Your Himalayan cat is beautiful! 😻

[Art Kuiper]

I was looking for a subject when I came across this picture in my stock photos file. I remember this crazy site at a resort in Mexico. Obviously the safety standards are more lax than ours. Anyway I played around with the mask instructions for Day 5. In fact,I created two masks to get this result.  Now the possibilities are endless, grace a Carole.

Edited June 20 by Art Kuiper

[Corrie Kinkel]

8 hours ago, kasany said:

Too early;), but very nice.

I have had Affinity closing unexpected, just a couple of times since I use it. I think the problem for me was that I wanted to do to much to quickly!

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

1 hour ago, Susan Ewart said:

Love how the dress and background match.  Was the opacity of the mask already lowered before being turned into a mask maybe?

Nee, Susan, ik heb het 3 keer over moeten doen. ik heb deze week veel pc pech gehad. Die van gisteren was veel te donker naar mijn zin. tNu  had ik het direct uit de foto gehaald toen die al verwerkt was. Maar nu is de foto van mijn dochter veel lichter dan de echte foto. Dus weer overnieuw. Deze keer heb ik het direct uit de geplaatste foto gehaald Susan en daardoor werden de kleuren veel overeenkomender. In vergelijk vind ik de foto van mijn dochter veel mooier, er gaat toch soms teveel af op deze manier. IK VOND DE VECTOR WORKSHOP GEMAKKELIJKER DAN DEZE. 😁

[Corrie Kinkel]

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

Day 5. It is rare for me to say that I am not overly happy with the result.  I realize that I am after all a newbie to Affinity, and in time I will get the hang of this programme.  Practise is what I need, but I am afraid not during the summer months.

Sue you may not be happy with what you did with the masks, but the photos are beautiful. Like you I'm a newbie to affinity and I have to practice as well after the summer. This workshop has given me much to practice before it will completely do as I wish. But I like this new challenge, it gives me a lot of pleasure to learn new things and offers new possibilities.

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

27 minutes ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

have had Affinity closing unexpected, just a couple of times since I use it. I think the problem for me was that I wanted to do to much to quickly!

Ik had hetzelfde probleem, te vaak over moeten doen en de returnknop moeten gebuiken. 

Edited June 20 by Jannette Nieuwboer

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

Heel mooi spul wat jullie hier hebben neergezet. Ik kan het amper bijhouden zoveel inzendingen. Misschien heb ik iemand per ongeluk over geslagen met complimenteren.  Sorry daarvoor.  

[Donna Sillia]

Day 4 - Photos are from my grandson. I downloaded the watercolor brushes from Creative Fabrica. The fonts are Jibril and melaine BT. The background is from Photoshop Elements stock. It is easier to make the masks in Affinity. I find myself having to manipulate both photos and masks in PSP.

Edited June 20 by Donna Sillia
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