Getting (mildly) creative with the Affinity Suite

After watching the excellent Lockdown series by Affinity, I have taken up the digital paintbrush and have been playing around with Affinity Photo. Getting a behind the scenes look at how professionals use the product was just what I needed.

I am no artist, and no expert. But after seeing some examples, dozens of pieces came together and I understood how to approach a couple of simple tasks. My use of masks and layers was slightly incorrect and seeing the different tools in action was eyeopening.

It has been an extremely fun learning process. I am still only doing simple things, but things make so much more sense now. Having a tool is one thing, seeing the right way to use it is another. Once you see the proper way to outline an object, or use a gradient, or combine layers, dozens of possibilities open up.

Not only do I recommend watching their tutorial series, I also recommend picking up a copy of the entire Affinity suite. Adobe charges $50 a month for their Cloud Suite. You can get all the Affinity apps for $75. That’s a one time price, not monthly.

That aside, the Lockdown series by Affinity is a great way to learn how the products work, and how professionals from different disciplines apply their own style and process.

I have always been intrigued by how people create art, whether it’s touching up a photo or illustrating a poster, or laying out a book. It’s very satisfying to see people show off their craft and give real examples of how the process is done and the tools they use. We literally get to look over their shoulder and see how the process is done.

I applaud Affinity for putting this series together. I truly believe it’s beneficial to everyone involved.