My Intro Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Avoy8xfJwbxy-2-4JFoSLo0wrDfYrdy5/view?usp=sharing

My Project Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j1R-ZcE-nERS1P2T3I5ME-4Tht0EHvSm/view?usp=sharing

My class plan link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YBMY5V8b1ye7stlKxsPiQrZ_TmJggKpKBChxqOftmYM/edit?usp=sharing

Intro improved version:

Digital Illustration: Giving Vector Art a Painterly Feel in Affinity Designer Digital Illustration – Creating Painterly Art in Affinity Designer - image 1 - student project

Do you love the versatility of vector art? The way it can be scaled without pixelating and easily manipulated to make changes in colour and shape? But – You prefer the soft edges and the rich texture of pixel art.

Hi, I am Janet White. I am an author and digital illustrator living in tropical North Queensland, where I am surrounded by inspiration for the quirky Australian animals I love to draw. I have traditionally published and self-published and currently create children’s books using Affinity software.

This class is about

Creating vector illustration that has a more painterly feel using Affinity Designer.

Affinity Designer is an affordable, intuitive to use, professional vector-based design software that includes a pixel persona. By sharing my workflow, tips and experiences I hope to introduce some of Affinity Designer’s great features in a play-based way.

What you will learn

By completing the Unique Bear project you will learn how to:

setup a file
source reference material within the Designer app
use the pencil tool to create a vector outline
create a colour palette from your reference material to colour Black Bear
make a hairy brush and use it and the gradient fill tool to create a style to colour Hairy Bear
add shading and highlighting and erase using the pixel persona
overlay a watercolour paper texture
manipulate size, shape and colour to create your own Unique Bear.

The Project

Show off your newly acquired skills by sharing to the Unique Bear project gallery.

This class is for…

Anyone who enjoys exploring digital illustration. It is suitable for beginners as step-by-step instructions are provided. The power of creating vector art lies in its versatility and resizing capabilities- great for creating books, cards, t-shirts, social media posts, cups, banners and so much more.

Materials

To follow along with this class, you will need an iPad, a drawing stylus (recommended but not essential) and the Designer app. Download lifetime access to Designer directly from Affinity for less than the cost of three cups of coffee!!!

Do you love the versatility of vector art? The way it can be scaled without pixelating and easily manipulated to make changes in colour and shape?

But – You prefer the soft edges and the rich texture of pixel art.

This class is about creating vector illustration that has a more painterly feel using Affinity Designer.

Affinity Designer is an affordable, intuitive to use, vector-based design software that includes a pixel persona. The purpose of this class is to introduce some of Affinity Designer’s great features in a play-based way. By completing the ‘Three Bears’ project you will discover how to easily source reference material within the Designer app. You will be introduced to the pencil tool and create a vector outline that will become the basis of each illustration. We will work with a limited colour palette and brushes before creating a hairy brush and using it and the gradient fill tool to create a style. Then we will switch to the pixel persona and add shading and highlighting. We will use a layer mask to erase any unwanted lines then add a texture watercolour paper overlay. You will be shown how to manipulate the vector outline nodes to change their shape and introduced to the colour studio to change colours. The final part of the project is an opportunity to show off your newly acquired skills by creating and sharing your own unique bear.

This class is directed at anyone who enjoys exploring digital illustration. It is suitable for beginners as step-by-step instructions will be provided. More experienced digital artists looking to develop a more painterly vector style may also find some of the tips useful.

To follow along with this class, you will need an iPad and a drawing stylus. The Affinity Designer software can be downloaded directly from Affinity or the Apple store. Lifetime access and free updates all for less than the cost of three cups of coffee!!! Digital Illustration – Creating Painterly Art in Affinity Designer - image 2 - student project

The Project

The Three Bears

Black Bear – Hairy Bear - My Bear

For this project, you can follow along as we create three bears. The first, a vector illustration of a little black bear. Then, I will show you how to create your own hairy texture brush that we will use with the gradient fill tool to create a style to colour the second hairy bear. We will use the pixel persona to add highlights and shading and erase unwanted lines with a layer mask. The third bear is an opportunity to showcase how you have applied the skills taught in this class. This project will be split into sections:

Creating a file, sourcing reference material and choosing a 3-colour palette.
Drawing - Using the pencil tool to create a simple vector outline.
Black Bear – colouring with vector brushes
Creating a hairy texture brush.
Creating a style - Using your hairy brush and the gradient fill tool to create a style to apply to the hairy bear.
Pixel Persona – switch to the pixel persona to add highlights, shading and erase unwanted lines with a mask.
Create your own unique bear by accessorising and adjusting the colour and shape.
Adding a texture overlay to represent watercolour paper.
Export and share your ‘Three Bears’ to the project gallery.

Supporting Resources – For anyone time-challenged, I have included my hairy brush and an affinity file of the bear outline, so you can hit the ground running! These files can be located and downloaded from the resources tab.

I encourage you to create a project and share your class project of the three bears. Getting and giving feedback is an important part of the learning process. Equally important is play and adapting what you learn. This is when our creativity shines. I can’t wait to see your unique bears. If you have any questions, please leave them in the discussion tab.

Janet White

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