Outline Your Skillshare Class

Part 1: Outline Your Class Overview

Class Title:

Affinity Designer: Vectors, Shadows and Assets, Oh My!

Class Description:

In this class you’ll learn some of the basic features of the Affinity Designer app, beginning with the pen and pencil tools.

I’ll show you step by step how to create a vector still life. You’ll also learn how to

Create a custom color palette
Use the Shape Tool
Edit lines and curves using the Node Tool
Give your composition depth and dimension by using the fx Studio
Create and use Assets
Use the Transform Studio

We’ll draw a still life to practice what we learn - some vases filled with flowers plus one containing pencils. I’ll also show you how to save your images as assets that you can use again and again.

We’ll use both the pen and pencil tool. And then we’ll use the node tool to tame those lines and get them to do what we want.

The fx Studio has a ton of adjustments you can make. We’ll only use two of them in this lesson, but they will make a big difference in how our composition turns out.

When you’ve finished this lesson , you should have all the skills you need to create your project.

The only things you’ll need are the Affinity Designer app and a stylus, although you can use your finger if you don’t have a stylus. No prior knowledge of Affinity Designer is needed.

Project Description:

Your class project is to design a still life, and use the fx adjustments to give it dimension. I encourage you to share your work-in-progress with the class so we can all encourage each other. I can’t wait to see what you all create.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns that you have. I promise I’ll get back with you as quickly as possible.

Part 2: Outline Your Video Lessons

Introduction

Talking Head and 3 slides

I’ve loved art since I was a small child, and computers since I first set hands on one. I’m a button pusher. I want to know how programs work, what different tools do. So when I discovered Affinity Designer, well…

Affinity Designer

Comparable to Adobe Illustrator

90 day free trial
½ price
9.99/iPad
24.99/PC or Mac
One time fee

In this class I’ll teach you how to

Create a custom color palette
Use the Shape Tool
Edit lines and curves using the Node Tool
Give your composition depth and dimension by using the fx Studio
Create and use Assets
Use the Transform Studio

. When we’re done, you’ll be able to use these skills to create your own image.

Requirements

No prior knowledge needed
Need the Affinity Designer app, and a stylus is helpful.
Stylus or finger

I use the Apple pencil.

Class Project

Talking Head and Slide for Resources

Class project - Still Life

Create a still life and use Inner and Outer Shadows to give it depth.

Chose this because it is an ideal venue to demonstrate drop shadows

Great beginner project - can draw your own, use my assets, or trace all your elements if you choose

Resources

Pinterest boards
Pixabay.com
Assets
Color Palette

These are also on the project page

Background

Screencast and Slide for tools

Tools

Shape Tool
fx Studio
Outer Shadow
Inner Shadow

Create new document - 11,000x11,000 - 300 dpi

Like to work with this size - good size if I decide to sell on Society6

Rectangle Tool

Click ? in bottom right corner to see names of all the tools

Light cream background - rectangle 11,000x11,000. Transform studio to place

Medium brown rectangle for table- 11,000x2200 - 3 pt. Line. Transform Studio - 11,000-8800 = 2200 - flush with bottom

fx Studio - click on button, then on actual word.

Menu opens at bottom of screen - when done click the selection tool. If you click elsewhere on screen, you will lose your settings.

Outer Shadow – shadow behind object

Inner Shadow – inside object, creates diffused shadow, in this case roundness

Shadows Outer - 73-63-270.

Inner - 342-177-270

I chose a thick inner shadow because I was trying to duplicate an aged rustic feel for the table

Next lesson - Creating a Vector

Creating a Vector

Screencast and Slide for tools

Pen Tool

Precision

Pencil Tool

Freehand

Rope Setting

Difference between pen and pencil tool - precision vs. freehand

Rope setting – 36 works best for me

Good medium setting - gives more control

Trace a vase with pencil tool -

Pencil allows for more variance in your line

Draw vase with pen tool

Precision – perfectly straight lines, nice curves

Next lesson - Tidying Up with the Node Tools

Tidying up - Using the Node tools

Screencast and Slide for tools

Node tool

2nd tool down on left side

Good for

Dragging nodes into line
Dragging handles
Adding and deleting nodes

Note: Add stripes to round vase - will extend beyond edges. In Layers - drag stripes onto vase - creates a clipping mask

Still looks pretty plain, doesn’t it?

Next lesson - Shadow Land

Shadow Land - Inner and Outer Shadows

Screencast and Talking Head

Demonstrate radius and offset

Can do in either order. I chose Outer Shadow first so you could see it more clearly. Want it to be subtle. Let Inner Shadow stand out more.

Pitcher - Outer - 61 - 8 - 135

Inner - 275 - 8 - 270

Tall Vase - Outer - 75 - 11 - 145

Inner - 260 - 6 - 300

Round Vase - Outer - 67 - 14 - 135

Inner - 300 - 281 - 310

See how much more interest this adds?

Next Lesson - Assets

Assets

Screencast and Slide

Save as Assets

Add new category
Rename category

Ex. Jo’s Assets

Add new subcategory
Rename subcategory

Ex. Vase

Select vase
Add Asset from Selection

Next Lesson – Flower Power

Flower Power

Screencast and Slide for tools

Tools

Pencil Tool
Edit Menu
Duplicate
Transform Studio
Flip

Trace flowers with pencil tool –

Use same technique as with vases

Freehand leaves - kind of like spears

Use pencil tool - I will demonstrate

Doesn’t have to be perfect

Duplicate - flip with Transform Studio

Save as Assets

Next Lesson - Mix it Up

Mix it Up with Pencils

Screencast

Pencils - good time to use pen tool

Felt it would be too boring with all flowers

Duplicate and change colors

Shadows - Outer - 22 - 5 - 135

Inner - 81 - 5 - 45

Save as Assets

Next Lesson - Some Background Interest

Background Interest

Screencast

Use a little bit darker cream than background

Create rectangle 1000x11000 - place at 0, 0

Duplicate and place at 2000, 0

Duplicate across image

Nice little feature. Affinity anticipates where you want to place an object in a series.

And that’s it. We’re done

Wrap it Up

2 or 3 Slides to review the skills covered in the lesson

Go over what we learned

For tools, can always click that ? in the bottom right corner.
If you need to place an item, such as our rectangles, accurately, use the Transform Studio and type in your numbers
Pen tool is better for precision
Pencil better for freehand and tracing
Node tool is a lifesaver for correcting lines (paths)
Using the fx Studio, Outer Shadow gives illusion of a light source casting a shadow - be subtle
Inner Shadow also mimics light source, but main purpose in this lesson is to give dimension, show curves on vases.
Assets let you save objects to use in other documents
Tracing is OKAY
A little subtle interest in the background adds to the overall image

Class Project

Talking Head and Slide to explain the Create Project process

See Note

Remember, your project is to create a still life, using the pen or pencil tool, or both. Use the Inner and outer shadows to give it dimension

Feel free to use the resources, including my Assets

Share your images in the project gallery. I can't wait to see what you create!

Note: You must be on the website to add your project. Click on Create Project. Cover image can be up to 8 mb. It will be cropped to 4 by 6 in. Other images have a limit of 2 mb.

Jo Watts

Designer, Illustrator, Creative Spirit

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