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zypher69

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  1. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from SrPx in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  2. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from dannyg9 in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  3. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from DylanGG in AP Gradient Tool   
    I LOVE Affinity Photo. I love it so much that I switched from Photoshop last year. There were SO many things wrong with PS and so many great things about AP that switching was not difficult. However, as I've been using AP over the last six months, I have come to realize that THE GRADIENT TOOL needs A LOT of improvement. There are other issues / tools that could also use some improvement, but the gradient tool stands out the most for me.
    Whenever I use it, I am confused about how to use it. I've viewed forums, online tutorials and YouTube videos that do instruct users on how to use it properly, but I "forget" how to use it almost every time. I'm a seasoned graphic designer too. I was a PS user for over twenty years. Using such a tool shouldn't be so hard and bothersome. I always end up having to re-create gradients and I have problems when trying to create "transparent" gradients. 
    It seems creating a simple transparent single color gradient (overlay) should not be so difficult. Also, I'd rather NOT have to constantly change the default gradient colors to black and white EVERY time I use it. Why is grey the default color setting for the gradient tool? My complaints aren't so much about default colors as it is general performance. I understand how gradients work. I dare say that Photoshop's gradient tool works like a breeze. It works perfectly. Why must AP's approach to gradients be so difficult? Another frustrating part of using gradients in AP is how hard it is to use the tool to blend two images together. I find it odd that one has to use a "mask" to get two images to blend into each other via a gradient. 
    To put it simply, the gradient tool should be more robust and EASY to work with. I use lots of gradients when I do composite art (such as when blending a grassy field into a separate sky background).  I do feel confident that Serif (Affinity Photo developers) will implement some or all of the changes I've requested at some point in the future. I know I'm not the only user who's had problems with the gradient tool. After all, we do not want Photoshop to remain the supreme digital photo editor much longer now do we? True competition requires making things BETTER than others. "Good" just doesn't cut it with me. I prefer getting as close to perfection as humanly possible. I know AP can do this!
  4. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from selenita in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  5. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from malayali in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  6. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from Wosven in AP Gradient Tool   
    If you would have carefully read my initial post and read each reply you would have an idea without having each person "demonstrate" visually what the problems are with the gradient tool. Users shouldn't have to do so many workarounds to achieve the results they're looking for. There's no need for clairvoyance or any such nonsense. Again, you were being condescending by even mentioning clairvoyance to begin with. I'm not here to argue though, so I'll digress. I think most readers of this thread will understand what our grievances are.
  7. Like
    zypher69 reacted to TH3_TWIN in AP Gradient Tool   
    Thanks for getting back to me Zypher69, like you I have found a soft white / black brush to be best.
     
    Haakoo, here's an example I have made:

    I want this final result made from two images:

     
    Big wave surfer by Duncan Rawlinson available from Flickr under Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)
    Playing a fish on the Boat Pool, Kinermony by Des Colhoun available from geograph.org.uk under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
     
    In Photoshop, you would import both images and add a mask to the wave. You can blend the images together using a variety of tools - Brush / gradient / Fill.
    The tools are destructive to the mask - it's just a mask, it doesn't have any important data on it.
    The finished mask looks something like this:

    As you can see the mask is complicated, its not a simple gradient.
    In my workflow in Photoshop, I primarily use the gradient tool due to its speed. The ability to change radius by clicking and dragging means I don't need to keep changing brush size.
     
    In AP, I am restricted to using the paint brush, and whilst I can get a similar result, its not as quick.

     
    If I try and use the gradient tool on the mask, it wipes what I have already made using the paint brush.
    If I use the gradient tool again on top of the first gradient, it wipes the previous gradient.
     
    No one is saying the gradient tool is hard to use, we are saying a single gradient per layers slows down or restricts development.
     
  8. Haha
    zypher69 got a reaction from Move Along People in AP Gradient Tool   
    If you would have carefully read my initial post and read each reply you would have an idea without having each person "demonstrate" visually what the problems are with the gradient tool. Users shouldn't have to do so many workarounds to achieve the results they're looking for. There's no need for clairvoyance or any such nonsense. Again, you were being condescending by even mentioning clairvoyance to begin with. I'm not here to argue though, so I'll digress. I think most readers of this thread will understand what our grievances are.
  9. Like
    zypher69 reacted to Boghead Ben in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Yes, I can appreciate the time and effort. Compositing images is a bit like adult colouring in! A lot of kill, patience and even more skill required.
  10. Like
    zypher69 reacted to Medical Officer Bones in AP Gradient Tool   
    @haakoo This is not a question of HOW to use the gradient tool, or how to accomplish blending of multiple image layers.
    Rather, the issue with the gradient tool in Affinity Photo is two-fold:
    it is currently not possible to use the gradient tool in an additive manner in a (bitmap) mask: Photo will replace the mask's existing content and replace it with the new gradient, and; the gradient tool lacks the option to set the blend mode: if the user could change the gradient's blend mode to (for example) multiply it would be very simple to create multiple gradients to simplify blending via a bitmap layer mask. If you've ever worked in alternatives like PhotoLine, Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, you will immediately miss this option when doing basic compositing work.
    There are other issues with the gradient tool, but this is quite frustrating. In my experience, Affinity Photo is riddled with such small paper cuts throughout its basic tools.
    The accepted solution would be to integrate a blend mode option in the gradient tool. Why it wasn't added in the first place defies comprehension, because every single other bitmap gradient tool on the planet includes it.
     
  11. Like
    zypher69 reacted to jimmyplaysdrums in Deck of playing cards I've been working on   
    @zypher69 Thanks! Now that it's been brought up again I've had several new ideas for the cards! Will post an update when I get them into the design. 
  12. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from jimmyplaysdrums in Deck of playing cards I've been working on   
    Very creative. I know I couldn't do anything like that. Great idea.
  13. Like
    zypher69 reacted to Boghead Ben in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Some great compositions there. 
  14. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from StuartRc in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  15. Like
    zypher69 reacted to affinity4Christ15 in Deck of playing cards I've been working on   
    I think it's brilliant! Great work
  16. Like
    zypher69 reacted to GarryP in Deck of playing cards I've been working on   
    Really nice work.
    The detail on the court cards is very nice - especially the way that the two halves are different and not just flipped - and I like the way you've grouped the symbols on the '7' cards. The use of two/three shades of colour for the suit 'pips' works well too.
    I realise that this is still a work-in-progress but I have some suggestions:
    * The Spades and Hearts symbols need to be different from each other. I realise that they are a different colour but the shapes - regardless of colour - should be easily differentiated (what if someone is colour-blind?).
    * I don't know about Tarot but to use these as a normal pack of cards you need to have two colours, traditionally red and black. If you have four colours then, if someone is using them in a normal card game - e.g. solitaire, how do they know if green goes on blue or red or black?
    * Is the Fool 'flipping the bird' when upside down? (Might cause offence to some people.)
    * I think the card value text needs to be larger in size. It's just a personal thing but the text seems a little small to me.
    * Only the Hearts court cards have an extra 'splash of colour' in them. It might be nicer if the same is true for all of the suits.
    All that said, it's shaping up to be a lovely set of cards. It will be interesting to see what you come up with for the card back artwork.
  17. Like
    zypher69 reacted to jimmyplaysdrums in Deck of playing cards I've been working on   
    Hey all,
    I've been working on a deck of cards. Still trying to flesh out the main theme I want to go for but right now its sort of based on Tarot cards. Spades, Clubs, Hearts, and Diamonds are also Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentagrams respectively like in a tarot deck. There's also 4 colors instead of 2. The idea is for this deck to also be the minor arcana of a tarot deck and later I can design a "major arcana expansion" deck that when combined with this deck would make it into a full tarot deck. The major arcana card in a tarot deck are the ones with names like "The Magician", "The Fool", "Death", "Justice", etc. The minor arcana are the 4 suits with the Ace, 2-10, and the court cards so that would be this deck. Maybe even will include a couple Major arcana as the Joker cards. Like "The Fool" and "Death" cards since most playing card decks have 2 jokers anyways. 
    I'm also playing around with a duality idea of each of the court cards having slightly different sides. One being normal and the other side being a bit rough or unkempt. This would make them not perfectly symmetrical which would also be good for using them as Tarot cards since a card being upside down means something different than if it is turned right side up. Most number cards can show upside down except for the diamonds so I still need to figure out that for the 2-10 of diamonds cards.  
    Anyways, I'm rambling on now. So what do you think? Any critiques or suggestions on the design?
     
    TL;DR - I'm designing a deck of cards. What do you think?
     


  18. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from GarryP in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  19. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from Smee Again in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  20. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from Wosven in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  21. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from jmwellborn in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  22. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from affinity4Christ15 in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  23. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from 78deluxe in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  24. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from Alfred in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




  25. Like
    zypher69 got a reaction from AlainP in ADDICTED TO COMPOSITE ART & AFFINITY PHOTO   
    Affinity Photo is a joy to use and allows me to create composite art that helps me stay sane during these uncertain times.




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