ChristiduToit

Hiya folks! 🖖

I'm sure we're all dealing with the same stresses and frustrations brought on by the COVID-19 chaos (my country has been on full lockdown for a while now).
It's important to stay busy to stop the cabin fever from kicking in, so I decided to create a little custom raster/pixel brush pack for Affinity apps - free for all!
The brushes are not too complex, mimicking some traditional inking tools we all know and love, such as brush pens and fineliners.
Perfect for those 'run-and-gun' illustrations where you just want to get to work and avoid the option-paralysis brought on by having to go through hundreds of custom brushes first.

Included in the "Lockdown Liners" brush pack you'll find:
1 x HB Pencil (inspired by the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil)
1 x Precision Eraser (inspired by the Tombow Mono eraser)
4 x Fineliners in Broad, Medium, Fine, and Ultra Fine (inspired by Pigma Micron technical pens)
1 x Brush Pen (inspired by the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip brush pen)
1 x Gel Pen (inspired by the Sakura Gelly Roll)
Fully compatible with Affinity Photo for desktop and iPad, and Designer's Pixel Persona for desktop and iPad.
*Best used with a drawing tablet or iPad with Apple Pencil to take full advantage of the pressure sensitivity that the brushes offer.

I'll likely make a few tweaks to the pack as I go along, but I'll be sure to update it on Gumroad when I do so that everyone who has already downloaded it can be notified.
Hopefully you can create some cool work with the brushes to help pass the time while we're all stuck indoors - if you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/christidutoit, I'd love to see what you make!

Here's the download link to the brushes on Gumroad: http://www.gum.co/lockdownliners
As mentioned, these brushes are totally free to download and use, just type $0 in the price tab and click "I Want This!". 

Stay safe out there! 
- Christi. ☠️


 

Having the ability to apply a raster brush to a path would be such a welcome feature, even if the path is not editable after applying the brush effect.
 
In many cases there are obscure shapes or angled lines that are difficult to draw freehand, and in those cases it would be great to be able to use the pen tool, but still retain the same texture and style of the raster brush you were using, as if you drew the stroke by hand. I know you can apply vector brushes in AD, but I mostly use the raster brushes in AP to sketch. Furthermore, the brushes in AD are stretched along the path, where in AP it would be great to rather have the ability to make it look like the stroke was drawn as if you were using the brush tool.
 
I’ve recently been drawing out a lot architectural interiors for clients using a drawing tablet in Photo, and have really missed the ‘apply brush to path’ feature from Photoshop - would really speed things up and improve the end results!
 
I’ve seen a few mentions of this online, but wasn’t sure if it was logged as a feature request yet, so here you go.

Amazing! Such a useful feature for a super smooth and efficient workflow!

Amazing! Such a useful feature for a super smooth and efficient workflow!

Amazing! Such a useful feature for a super smooth and efficient workflow!

Hi Christi - sorry this took a while(!) but we have just added long press shortcuts to the 2.2 beta if you fancied giving it a go
 

Apps: All
Platforms: Windows, macOS and iPad
Holding onto any tool shortcut will now just put you in that tool temporarily until you release the shortcut key - at which point you will return to your previous tool. So for example when you are using the pen tool you could hold V to change to move tool to move your curve, and then on release be immediately back in pen tool. Another useful example would be when in Brush Tool, you could hold E to put you in Eraser and release to toggle back to Brush.

No problem at all, thanks for the further information and screen recording provided - this certainly seems unexpected!
I have tested this on macOS Monterey to ensure it was not specific to the OS version and even within a VM with limited resources, I've still been unable to replicate this thus far.
Can you please navigate to Affinity Photo 2 > Settings > Performance and provide a screenshot of your settings here for me?
Are you using an external monitor, drawing tablet or anything non-standard with your mac setup please?
I can see in your screen recording that the cursor is drawn after panning & it's only the selection bounding outline that is not shown - I would expect if this was a re-draw issue then the cursor would not be shown also, so this does narrow down the possibilities for us.
Many thanks once again

Hi @ChristiduToit,
Thanks for your report!
As I understand it, the Freehand Selection selection guides are treated the same as an objects bounding box - which are temporarily hidden when panning using the spacebar, so I believe this is expected behaviour.
However I certainly wouldn't expect a delay in these selection guides being re-drawn, and I'm not seeing this on Windows currently.
2023-05-23 10-59-37.mp4  
In my testing on macOS (M1, Big Sur) I'm seeing very similar behaviour as shown above - the selection area is shown after panning or zooming with the spacebar.
Am I missing a step in my testing to replicate this issue? If not could you please confirm your specs and provide a short screen recording for me?
Many thanks in advance

I can't even begin to explain how useful an Affinity alternative to the Quickshape (Procreate) or Snapline (Adobe) feature would be. 😊
The ability to draw a pixel line, circle, or rectangle by hand, and then hold the stylus/mouse down for a second for it to become a 'perfect' shape.
It would be a total game changer and save so much time, especially for anyone using Affinity apps for illustration or digital artwork.

I've brought this up a few times on the forums, but (and I'm getting desperate here) pleeeease add Dissolve to the Blend Modes list for layers and brushes - pretty pretty please! 

The tedious workarounds to achieve this effect simply aren't the same, and not nearly as effective.
Dissolve is the easiest way to turn any, otherwise normal, brush into an amazing textural experience, and was one of the most used features for me in Photoshop.
Dissolve played such a big role in my work that I've had to adapt my style completely after switching to Affinity, and I miss it dearly.

I even took the time to record this little screen recording I'm working on to show why it works so well in Photoshop (just watch at 2x speed to save time): https://youtu.be/pywfxxuXaCc
All I used in the video was a plain old, run-of-the-mill soft/feathered brush, but with Dissolve set as the blend mode. As you can see, it instantly becomes a magnificent texturing machine which has SO many practical applications, especially in creating digital illustrations. I've also seen it used excessively by some really big names in the creative industry, such as Matt Taylor (http://www.matttaylor.co.uk) and Studio Muti (https://studiomuti.co.za), just to name two heavy-hitters.

I can't imagine it being very difficult to add another blend mode to the list, and I've been checking for new beta's daily hoping that dissolve made the list of added features. 

Please add it, for me, for others, and even for this poor, misunderstood zombie dude who would have been lacking a lot of gritty shading if I had painted him in Affinity without dissolve. 
 

I've experienced this many times since I started using Affinity years ago, but always found a workaround and never actually mentioned this in the forums. That being said, I recently had a big issue with a client/project due to this so I thought it ought to be mentioned. There was a tight deadline which caused me to not be able to be too meticulous with the work and I completely overlook this in the file, and the client ended up printing a ton of products which were unusable as the print came out blurry. Obviously this is technically my fault, but this isn't something I expect from an app, so I wasn't looking out for it as closely.

I've noticed that sometimes when moving/nudging pixel layers (or selecting and resizing specific areas on a pixel layer, even when sizing down) the app applies a disproportionate amount of anti-aliasing which can affect the entire layer and cause a blurry look to the content on that layer - not only on screen, but even in print. 

I have no idea why this happens, but it's rendered completed linework layers for illustrations completely useless, ending in me having to spend an extra day or two on projects of unpaid time redoing everything from scratch for clients.

Furthermore, if I merge anything down on that layer or continue to work on that layer, the same exaggerated anti-alias is applied again. So it's not just the selected portion of the layer that is affected, but the layer as a whole. 

This can sometimes happen even when 'Force Pixel Alignment' is checked. 

I completely understand that there might be some amount of anti-aliasing when resizing or rotating objects (considering all of the pixels are shifting), but the extreme amount actually causes a very visible/noticeable and unwanted blurry effect which even persists even in print.

This may be intentional to a degree, but when I worked in PS (for almost 10 years) prior to switching Affinity I never once experience anything like this.

Is there a way to use the Pencil Tool in Designer without it automatically 'selecting' the stroke straight after you've drawn it?
Perhaps an option or preference that I can disable that leaves all the strokes unselected until I choose to use the Node or Move Tool myself in case I want to edit it?
It's quite difficult to see what you're drawing in a complicated illustration when the line you've just drawn is automatically selected and shows all the nodes.

For some reason Affinity Photo (Desktop) is not recognising/registering clicks when clicking on Macros with my Wacom tablet pen. Seems to work fine with my mouse (although I often need to click more than once for it to execute the macro with my mouse). It just doesn't seem to let me do it if I tap with my pen. 

I've noticed the same behaviour when trying to hide panels (double clicking on the panel title). I can do this very easily with my mouse, but it doesn't work if I try to click with my pen.

I've noticed that macros require a double click to execute, similarly panels require a double click to hide.

Could it be that Affinity is not recognising double taps with a tablet pen as double clicks?
Is this a bug, or is there a setting I can change to make it work?

Edit: I've tried double clicking in Finder and other applications with the tablet pen and it works perfectly as intended, just not in Affinity.

Thanks for the speedy reply!
That makes total sense. Hopefully the bug will be ironed out soon. 🤞

Thanks for the speedy reply!
That makes total sense. Hopefully the bug will be ironed out soon. 🤞

Hi @ChristiduToit,
Thanks for your report!
I can confirm this is a known issue when trying to run Macros using a Wacom tablet, and when trying to 'double click' with a Wacom to collapse or expand panels - both of which are logged with our developers so I'll be sure to 'bump' these reports with the team now
I believe the issue is that the Affinity app currently incorrectly recognises this as a click & drag action, rather than a double click, hence it works as expected outside of the app.
I hope this clears things up!

Hiya folks! 🖖

I'm sure we're all dealing with the same stresses and frustrations brought on by the COVID-19 chaos (my country has been on full lockdown for a while now).
It's important to stay busy to stop the cabin fever from kicking in, so I decided to create a little custom raster/pixel brush pack for Affinity apps - free for all!
The brushes are not too complex, mimicking some traditional inking tools we all know and love, such as brush pens and fineliners.
Perfect for those 'run-and-gun' illustrations where you just want to get to work and avoid the option-paralysis brought on by having to go through hundreds of custom brushes first.

Included in the "Lockdown Liners" brush pack you'll find:
1 x HB Pencil (inspired by the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil)
1 x Precision Eraser (inspired by the Tombow Mono eraser)
4 x Fineliners in Broad, Medium, Fine, and Ultra Fine (inspired by Pigma Micron technical pens)
1 x Brush Pen (inspired by the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip brush pen)
1 x Gel Pen (inspired by the Sakura Gelly Roll)
Fully compatible with Affinity Photo for desktop and iPad, and Designer's Pixel Persona for desktop and iPad.
*Best used with a drawing tablet or iPad with Apple Pencil to take full advantage of the pressure sensitivity that the brushes offer.

I'll likely make a few tweaks to the pack as I go along, but I'll be sure to update it on Gumroad when I do so that everyone who has already downloaded it can be notified.
Hopefully you can create some cool work with the brushes to help pass the time while we're all stuck indoors - if you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/christidutoit, I'd love to see what you make!

Here's the download link to the brushes on Gumroad: http://www.gum.co/lockdownliners
As mentioned, these brushes are totally free to download and use, just type $0 in the price tab and click "I Want This!". 

Stay safe out there! 
- Christi. ☠️


 

I've brought this up a few times on the forums, but (and I'm getting desperate here) pleeeease add Dissolve to the Blend Modes list for layers and brushes - pretty pretty please! 

The tedious workarounds to achieve this effect simply aren't the same, and not nearly as effective.
Dissolve is the easiest way to turn any, otherwise normal, brush into an amazing textural experience, and was one of the most used features for me in Photoshop.
Dissolve played such a big role in my work that I've had to adapt my style completely after switching to Affinity, and I miss it dearly.

I even took the time to record this little screen recording I'm working on to show why it works so well in Photoshop (just watch at 2x speed to save time): https://youtu.be/pywfxxuXaCc
All I used in the video was a plain old, run-of-the-mill soft/feathered brush, but with Dissolve set as the blend mode. As you can see, it instantly becomes a magnificent texturing machine which has SO many practical applications, especially in creating digital illustrations. I've also seen it used excessively by some really big names in the creative industry, such as Matt Taylor (http://www.matttaylor.co.uk) and Studio Muti (https://studiomuti.co.za), just to name two heavy-hitters.

I can't imagine it being very difficult to add another blend mode to the list, and I've been checking for new beta's daily hoping that dissolve made the list of added features. 

Please add it, for me, for others, and even for this poor, misunderstood zombie dude who would have been lacking a lot of gritty shading if I had painted him in Affinity without dissolve. 
 

You can do this in Designer (in a way), but not without using premade vector brushes. What I meant when I created this topic was that it would be nice if you were able to apply any pixel brush to a path as demonstrated in the video that @ivan.dedos posted above.

You can do this in Designer (in a way), but not without using premade vector brushes. What I meant when I created this topic was that it would be nice if you were able to apply any pixel brush to a path as demonstrated in the video that @ivan.dedos posted above.

You can do this in Designer (in a way), but not without using premade vector brushes. What I meant when I created this topic was that it would be nice if you were able to apply any pixel brush to a path as demonstrated in the video that @ivan.dedos posted above.

Not really so odd. The Affinity apps share a common file format but different functions are exposed in the UI depending on which app you’re using. For example, you can only add artboards in AD but they’re still there when you open the file in APh or APub, and if you add a live lighting filter in APh it remains live/adjustable when you open the file in the other apps.

#Pixelmator just did it! 😲
Please guys! we need this in AF 🥺
 

Hiya folks! 🖖

I'm sure we're all dealing with the same stresses and frustrations brought on by the COVID-19 chaos (my country has been on full lockdown for a while now).
It's important to stay busy to stop the cabin fever from kicking in, so I decided to create a little custom raster/pixel brush pack for Affinity apps - free for all!
The brushes are not too complex, mimicking some traditional inking tools we all know and love, such as brush pens and fineliners.
Perfect for those 'run-and-gun' illustrations where you just want to get to work and avoid the option-paralysis brought on by having to go through hundreds of custom brushes first.

Included in the "Lockdown Liners" brush pack you'll find:
1 x HB Pencil (inspired by the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil)
1 x Precision Eraser (inspired by the Tombow Mono eraser)
4 x Fineliners in Broad, Medium, Fine, and Ultra Fine (inspired by Pigma Micron technical pens)
1 x Brush Pen (inspired by the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip brush pen)
1 x Gel Pen (inspired by the Sakura Gelly Roll)
Fully compatible with Affinity Photo for desktop and iPad, and Designer's Pixel Persona for desktop and iPad.
*Best used with a drawing tablet or iPad with Apple Pencil to take full advantage of the pressure sensitivity that the brushes offer.

I'll likely make a few tweaks to the pack as I go along, but I'll be sure to update it on Gumroad when I do so that everyone who has already downloaded it can be notified.
Hopefully you can create some cool work with the brushes to help pass the time while we're all stuck indoors - if you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/christidutoit, I'd love to see what you make!

Here's the download link to the brushes on Gumroad: http://www.gum.co/lockdownliners
As mentioned, these brushes are totally free to download and use, just type $0 in the price tab and click "I Want This!". 

Stay safe out there! 
- Christi. ☠️