Ash Eldritch

@Archangel To my eye that looks incorrect for a number of reasons. Apart from the appearance of floating, if you look at your character it appears to be, predominantly, lit from the above front. But instead you're trying to cast a shadow from directly behind. Also because you're just reproducing and squishing the original image you have parts showing that wouldn't be seen in a cast shadow so it ends up looking like some dark reflection rather than a shadow. Also things are facing the wrong way, like the feet. If you find it difficult imagining how a shadow would be cast you could do what you've done using that as a guide. Then use the pen tool to create the actual shadow, remembering that there will be less detail the further it's cast... ie. no individual strands of hair.

Or you could do what I do, when it comes to shadows, work out your light direction, (put down some guide lines if it helps) then simply draw it with the pen tool. It takes far less time than faffing about trying to distort the original image and looks far more natural. This especially true if your shadow is being cast on more than one object or something other than just a flat floor. I tend to softly graduate the fill and use the "multiply" blend mode. Usually I also add a second, darker, area closer to the subject.

Perhaps I'm missing the point here but a brush/pattern tool implies having to spend time adding those watermarks. Even if it's a short amount of time wouldn't it be more productive to create a watermarked file that could be imported and overlayed, on any piece of work, in seconds? 🤔

Press these three keys together: Option (or Alt), Command & Esc (Escape). That will bring up a list of open apps and allow you to force quit AP. After you've forced it to quit I would advise restarting your Mac. Then, once you've restarted, make sure that DMG isn't still open. Trash the corrupted version. Then start the newly installed AP that's in your Application folder. Hopefully that'll sort your issue.

You need to quit AP then "Eject" the DMG - As if you were ejecting an external hard drive. Then start AP.

Just a thought, have you Installed that version of AP into your Application folder or are you running it from the DMG?

Thought I'd show another comparison of original sketch to vector.

Or "flasher les mammaires"? 🤔

Very nice work as usual. The only thing I'd say is it's "Queen's" rather than "Queens" in both instances.

Nice work but you appear to have missed out procrastinate. I can procrastinate. I will procrastinate. It is time to procrastinate. Or is that just me? 🤔

Me too, Rodrigo, the concept process is interesting but rarely seen. This is part of a children's book I've written. So It's one page, of approximately thirty illustrated pages, I'm currently working on. I'm not on any Social networks. This forum is about the nearest I dare venture into social media. 😅

Thank you Trent. Very Much appreciated. Not sure if anyone is interested but I thought I might show part of the vector image overlaid on the original concept sketch. Shows how things get invariably moved around once I get a better idea of how things are looking.

To me, Walt, it's the same concern. The individual using an AI app, that has sourced its material without asking permission, is just as bad as the AI corporation. The one is stealing, the other is handling stolen goods. Just my opinion.

Like it. 🤣 Funnily enough I just posted something on the forums but was really torn, whether to or not, for this very reason. It does worry me that anything posted on this site becomes part of a repository for people who can't be bothered to put the effort in and have no qualms about stealing someone else's work.

Thanks, Rodrigo, much appreciated. Agreed, it's awkward when someone wants you to work with tools you're not comfortable with. Saps the creative flow. Thankfully, for me, Affinity has all my bases covered.