Steps

From Wikipedia:
"In July 2017, Adobe announced[15] that it would end support for Flash Player at the end of 2020, and continued to encourage the use of open HTML5 standards in place of Flash.[16][17] The announcement was coordinated with Apple,[18] Facebook,[19] Google,[20] Microsoft,[21] and Mozilla.[22]"

Thanks. Nice to know.

@MikeW & @walt.farrell Thank you a lot!
Yes, my artist just admitted that CorelDraw was used to trace and AI for the coloring. Gotcha.
Good, I will give instructions and close this bug.

Aside from opening the file as Walt did, the file info in AI also reports CD.
CD doesn't create a PDF-compatible AI file. You might desire to receive the original CD file from this artist as well. That way if the original can be archived should it ever be needed by you or another person.

No vector flood fill tool available.
You might need to use stacking in your designs:

Usually AD read and import an embedded PDF inside the AI file. If there's no PDF embedded in the file, it can't. That's probably why there's nothing dlispayed with this one.

@summersara & @HVDB Photography Thank you for the macros.
I don't think the effect is similar or even close to what I'm looking for I learned something:
Bilateral blur works better than (every bodys default) gaussian blur as it creates other articats that can be eliminated nicely by the gamma change. This reduces the colors a lot better than posterize does IMHO.
But I still miss something that adds depth trough lighting back into the picture.
Compare the eyes and hair in this picture with my first post.
How can I introduce that back on the remaining edges (after this color uniformation)?

 

You can get a similar effect by using the Bilateral blur on a colour copy of the image and increasing the Luminosity and reducing the Saturation, i then gave the B/W copy with the line drawing effect (from detect edges and invert) an overlay blend mode:
 

For me, the fun part of constructing Photo macros that actually do what I want is figuring out how to work around the many limitations of the current implementation. It is also the most frustrating part. 
That is partially because there are no workarounds for many of those limitations & partially because there is almost no support for editing macros once they have been created. For example, even something as simple as exposing a parameter in a step that has a gear icon or changing its initial value(s) requires saving the macro as a new one. It would be a lot less frustrating if we had a 'replace' or 'save changes' button in the Macro panel.

I agree, it gives a nice effect. 

@HVDB Photography & @summersara Thanks very much for posting your macros! 
It is interesting to see how these two approaches differ, like reducing gamma in a Levels adjustment vs. a Black & White adjustment for the B/W copy, naming or not naming the layers, etc.
FWIW, I like that in the 14 step version step 1 is to unlock the layer, since the default is to lock the "(Background)" layer. I also like that in the 29 step version the original layer is untouched & names are assigned to the two layers creating the effects.
I think the 'move inside' steps in the summersara version could be eliminated by taking advantage of a little known macro feature, that being that macros record the assistant settings for adding adjustment & filter layers when the macro is created, so setting that to "Add adjustment as child layer" (& if a live filter is used "Add filter as child layer") prior to creating the macro would automatically apply the move inside steps. I assume in HVDB's version that was in effect when the macro was recorded, explaining why that macro lacks 'move inside' steps.
Since adjustments & live filters are non-destructive & are accessible in the Layers panel, both versions provide for post-macro tweaks, which I found useful for controlling the strength, softness, etc. of the effect for different photos. Very cool! 

Lovely effect Hubert and thanks for adding the Macro and file
I've not done a macro before but had a go, sorry if its not up to much:
 
Cartoon Sketch.afmacro

Okay guys, I just recorded a macro.
Seems to run as expected.
I also attached the .afphoto file, so that you can see which actions (as @summersara indicated) have been taken.
May still need improvement ! Just give it a try.

Hubert
 
Cartoon effect.afphoto
Cartoon effect.afmacros

That produces a very pleasing effect, at least on the photo in your example.
Have you given any thought to creating a macro to do this? It seems doable.

A few do, most do not. Typically, those that do try to identify objects in the image using what is currently known as "machine learning" (ML for short) rather than "artificial intelligence" (AI for short), possibly because AI implies broad, human-like cognitive capabilities while ML implies the capability only to learn how to do some specific task through training.
How well it works depends on what kind of image objects it has been trained with & how extensive that training is.

I am not sure what you are looking for but maybe applying the filter to a duplicate placed above the original in the layer stack, & experimenting with its layer opacity & blend modes might work for you.

This Sketch effect.afmacro is my attempt to convert the technique demonstrated in the Affinity Revolution Transform any Photo into a Pencil Drawing (Affinity Photo Tutorial) into a useful Affinity Photo macro. These are the steps I came up with:

Since the first step selects the top layer regardless of its name or type, for best results it should be the only layer in the document & a pixel layer. The macro does not alter this layer so if you don't like the effect you can delete the layers it creates. The two user adjustments adjust the radius of the Gaussian blur & the Black Level of the Levels Adjustment layer. They can be tweaked after the macro is applied in the usual way. Adding some saturation back to the HSL "_desaturate" layer creates a colored pencil effect.
 
A couple of 'before & after' examples of what you can expect:
 
 
Comments, criticisms, & questions welcomed.

As another alternative, here's a macro that I just posted a couple of moments ago.
 

Based on a recent thread started by user Steps, I have finalized and am attaching a macro called "Graphic Novel Effect." It is similar to the "Paint by Numbers" macro I created a while back, but offers better control of the black outlines that are needed in a cartoon or a graphic novel illustration.
The attached file is a macros category (not a single macro) and can be imported through the Affinity Photo Library panel. Once inside Affinity Photo, the category contains a single macro which can be moved into a different category (by dragging it) if desired. Since it is provided as a category, it can also be imported into the iPad version of AP.
When you use the macro, it creates a number of layers inside a group (which can be turned on and off to show or hide the effect entirely). The user is presented with 5 options in a dialog:
1) Posterize - How Many Colors?
The macro is preset to 5 color levels, but anywhere between 4 and 6 generally gives a decent result.
2) Outlines - Adjust Black [line thickness]
This option is preset to 50%, but changing the value will make the black outlines more or less prominent.
3) Outlines - Adjust White [fill smoothness]
This option is preset to 90%. Changing the value will affect the fill (inside the outlines). Keep the value above the value set in option #2 (line thickness).
4) Finish - Adjust the Brightness
5) Finish - Adjust the Contrast
These are preset to Brightness = -15% and Contrast = +30%. Changes made here will have the obvious results, and should be considered a finishing touch.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As always, I am one person with one computer and have not tested this in every possible scenario. Try it and, if you like it, keep it and enjoy it. This forum has provided me with so many good ideas and answers to questions; this macro is another attempt to “pay it forward.”
Graphic Novel Effect.afmacros

If memory serves me correctly (and it frequently does not!) there was a suggestion along the way that the "Looks Persona" would be the equivalent of a Filter Gallery, or an Artistic Filter kind of mode. The Looks Persona has been listed in the Affinity Photo Roadmap for as long as I can remember, but it seems to have gotten very little "air time." Maybe what you're asking for actually IS on the docket, but hasn't arrived yet.

Hi artfulnotes,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Currently Affinity Photo doesn't have any artistic filters. We do intend to add them later in a future version. There's however a few Topaz plugins that work inside Topaz Studio (also supported as a plugin in Affinity Photo) that may interest you (it also work as an independent app) - check it out here . 

If you're not completely satisfied with that effect, you might want to check out a macro I posted a while ago. It's called "Paint by Numbers" and it gives a somewhat different result.
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/83173-paint-by-numbers/&tab=comments#comment-438291

I am attaching an Affinity Photo macro that turns a photo into a “Paint by Numbers” image. The attached file is a macros category, and should be imported through the “hamburger” menu at the top right of the Library panel. The category can also be imported into the iPad version of Affinity Photo, although there is one important limitation (more on this later).
When you use the macro, it creates a Group called “Paint by Numbers Effect.” All of the changes are inside of this group, so you can turn it on and off simply. Once you look inside the group, you will see multiple layers. From bottom to top, these are:
1) Original Image - Merge Visible
This is a “merge visible” version of your photo. It includes all of the editing you may have done up until that point.
2) Posterization Adjustment
This is a Posterize adjustment layer, and is meant to reduce the number of colors/tones used in the effect.
3) Outlines
This is a separate layer, created (in part) by using a Detect Edges filter. It provides outlines for the areas of color. This mimics the outlines that were present on the Paint by Numbers boards we used as kids.
4) Normalize Colors
This is a copy of the original Merge Visible image, and has its blend mode set to Color. This is used to reset the posterized colors to more natural ones.
5) Adjust Brightness & Contrast
This is a finishing adjustment, and can provide a better final effect.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Once you click the macro, you will be presented with a default version of the effect. A dialog box allows you to set a number of parameters. As you change each of these parameters, the Paint by Numbers effect is updated. You are asked:
Posterize - How Many Colors?
The default value is 4, but values between 3 and 6 generally give good results. If your image is a portrait, judging the final result by looking at what the different values do to the subject’s face is a good idea.
Outlines - Adjust the Opacity
The default is 50%. Adjust this upward to make the outlines more prominent; adjust it downward to make the outlines less obvious. Set to 0 to make them go away entirely.
Finish - Adjust the Brightness
Finish - Adjust the Contrast
The default is 10% brightness, and 20% contrast. Adjust these up or down to give you final effect the desired finish.
When you click Apply, the effect is finalized. Obviously, you can manually change any of the settings after the fact. However, you should know that while the number of posterization levels for the image is non-destructive, the originally chosen number is also used to create the outlines, and this is a destructive change. Although you can change the posterization level after the fact, it is not advisable to do this. The outlines might no longer line up with the individual areas of color.
Also, for some reason, the iPad version of Affinity Photo handles the macro pretty well but will not allow you to change the number of posterization levels before finalizing the effect. It is baked in at 4 levels. You can change this after the fact, but (as above) the number of levels in your posterized image may not match your outlines very well.
Here is the macro in action. The original image is top left; the parameters dialog is shown in its default state, and then changed during the course of the macro; the final effect is shown top right

As always, I am one person with one computer and have not tested this in every possible scenario. Try it and, if you like it, keep it and enjoy it. This forum has provided me with so many good ideas and answers to questions; this macro is my attempt to “pay it forward.”
[Note: Credit where credit is due. I am indebted to Dave Straker, whose recent YouTube video gave me some excellent ideas for this macro. Dave’s channel is called “InAffinity,” and is a steady source of helpful information. Thanks, Dave!]
 
Paint by Numbers.afmacros

hey people, just posting here this quick example, I did using Affinity designer, I think this can guide you by this art tips.

1 - Cartoon,  use stroke over the shapes
2 - Flat vector by using only shapes, hard edges by shadow - NO Opacity
3 - Painting, using Pixel Persona, just draw inside of the shapes, and apply a realistic shading composition with brushes.

thanks for watching, download full project access available exclusively for patrons members 
https://www.patreon.com/jhonatanssilva

Steps...
Here's the macro you wanted. I named it "Dave's  Cartoon Effect" in order to give credit to Dave Straker who, after all, came up with the process. The only thing I changed was to set the blend mode of both the inverted outline pixel layer and the live Gaussian Blur layer to Color Burn. I also set the default blur to 0.5 pixels, as this was a bit more to my own liking. As you'll see, though, it is user-customizable. I didn't put in a step to alter the opacity, but clearly you can do that after the fact.
Note that I've made this an importable macros category, and not a single macro. When imported (through the Library) this will become a new category with a single macro in it. This will also let the macro be imported into the iPad version, if you want.
Dave Straker's Cartoon Effect.afmacros.zip