Please help - i'm getting so frustrated

[CharlieNewbie]

Hi All,

I am an absolute amateur with drawing of any kind and I recently invested in Photo Affinity to colour in some character bases that I purchased from an artists I really like.

But for the love of me, I cannot understand how to lock a layer so I don't paint over the lines into the background - I have searched high and low for this but I still can't find it? It doesn't really help that a load of words get thrown around that I simply don't understand.

Could someone please help me? P.S. I am surprised Affinity doesn't have a discord server for this stuff.

Regards,

Charlie

[v_kyr]

Hi, take a look at the online help for Affinity Photo, especially also the keyboard shortcuts for selecting all layers etc. - Note: that a layer has to be selected (highlighted) in order to lock/unlock it!

See also the little lock toggle button on the top right of the layers panel, which locks/unlocks for selected/highlighted layers. - Beside that, if an individual layer is locked (indicated by the lock icon on the layer itself), clicking on that icon unlocks (removes the lock) for that layer.

[CharlieNewbie]

Hey - thanks for the response.

So I understand how to highlight the layers, I'm on my laptop right now but underneath the 'body' group in that screenshot there is a layer for the line art and then a layer for the colour (the cream colour on the body at the moment).

When I brush on this layer, I want to ensure that colours don't get painted outside the lineart and onto the background behind it. How can I do this? Do I have to manually trace-select the body colour shape and separate it from the background? Is there a better way of doing this than tracing it with my (shaky!) hand?

Sorry for all the questions, I don't find the tutorials particularly helpful really, i've watched the ones on the affinity site but they talk about editing photos more than illustrating - in hindsight perhaps I should have gotten affinity designer. 

Anyway - would really appreciate it you could help me further!

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, CharlieNewbie said:

in hindsight perhaps I should have gotten affinity designer

The current sale offer (50% off) ends on Wednesday of next week.

[firstdefence]

Anthro Dragon Creator video for painting, it appears to be pixel based so Affinity Photo is the appropriate app, you can create selections or masks to be used for colour containment. You could select the main body parts and create masks.

https://affinity.help/ Selection the Affinity Photo icon and type in selections

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Layers/LayerMasks.html

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Selections/selections_create.html

 

https://gumroad.com/l/fHcnA

[CharlieNewbie]

Okay firsdefence that is so helpful! Thank you!

I can select the area I want with the flood select tool - what do I have to do now to isolate it so I don't spill over onto the background, do I have to mask it? Or do I have to delete the area outside of the selected layer that I want to paint into?

 

[CharlieNewbie]

Okay its working  thank you!

 

 

[firstdefence]

You’re welcome, would be nice to see your masterpiece once you have done