affinity designer Infected & Comic Book Toolkit

[StuartRc]

Infected
This is my first drawing using Affinity Designer 2.0 (A revamped version of the colourful Lena which I have not uploaded!)
It is really a test of the updates made to the Brush Dynamics in Affinity 2.0
Created a new set of inking brushes that makes use of interpolation and the new Distance options with the brush dynamics. I have found that the brushes are much smoother, faster and more responsive..I really like the ability of 'Distance' to allow for the tapering of the nozzle. Even though you have to adjust the direction of the graph!

Affinity Designer 2.0
original 400 x 400mm | 300dpi
Brushes inker | Comic Grunge and Concept Painter

[MikeW]

Once again, wonderful work!

[StuartRc]

3 minutes ago, MikeW said:

Once again, wonderful work!

Thanks Mike.. It is sort of my response to trolls!

[AffinityJules]

This is album cover material of the highest prog-rock quality and, a subtle nod (not intended I'm sure) to ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery"

[StuartRc]

On 11/13/2022 at 4:00 AM, AffinityJules said:

This is album cover material of the highest prog-rock quality and, a subtle nod (not intended I'm sure) to ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery"

Thank you.. Well you are not far out.😀
a. Lena = based the original on the dreadlocks of 'infected rain'.. not progressive rock though!.. a bit louder!
b. It is sort of a cover... I was using the original to test a comic template in publisher but for this version I have re-drawn the face | removed edited a lot of the colour and added a lot more hair!

HR Giger..one of my favourite artists

[AffinityJules]

7 hours ago, StuartRc said:

Ht Giger..one of my favourite artists

I did intend to mention Giger but my fingers forgot to type it.

 

 

7 hours ago, StuartRc said:

 

 

[StuartRc]

Comic Book Toolkit
It is really about building a comic Toolkit rather than Template in Publisher. Just wanted to see how feasible it is... Used images from Inktober and Untamed as they are a mix of vector and raster images + can create pages  | panels in AD and just place!
Still some work to do yet but it is getting there! Still a lot of assets to add

The test template (below) was built in Publisher but a lot of the layouts could also be constructed in Designer. 
Mask Overlay Assets (Orange)

Layout pages

Panel and Tier inserts

[StuartRc]

Affinity Designer Image Construction

2 separate image samples reconstructed in AD 2.0 using existing assets (raster and vector elements)

[AffinityJules]

I marvel at the speed in which you produce these other-worldly images.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity - how long do you spend on an image?

[StuartRc]

1 minute ago, AffinityJules said:

I marvel at the speed in which you produce these other-worldly images.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity - how long do you spend on an image?

A long time!😀
Depends on what I am trying to create.. A single Inktober Drawing (which  I am still working on [Trip | Nest | Match are partially complete] )  usually is 500 x 500 mm square. I work on other sizes sometimes. It can take anything from a couple of days to a week to complete the inking and colour the background.. Which I why I never complete the challenge. Colouring can be time-consuming as well as I tend to have to paint to the edge of the raster.

The Untamed sets can take longer but tend to work on single objects and construct the image from these. The  original drawings are much larger! Like the Membrane tree is a raster drawing (black Ink) and a vector fill (initially). This helps be build assets as the images are constructed. Vectoring the base with pen creates a template you can use to draw (inking) around to create other assets. They are also scalable. So you can work on a layout pretty quickly once you have the assets.

The brush sets help a lot...finally have sets that are more efficient a lot not on the forum!. I am liking the new changes to the dynamics. You can achieve much greater fluidity in the brush.. Seems to have speeded things up lots.

I think the process is sorted now...taken some time to evolve but essentially.
a. Idea + Sketch
b. Redraw (important to do this as it will change and improve (Usually!))
c. Ink
d. Create Base Flats (essential if layering objects)
e. paint or vector inserts
...repeat

Create vector assets from drawings (which I have 1000's)

Once you have the assets, whether it is raster object or pure vector it is pretty easy to build something else.. The comic Toolkit is still W.I.P but the sample pages I just uploaded were completed in a couple of hours.. I just asset stripped the original drawings; re-sized (don't need to worry about print for this exercise!); Used masks to re-paint; blend some areas (shadows and tints) and save out to fit panel area in publisher.

 

 

[StuartRc]

Project Brush 32: Comic Sketch
Completed the supplementary Brush set to support the Comic Toolkit. Created in Affinity 2.0 using new brush dynamics. Partially based on Texture Pencils (INK) Version

[StuartRc]

Vector Assets (Part I)
Vector Pattern Assets extracted from PB 30: Comic Grunge brush set. Set at 100mm min width to supplement the 2 brush sets

 

[StuartRc]

Also refined the Comic sketch brush set
a. Replaced | added 3 base textures
b. Replaced 6 of the original inking brushes with new versions 

[Eduardo M]

Do you have these available to download anywhere, @StuartRc?

[StuartRc]

20 minutes ago, Eduardo M said:

Do you have these available to download anywhere, @StuartRc?

Yep! Are you looking  for the brushes or textures?

1. The Comic sets and textures I have not completed yet but you could easily use PB 19 Inker Sample set. I have updated some of the Sketching and inking brushes to version 2 To  take advantage of the new brush dynamics. These sets are in resources section The texture brushes themselves don't really need editing they can be just imported into V2 apps
3. They are linked at the top of the Inktober Thread
4. Or you could search through the big list
5. I updated the brushes for Texture Pencils and INK Sketching as well (The brush set above is based on these)
 

PB 13 | 15 Textured Pencils & INK sketcher

PB 31 Base Texture Toolkit
Has a small number of the Base Texture PNG's that can be interchanged with any of the brushes
PB 19 INKER has a V2 Updated sample set 

6. The vector textures as above have not been completed yet SO its Still W.I.P. I need to assemble the seamless patterns back into assets so they can be used as 'Quick Fill Textures'..new AD2 feature
 

[Eduardo M]

Thanks, @StuartRc. I was looking for the brushes. I do love your new Dot Tone brushes, and the vectors are looking awesome! Thanks for the links, awesome work! I love it!

[StuartRc]

13 hours ago, Eduardo M said:

Thanks, @StuartRc. I was looking for the brushes. I do love your new Dot Tone brushes, and the vectors are looking awesome! Thanks for the links, awesome work! I love it!

No Problem. you should find the Inker sample set useful. Mixing the brushes with PB 31 Base Texture Toolkit should give you a lot to work with. I will add some more texture patterns when I get a chance!

[StuartRc]

Project Brush Set 30: Comic Grunge
This is my personal take on 'Vintage' Comic Patterns
40 Comic Grunge Pattern Brushes
80 PNG (400 x 400) Interchangeable seamless base textures

Extracted the originals from 'Untamed' Thread as think more appropriate here. Edited the sample sheets to indicate the active patterns contained in the brush set and the optional patterns available. Essentially because I want to extend the pattern options to include those added when updating the Comic Sketch Brushes 

Pattern Brushes

Optional Patterns

[debraspicher]

I haven't given the new brush engine a good try yet. I usually ink in another program, but I've been trying the brushes (during v1) for pattern-making. There's some nice wet media/ink options...

[StuartRc]

1 minute ago, debraspicher said:

I haven't given them a good try yet. I usually ink in another program, but I've been trying the brushes (during v1) for pattern-making. There's some nice wet media/ink options...

The 'wet edge' option can have quite a dramatic effect on the brushes.😀 The 'Paint | Texture brushes attached to PB 19 such as 'Rhyolite' with wet edges active make useful textures painters... I had a test set for V2 but have removed it now! with repeats of the same brush but changing the options | functions.

I have sort of changed the way I create | build brushes...instead of having brushes as complete sets; I added the options of using just the nozzles; then importing the pattern as required , hence PB 31. Makes it a bit more efficient and reduces the number of brushes but also adds a lot of options. PB 19: Inker full version not the sample set! has 200 inking seamless patterns attached.. The Concept Brush set also not on the forum equally has 200 seamless patterns as greyscale (get a better build up of paint with repeated strokes!) and the Comic sets here have 80. Wanted to just concentrate on the 'vintage' comic patterns in this toolkit. hence the brush split from 'Untamed' Where I can just concentrate on concept brush sets!.

The new functionality in V2 : Quick Fill has added extra options. I was initially going to just create a set of assets to supplement the brushes as vector. Which is what the incomplete pattern sets are above. But now I believe that the Toolkit should have a set of simple seamless patterns as vectors in the assets. So you can just drag them onto the fill swatch and scale + add to Palette😀. Works pretty well but colour is a slight issue: Made the Vector assets red so you can see them. So have to use adjustments to re-colour. I used it on the latest Inktober drawings!

Before I built the template (W.I.P) I looked at the options in Clip Paint Studio to compare how the pattern fills | tools and layout options compare. AD 2.0 is getting close to being able to deploy | function drawing options in a similar way..

[StuartRc]

Brush Tests
These 2 were Brush tests using Comic Sketcher and quick fill as overlay but have also used them as the thumbnails for the 2 brush sets

[SrPx]

I have also realized that  the brushes are more fluid and responsive in 2.0. But was not sure if it was some placebo effect on me, my new GPU, or just luck in one config, or really a big improvement. It seems it is the latter.

Edit: The vintage comic brushes (patterns, etc) can become extremely useful (I have that nostalgia, too, about the old printed comic books).

[StuartRc]

21 hours ago, SrPx said:

I have also realized that  the brushes are more fluid and responsive in 2.0. But was not sure if it was some placebo effect on me, my new GPU, or just luck in one config, or really a big improvement. It seems it is the latter.

Edit: The vintage comic brushes (patterns, etc) can become extremely useful (I have that nostalgia, too, about the old printed comic books).

Definitely more responsive especially after the Windows 22H2 update. I really like the new setting 'Distance' in the brush dynamics. can create some interesting line effects.. Had to backtrack a bit with the patterns; for the vector assets and reintroduce a rectangle container to assist with the seamless patterns for 'Quick Fill' but apart from this worked pretty well. 

Brush fluidity

A. In some brushes I removed | diminished the rotation jitter (where not needed). This also had an effect on the speed | smoothness of the brush.
B. Allowed the dynamics graph have greater control over the shape of the brush line
C. Base textures controlled remotely rather than multiple brushes. The scaling \ size process was reversed.. had to compensate for it

[StuartRc]

Assets: Comic Toolkit seamless Pattern Fills

Added new Asset Set to consider the new feature with V2 of dragging pattern assets (Vector or raster) onto the fill swatch on context bar. Personally I use these as overlays for images to create a comic grunge effect but they can equally be used as simple vector patterns. To function, vector patterns had to be nested into a container rectangle rather than just a compound curve (as vector pattern assets above)

Asset Seamless pattern sets 01-03 [A mixture of Dots | Grunge | Grids]
01 Dot Patterns

01 Grunge Patterns

01 Grid Patterns

[StuartRc]

Template Assets and Tools
Template: Affinity Designer Sketch Templates

1. Exported 7 Base Page Templates from AD 2.0 for concept sketching. (as importable templates V2) consisting of:
a. 2 sketching layers (1 vector (pencil) 1 raster). With FX: Overlay set to Blue or red so no longer any need for specific colour brushes as you can set the colour from the FX layer
b. A Mask overlay layer for painting beneath. The overlays can be replaced using 40 additional assets
c. Option for Panels | Tiers where you can sketch inside (making use of the full page or custom shape)
d. Background Base solid colour 
e. Global Colours from APu template
f. 3mm Bleed
Template: Mask overlay assets
(x40) for layout variation (can be mixed with basic tier and panel shapes)