Brush Workflow Question

[IKB]

What is your best "Brush" workflow when painting in Affinity Photo?

I'm thinking that creating a new brush category specifically for the project I'm working on, then placing the few brushes I use on that project in that category.

Does this sound right, is this what you seasoned painters do? 

there are just so many brushes in each category and I feel I spend way too much time trying to find the brush I recently used.

Thanks!

 

[IKB]

56 minutes ago, IKB said:

What is your best "Brush" workflow when painting in Affinity Photo?

I'm thinking that creating a new brush category specifically for the project I'm working on, then placing the few brushes I use on that project in that category.

Does this sound right, is this what you seasoned painters do? 

there are just so many brushes in each category and I feel I spend way too much time trying to find the brush I recently used.

Thanks!

 

SOLVED

I think that creating a category would have been best in Version 1 - But, in version 2, there appears to be a brush icon in the layer, when clicked it gives you the brushes that were used in that layer... Nice!

I was hoping for a quicker workflow then creating a category and dragging brushes that I may, or may not use, maybe a way to show "Recently Used" but this Affinity update works perfect.

 

 

[iconoclast]

Cool, I didn't notice this new feature yet. But unfortunately this Brushes-History can't be saved with the document, as far as I see. So if you work on a bigger project, that takes more time, you should better create a category for that brushes as you first mentioned. I use to paint with another program and usually only use AfPhoto for image editing. Photo's brushes are really cool, but unfortunately they can't blend colors while you paint. You have to do that afterwards using the Color Mixer Brush or the Smudge Brush Tool. And if you do that, the textures of the brushes you painted with will be smudged too. That's a little bit annoying for painting. At least for me.

[IKB]

1 hour ago, iconoclast said:

 But unfortunately this Brushes-History can't be saved with the document, as far as I see.

 

Good catch, I didn't notice that... and that stinks. 

So, creating a pallet and brush category are an essential part of a digital painting workflow

[iconoclast]

Yes, I think so. Maybe there will be some inventions in the future. E.G. my favorite painting app has a function that is called "Tool Box". It is an option to put all the brush presets, colors and other things you use in a document in one file that can be saved separately from the document, so that you can even load it if you are working on another document and you want to use the same brushes, colors... for it. That's a very nice feature. It is also convenient for use while you are painting, because you have most of the things you need in only one panel. So you have a very tidy working space. But that's a painting app only. There are no image editing functions in it, and it hasn't even a color management.

[StuartRc]

I would agree a 'personal' brush category is extremely useful for workflow. Especially as you link it across all apps now. I like the new brush history in the layers but it is limited. Useful for remembering size variations though.

With regards to the colour mixing you could try experimenting with the blend modes on the context menu (average is pretty good at colour mixing!)..or fix the blend mode in brush dynamics!.. Also have a play around with the H S L values | settings in the brush dynamics. Mixing these with the new 'Distance' option (reverse the graph for effect!) can provide you with some interesting results.