Saving a selection to a mask which can be reused in other layers

[Niko Steensels]

Hi, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to Affinity Designer. Up until now I have been using Procreate for my digital paintings and have become quite proficient in it. Maybe a bit too proficient as I'm struggling with Designer to find a workflow to start creating. 🙂
I realize Designer is not Procreate but I was hoping that someone could push me in the right direction to start enjoying the multitude of things I have available in Designer which I don't have in Procreate. 

So this is how I'm used to work in Procreate vs where I'm struggling with Designer.

1. I open a picture in a new painting

2. Make multiple individual  unique selections on the picture which I want to use as a mask for painting and save them individually for later use.

3. I open a new layer, in which I can select one of the previously saved masks and start painting that area 

4. In one layer, I can select whichever mask I need and deselect it when done with that area

In the two pictures you can see a painting I did in Procreate where I have several layers, in which I could select the mask I needed. An overview on how to select these masks is also added

 

Where I'm struggling

1. pretty much straightforward

2. I'm at the stage that I can create a selection (add, substract, intersection still need to get some experience here), but here I struggle. I'm not able yet to assign it to a mask which is not in a layer. At this stage, I have the impression that for each selection saved into a mask, I need to have new layer. I don't seem to be able to create a set of masks which I can select when I need them.

3. If I have created a mask in a layer, I probably have to copy to a new layer in order to reuse it again I guess?

4. As said, I have the impression that for each mask that I want to use, I need to create a new layer. I'm not sure if multiple masks in a layer as children would be even possibly and then just switching them on/off (sort to speak) when I need them.

the other picture shows the result I have now in Designer.

 

I hope this is somewhat an indication of my struggles to get to grip with Designer and possible the switch of concept I need to make in my head/

[NotMyFault]

24 minutes ago, Niko Steensels said:

3. If I have created a mask in a layer, I probably have to copy to a new layer in order to reuse it again I guess?

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Yes, you can either copy mask lasers and used them nested to pixel layers directly.

or you can group multiple layers and use the mask applied to the group layer.

[NotMyFault]

Your type of workflow may work better on Photo instead of Designer. There you get

• channels panel and save multiple selections as spare channel  - which is roughly what you envisioned as mockup in your last image
• Live compound masks, to combine masks similar like layer geometry functions.

 

 

[NotMyFault]

If you work using masks with hard edges, you may switch to curve layers. These can be used similar to mask layers as masks to other layers, or as parent layer for clipping all child layers to their curve.

[Niko Steensels]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies.  I'll have a look if this brings me closer to get a start. 

I was aware of the channel options for the mask in Photo, and was looking for them in Designer, but didn't find them there. What would be the difference between Photo and Designer, because I see a lot of similarities, but not yet the biggest differences, apart from the obvious Photo is more for photo processing.😋 
The reason I started off with Designer was to create digital paintings, in the same way I did with Procreate, but with a lot more bells and whistles to play with...

 

[Old Bruce]

9 minutes ago, Niko Steensels said:

What would be the difference between Photo and Designer, because I see a lot of similarities, ...

Biggest difference is that Designer is tuned up to do Vector work and Photo is tuned up to do Pixel work. If your work in Procreate used a lot of Pixel brushes then do that work in Photo. If you want to use Vectors as masks then make them in Designer. The one file will work with both applications. Just use the File > Edit in Photo/Designer... Do the work, save the file and choose File > Edit in Designer/Photo and continue on.

[Niko Steensels]

Thanks for the insight? As everything what I have done so far is done with pixel brushes, it seems to me that I first have to  start in  photo.