Changing and adjusting single layers

[SGSTUDIO]

Hello, I've decided to migrate from Adobe to Affinity after 25 years!  I've spent a week trying to get my head around it all, I've made some advancements and it seems to be fairly straight forward, and more efficient which is great BUT what is the deal with being able to adjust single layers on the fly?  I'd like to adjust my individual layer, whether it be adjusting the contrast or colours but can't find a way to do it.   In Photoshop, you choose the layer and go to 'image' on menu and adjust, simple.  When I choose my layer on Affinity and go to  the adjustment menu, it changes everything but the layer I've selected.  Subsequently I've learnt that you create an 'adjustment layer' place it on top of your chosen layer and adjust from there, but it just does exactly the same thing as before, it changes all the layers.  Surely there must be an easier way of doing this? definitely a deal breaker from me if there isn't. Everything else on this programme feels so efficient and quicker than PS so I'm amazed that this bit is so complicated. Thanks for any advice that may cometh my way!

[Hangman]

Hi @SGSTUDIO and welcome to the forums,

To restrict an adjustment or filter to the selected layer you need to nest the adjustment or filter in that layer. Adjustments placed above layers in the Layers panel will affect all underlying layers...

You can change the default behaviour for adding adjustment and filter layers in the Assistant Settings, i.e., as to whether the adjustment or filter layer will appear above or be nested to the selected layer...

[SGSTUDIO]

Thank you very much for your response.  I've played around and this does seem to work but I appear to have a very specific issue.  My problem is that I have a layer that features some brush shading on top of a vector shape.  Applying adjustment's to my vector shapes works fine but I can't apply any changes to my shading layer, whenever I combine an adjustment layer with it, and try to change it's colour, it still only affects the other layers.

[Hangman]

Could you perhaps upload a simple sample file or a screenshot showing your Layers Panel fully expanded so we can see exactly what you have in your file...