affinity designer Affinity illustrations and experiments

[MEB 8,167]

Another masterpiece :o  Great colours and composition.

Keep them coming please :) 

[peter 635]

The shadows! They really bring the picture to life.

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Uh, I didn't  realize  I hadn't shared in ages - probably that's due to a massive job over the spring months that kept me so busy I lost touch with the world!

Strangely enough I used affinity there as well, mixing it with PS and other programs - Interesting. Unfortunately as the whole thing hasn't been released yet, I will hold back on that for the moment.

What I can share though are some pics I've done recently, for portfolio reasons and for smaller commissions (I've been doing a lot of explainer videos and animations, and I create all the assets with  affinity designer now.

 

So here you go with a couple of pics , I promise to post more soon!

One is a personal piece illustration, called no service 2 (autumn rice fields), the other is a shot from an animation I created the assets for (wide as there is a panning sequence)

 

best

r.

 

 

[Chris B 1,813]

Hey Deadbyxmas, great work. I especially like the 'no service 2' image. The amount of detail is astonishing. Thanks for sharing :)

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Thanks Chris, thank you for looking!

 

I was looking through the past posts, and I noticed I had never posted "no service 1", so here you go - along with another piece from around the same time called "Menchikatsu not included - Sunday in Nippori".

 

best!

r.

 

[Chris B 1,813]

Excellent! I've just had a look through your website and there is some incredible stuff in there :)

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Thank you Chris, I really appreciate you taking your time to go through my stuff - I'm glad you like it.

Actually I am now working on another couple of personal pieces, and I've been taking snapshots so as to share the step-by-step process if anyone should be interested!

[Kasper-V 256]

Robert, when working on paper, I've often found holding the piece up to a mirror is a good way of seeing it anew; it kind of removes your tendency to see what you want it to look like -- so long as you don't do it too much! Of course, you can flip the image on the computer easily, although fiddling about with a hand-mirror in front of your monitor would probably be more effective.

 

Great work -- looking forward to seeing more.

[sorin.jurcut 55]

So cool. So much inspiration and talent. :) And good on you for choosing Affinity. It won't let you down ! :D

[Seanh 6]

Very good. Love your style. 

[A_B_C 1,985]

Your colors are truly amazing … almost Edward-Hopper-esque in some pieces …  :)

[Onur 19]

Your style and colors are inspiring. Like them so much.

[peter 635]

Even the tiny bus and street signs are a work of art.

[Kodiak 184]

•

 

 

Very well thought and executed images!

 

I like the little details you include like signs

and others. ;)

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Wow, thanks guys, I'm really thankful for your comments.

 

 

Kasper: the paper thing is something I should do more often - although the typical test is standing away from the paper, or monitor etc. Once I used to just photocopy drawings or print them out, just to have a brand new perspective! And anyway a lot of my sketches are pretty small, as I try to capture quickly what I have in mind rather than dwelling on the details....it has its pros and cons.

 

Sorin: it hasn't, it was a great find and it has somewhat revolutionized my work - actually I use it also when I do non strictly vector work, as a base to work out colours and shapes.

 

Seanh: thanks - that's the biggest problem, style! Always changing my mind about things, which is probably a style in itself!

 

A_B_C: it's a humbling comparison, and actually, an eye opener. Hopper is one of the artists always in the back of my mind, but when people ask me about influences he's not the first that springs to mind, although I agree it's certainly present (I only wish!)

 

Onur: it's a virtuous circle, so many people inspire me!

 

Peter and Kodiak: glad that comes through, as I put quite a lot of attention to that aspect, I think it helps immensely for immersion.

 

I have other affinity stuff to share, but I will post now something I've just been working on.  I'm still not sure whether it's completed or not, or what to think of it. It's a kind of an experiment - and moreover,  I haven't really shared it anywhere yet, and I love coming up with titles and still clueless with this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Hi Guys, 

I was browsing the forum, reading tips, previews etc. and then I remembered I had a thread here. 

Ahh, where to start - I have been using Designer solid for the last few years - with commercial, personal work etc. 

I will just start with some recent stuff, and slowly work my way back (or forward with newer). 

So I've been doing, amongst other stuff, a lot of editorial illustrations, so here are a few (I will spare you the topics of the articles, they're mainly business related, but at least I try to put a fun spin on them).

Here are 5, more soon

best

r.

 

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Four more

 

 

[SrPx 836]

Such a huge pro. Top stuff ! Thanks for sharing 

[Alfred 4,801]

7 minutes ago, SrPx said:

Such a huge pro. Top stuff ! Thanks for sharing 

What he said! 

[Roger C 114]

11 hours ago, SrPx said:

Such a huge pro. Top stuff !

... And again here.

Never has the forum designation "Newbie" seemed less appropriate!

[SrPx 836]

Lol, at that illustration where a man is entering the door with a painting pallete symbol, and there's a brain like projection in the wall and floor...thought it meant artists were right winged in a political sense... Now I guess the original sense... that we use mostly the global perception, the right side of the brain...I always had my issues (since at college when studied that) with that, I guess it depends on the artist. Really cool image, like always.

[BrianHermelijn 182]

Great to see more illustrators/artists on here. We need more peoples. Do you always start on paper or 
you also have an Ipad + affinity on it. If you do have an Ipad, what has your experience been with it?

There seems to be a lot of good feedback for Ipad, which of course peek my interest, to get one
in the foreseeable future. 

[SrPx 836]

However he makes it, the results are amazing.   

( OT: I'm not a fan of using an iPad, with affinity or whatever... max. versatility versus max. mobility.....I will always opt for the former.... as ALL IS mobile....if I can "move" it, haha.....Desktop for ever! ....But to each his/her own)

[Deadbyxmas 225]

Thank you guys, 

really glad you enjoy the pics. SrPx, yes, it is the "right side of the brain", as in the creative side, no politics involved - especially as the "left" and "right" categories have gone completely out of the window in some parts of the world! It was an article about urging a creative approach when making marketing decisions, that's all. 

But BrianHermelijin,  in terms of creative flow - most of the times I sketch ideas on my sketchbook, with good old traditional pencil - then if it's worth using I scan it and use it as reference. Sometimes I sketch directly with the tablet (I use a cintiq and a huion + mac and sometimes a surface pro) - actually the very latest piece I completed yesterday I sketched directly with the pixel persona, and then completed it within affinity. I used a blue pencil brush I think I downloaded here on this board - which is great for sketching ideas. I will share the pic once it's approved and used. 

And nope, I don't have a ipad - I have been considering getting one since Designer was released for I pad, but as SrPx says I tend to prefer the desktop environment - moreover as AD is great with skipping from one program to the other (eg. PS). In fact I am considering investing in something "mobile" like Wacom Mobilestudio Pro or HP Zbook x2 - although they are expensive machines. But never say never, someone at Affinity asked me if I was using the Ipad with AffinityPhoto for demos - so I might give it a go. 

Next pic...hmm, I will take a break from the editorial ones, and share something flimsier and a bit Japanese, as I'm in Tokyo at the moment (although these are pretty old, probably from a couple of years ago) - my AD take on Sailor Moon and on Exo-Chika from Aural Vampire, an electro pop Japanese band not many have heard of!

best

r.

 

[SrPx 836]

Gorgeous !

Congrats for being in Tokyo, too !