This class, AD 16 Scenic Illustration in Affinity Designer, will help to reinforce what you have learned in Affinity Designer thus far and put into practice your skills using the Pixel Persona. I start with a pencil sketch which I based on some inspiration we will review. Then we proceed to draw all the vectors using either the pen tool or the pencil tool. I show you how to clip the shapes we draw to the circle which will act as a vignette.

This class is packed with so many important workflows which you will learn. We use each of the vector layers we draw as a clipping mask which we will fill with pixel data. The pixel layers are mainly for adding shadows and highlights to add dimension or for giving the components some texture. These pixel layers can still be affected with things like blend modes and adjustments in opacity. Slowly but surely, we advance toward a finished illustration.

I walk you through all the things I did to refine the illustration. I love that this project also employs the use of many of the little floral assets I developed for previous projects. It helps this project to move along quickly. There are many little things that come up, but I show you all my methods so that you can really understand what the goals are and what you must do to perfect the illustration. I show you how to adjust the vectors too, and this can be done at any stage. They always remain fully editable! Once the basics are done, I show you some cool techniques for creating depth and highlights that make the components look dimensional. 

In this class I’ll walk you through:

• searching for and using inspiration
• drawing the individual vector shapes 
• using vectors as clipping masks
• using the Pixel Persona to add dimension and texture

Working with clipping masks and the Pixel Persona in vector documents is another important skill to learn, and my guidance will help you through the questions you may have. This class will benefit anyone looking to add illustration in a vector program to their skillset.

The key concepts I will include:

• recognizing and creating value areas to show dimension
• working with both the Vector and Pixel Personas in Affinity Designer
• working with layers and blending modes to create interesting effects
• using your existing asset gallery

The more you know about vector software workflows is the more confident you will become. At the end of class, you will have a beautiful layered illustration that you can use for any purpose. Remember to work with a high resolution (minimum 300 ppi) image so it can be used for any purpose afterwards. This would be great for greeting card art or any POD items.