Affinity Designer for Illustration – My Story on Affinity Spotlight

Over the years, I’ve experimented with a wide range of art supplies and software to bring my illustrations to life. When I discovered Affinity Designer for illustration, it quickly became an essential part of my creative process.

Everyone has their own approach to creating. For some, traditional media — pencil, markers, colored pencils, watercolor — is the preferred method. For others, digital tools open up new possibilities and flexibility. In this post, I’d love to share how my illustration journey unfolded, in the hope that it inspires you to find your own creative path.

From Pencils to Pixels

Like many illustrators, I started with paper, a sketching pencil and colored pencils. I loved browsing art supply stores, always drawn to try new materials. For a while I focused on markers, experimenting with color and line.

Looking at illustrations in magazines, social media, and graphic design helped shape my taste and visual preferences.

Eventually, I became curious about digital illustration. I started using Clip Studio Paint (formerly Manga Studio), and thanks to YouTube tutorials I learned how to paint digitally. My work at the time had a cartoon-like feel.

Switching from Adobe to Affinity Designer for Illustration

A local course on “designing with vectors” introduced me to Adobe Illustrator. Vector-based work was a completely different world compared to digital painting, but I was drawn to its precision and flexibility.

I continued using Illustrator for years — until Adobe switched to a subscription model. As a hobbyist and later an independent creative, it became too expensive for me.

That’s when I discovered Affinity Designer for illustration — and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.

At first, I wasn’t sure if Affinity Designer would offer the same flexibility I was used to in Illustrator. But I quickly found that everything I needed — and more — was there, all in a one-time purchase format.

If you’re exploring alternatives to Adobe Illustrator, I can truly recommend giving Affinity Designer a try — especially if you love combining vector precision with creative freedom.

Affinity also offers a 7-day free trial, which helped me decide if the interface worked for me. It’s a bit different from Adobe’s, but like with any new tool, it’s a matter of doing, trying, and learning. Before long, it became second nature.

Affinity Designer continues to evolve, and although I don’t use all the tools it offers, the essentials serve me well: the Pen Tool, Brush Tool, Gradient Tool, and a few more. There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube, and the user forum is active and helpful.

Why Affinity Designer Works for Me

One of the things I love about Affinity Designer is the ability to switch between the Designer Persona and the Pixel Persona. I use the Pixel Persona to sketch ideas and add texture or painterly touches to finish an illustration. Most of my artwork is built with vector shapes, enhanced with soft pixel-based details.

Color adjustments are easy too: I can update multiple objects at once with just a few clicks. It’s intuitive and efficient, which helps me stay in the creative flow.

Affinity Designer has become my go-to program — I don’t use anything else. It supports my entire creative workflow, from sketch to final print.

Since I now run a small creative business offering art prints and posters in various sizes, vector-based artwork is essential. It ensures my designs remain razor-sharp, no matter how large the poster is printed.

Also worth mentioning: the software is available for both desktop and iPad. I personally prefer working on desktop (Windows), but I love that I can switch to my iPad when I’m traveling. The app works seamlessly with the Apple Pencil, making it a great tool for on-the-go sketching and illustrating.

Why I Use Affinity Designer for my Illustrations

To summarize, here’s why Affinity Designer works so well for me:

• One-time purchase — no subscription

• Clean, intuitive interface

• Easy to switch between vector and pixel workflows

• Great tools for sketching, coloring, and final touch-ups

• Perfect for creating high-resolution prints

• Available for both desktop and iPad

• Works seamlessly with Apple Pencil on iPad — great for creating on the go

• Active community and tons of tutorials available

Featured on Affinity Spotlight

In 2022, I was contacted on Instagram by Melanie from Affinity, who invited me for an interview on their blog, Affinity Spotlight. It was such an honor! I enjoyed sharing more about my creative journey and how I work with Affinity Designer.

Curious to read the full interview titled ‘In Your Imagination, Everything Is Possible’? You’ll find it here: