Affinity Photo: Beyond the Basics!

Hold option on a Mac or alt on a PC and click the mask button to reveal masking options in Affinity Photo after the update. Then practice selections and masks.

Learn to remove a photo background using a selection brush, refine edges with matte adjustments, and paint on the mask to soften hair and improve edge quality.

Explore gradient masks in Affinity Photo to control where adjustments apply, using black and white masks, linear and radial gradients, and inversion to shape lighting and focus.

Use masking groups to apply one mask to multiple layers, refining the dress selection and applying color, brightness, and other adjustments within a grouped layer.

Softening the mask edges with a Gaussian blur on the mask, not the photo, using the alt/option key to select the mask and adjust radius for natural pen tool results.

Explore the curves adjustment to brighten or darken photos, build contrast with an s-curve, and fine-tune highlights, shadows, and midtones using nodes and blend ranges.

Master hsl adjustments to selectively recolor leaves, butterflies, and pillows using hue channels, color ranges, and masks. Refine with color picker, curves, and brush painting for precise results.

Perform targeted skin color correction with an HSL adjustment and mask, painting only the skin to remove green tint and adjust warmth and opacity.

Brighten the photo with curves and midtones, then boost color saturation by channel to add warmth. Sharpen focus on the subject with selective contrast and a subtle sunburst.

Learn to clean up photos by removing unwanted elements with the inpainting brush on a new pixel layer, then use the clone brush for tougher real-world edits.

Learn how to clone edges in Affinity Photo by combining the inpainting brush and clone brush, using new pixel layers, sampling with alt to clean hair edges and wall textures.

Learn to remove power lines from photos using the inpainting and clone brushes, sampling sky colors, and careful blending for a clean sky and seamless edits.

Find the photos for a wedding composite and place the bride into a new image, using side lighting and similar angles to aid masking, with photos from Pexels and Unsplash.

Resize and position the model, copy and paste into the background, and flip horizontal for consistent lighting. Refine the mask and edges to blend hair and reduce flyaways.

Apply a subtle Gaussian blur to the city background, use a gradient to fade blur from top to bottom, and soften the subject mask for a seamless composite.

Match global lighting in Affinity Photo by applying a curves adjustment on a child layer, then fine-tune midtones, shadows, and highlights to balance the subject with the scene.

Refine the subject's shadows and highlights with curves, inverted masks, and white painting; add rim lighting and edge brightening, then balance warmth in highlights using blend ranges.