Manually Tracing in Affinity Designer and Inkscape
Affinity Designer Video Tutorials
(There is a lot of catching up for me to do. I better get started with some videos recorded a few months ago.)
Manually Tracing with the Pen Tool
This video shows you how to easily trace a photo with the Pen Tool to create a simple lineart illustration. Seeing that Affinity Designer has no automatic tracing tool, and most tools can’t properly simplify the subject, doing it manually is the most editable and clean approach. Make sure the photo has good quality and the elements you want to trace are clearly readable. Lower the photo’s opacity, lock the layer, and work on a layer above. Set up the stroke to a good size and visible colour, and start with the main lines. Don’t lose yourself in detail. Less is more.
Manually Tracing with the Pencil Tool
This video shows you how to easily trace a photo using the Pencil Tool to create a simple lineart illustration. Seeing Affinity Designer has no automatic tracing tool, and most tools can’t properly simplify the subject, doing it manually is a quick and easy approach if you own a tablet or work with an iPad. Make sure the photo has good quality and the elements you want to trace are clearly readable. Lower the photo’s opacity, lock the layer, and work on a layer above. Set up the stroke to a good size, adjust the pressure curves, and start with the main lines. Don’t lose yourself in detail.
Manually Tracing in Inkscape
Inkscape Video Tutorials
Manually Tracing with the Pencil Tool
This video shows you how to easily trace a sketch using the Pencil Tool to create clean and crisp lineart and add colour to the illustration. Seeing that Inkscape has no ‘brushes’ as such, working with basic shapes is an interesting workaround. The Pencil Tool’s option to take a shape from the clipboard and use it as a pattern along path allows for quick and diverse stroke options. Using the bitmap tracing tool doesn’t always give you clean results, especially when working with photos or complex sketches. Tracing manually using the Pencil Tool is a quick and easy approach when working with a graphic tablet.
I hope you enjoyed these videos and maybe even learned something new. If you did, please subscribe to my channel, turn on the notifications, and leave a like and a comment.
Your feedback is very important to me! Let me know what you think about the video or what you would like to see on the blog.
