In today’s tutorial, we’re diving into a loose, expressive portrait sketch in Affinity Designer. Since I’ll be using only raster brushes, you can follow along using Affinity Photo with no problem. This quick exercise is all about simplifying forms, playing with color, and building up a study without the pressure of creating a perfect result.
We’ll be using brushes from our Nomad for Affinity pack, which emulate the feel of dry gouache and acrylic—perfect for bold, intentional painting with no blending distractions. Let’s get started.
I begin by establishing the head shape, neck, and ears using El Nomada—a brush from the Nomad pack with a raw, textured look.
Before painting, I limit my palette to just three colors: a neutral mid-tone, one lighter value, and one darker value. This helps maintain a natural media feel and simplifies the value structure.
I use Flat on Canvas (3.0) to carve out facial planes and shadows, quickly building up the impression of bone structure and volume with solid, confident strokes.
For the finer features—eyes, nose, lips—I switch to the Dry Details brush. I keep my strokes to a minimum, just enough to map out key traits without zooming in or over-polishing.
Later, I introduce the Fuzzy Details brush to add soft highlights and bring a bit of subtle texture into the face. Think of this like a dry bristle brush—just enough to suggest lighting without losing the sketchy energy.
To tone down rough areas or harsh transitions, I reach for Vieux Lyon. This brush responds to pressure: light strokes give a grainy texture, while stronger pressure adds thicker, painterly blending. It’s great for quick, hard-blending touch-ups.
I use the Pure Pigment brush to create a flat, solid background color—ideal for refining the silhouette of the face and helping the character stand out.
Then, I refine the outer head shape by “cutting” into the edges with the same background color. I also add specular highlights (using near-white) to the eyes for a bit of life and expression.
Hair comes next. My first pass uses Old Bristle Detail, which mimics the feel of a worn-out paintbrush—perfect for sketchy strands. But I wanted to try something else, so I duplicated the layer and went for a looser, messier blonde hairstyle.
To add flyaways and final details, I return to the Dry Details brush.
Throughout the process, I work with as few layers as possible—just like painting on a traditional canvas. This helps me stay focused on the big picture, avoid unnecessary corrections, and let colors interact naturally.
Staying zoomed out also keeps the energy flowing. Portrait sketches like this are perfect for warm-ups, studies, or just experimenting with color and form.
Not every sketch needs to be beautiful or perfectly polished. Doing a portrait sketch in Affinity Designer—like this one—is all about playing around, exploring new ideas, and developing your visual instincts without pressure.
The Nomad for Affinity brush pack was created specifically for this kind of hands-on, painterly experience. It’s ideal for developing your painting instincts with solid strokes and intentional color placement.
