Affinity: The Complete Design Course – Beginner to Pro (Udemy.com)
Vector, Pixel & Layout Tools - Create illustrations, posters, edit images and create multi-page designs & brochures
Created by: Tim Wilson
Last updated May 2026
Our take
Based on the ratings of 466 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.
This is a full walkthrough of Affinity, the free design suite now owned by Canva, split across its Vector, Pixel and Layout studios. Tim Wilson's course runs 23.8 hours over 421 lectures, most of them short, and nearly every block of tool lessons ends in a project. It began as a beginner course and has since added Level 2 sections for vector and pixel work. That makes it a fit for first-timers, Canva users who want more control, and people moving over from Adobe.
Reviewers keep coming back to the teaching. They describe Tim Wilson's voice as calm, patient and clear, and they like the short lessons followed by a small project. One newcomer drew a vector dog illustration for the first time. A reviewer with print production experience said it eased the move to Affinity. Complaints are small. Only 5 of 466 ratings are one or two stars, and the gripes in the sample are that the on-screen interface doesn't always match a student's version, and that a phone screen makes the videos a little hard to watch.
The software is free, so the course is the only cost, and it was last updated in May 2026. Expect a slow, patient pace rather than a quick tour. The section on AI tools is labeled for the paid version of Affinity, so that part may not apply. For anyone starting Affinity from scratch, this is an easy recommendation.
Pros
- Short lessons, each followed by a small project, so students try the tool right away
- Reviewers call the instructor's voice calm, patient and clear, and say he never rushes
- Covers Vector, Pixel and Layout, with projects like a flat art illustration and a Wes Anderson photo edit
- Updated May 2026 and still growing, with Level 2 vector and pixel sections added
Cons
- At 23.8 hours and 421 lectures, it is a long commitment for a quick start
- One reviewer says the on-screen interface doesn't always match their version of Affinity
- The AI tools section is labeled for the paid version, so free users may skip it
I love this instructor's voice and delivery; he is clear, easy to understand, and relaxing in a way that really supports learning.
Listed as All Levels, but it really starts at zero: no design experience needed, only the free Affinity installed.
What you will learn
- Create illustrations and graphics by drawing, transforming and combining shapes, using strokes, fills, gradients and blend modes.
- How to create characters from start to finish
- Design multi-page layouts using typography, text flow, color management (RGB/CMYK) and layout tools.
- Correct and enhance images using color balance, blending techniques, and pixel-based adjustments.
- Navigate confidently between the Vector, Pixel, and Layout studios and understand when to use each one.
- Work with layers, Bezier curves, selections, masks and cutouts to edit images and build creative compositions.
- Export your designs in multiple formats for print, web, social media, and professional publishing.
- Duplication, Pen tool, Symbols, History
- Create a vector illustration advert from start to finish
Course content
40 sections · 421 lectures · 24 hours of video
- 1How to Use this Course 1 free preview1 lecture · 1 min
- 2Interface 2 free previews7 lectures · 18 min
- 3Vector Shapes 1 free preview9 lectures · 27 min
- 4Project: Create an Animal from Shapes 3 free previews13 lectures · 44 min
- 5Strokes, Fills, Color & Gradients 1 free preview10 lectures · 30 min
- 6Project: Gradient Poster 1 free preview9 lectures · 30 min
- 7The Pixel Studio 1 free preview14 lectures · 1.3 hours
- 8Selection Tools 1 free preview9 lectures · 33 min
- 9Project: Create an Image Composition for Social Media 1 free preview10 lectures · 31 min
- 10Bonus Project: Create a Romantic Style Movie Poster 1 free preview11 lectures · 35 min
- 11Bonus Project: Create a Custom Car Movie Poster 1 free preview13 lectures · 41 min
- 12The Layout Studio 1 free preview6 lectures · 28 min
- 13Text Frames 1 free preview6 lectures · 15 min
- 14Picture Frames 1 free preview7 lectures · 25 min
- 15The BIG Project Using Everything You Have Learned & Some New Stuff 3 free previews26 lectures · 1.6 hours
- 16Start of the Vector Level 2 Section - Duplication 2 free previews7 lectures · 26 min
- 17Stroke Options 1 free preview7 lectures · 21 min
- 18Patterns5 lectures · 20 min
- 19Brushes 1 free preview13 lectures · 44 min
- 20Bezier Curves & the Pen Tool 1 free preview13 lectures · 32 min
- 21Project: Create a Stylized Flat Art Illustration 2 free previews11 lectures · 51 min
- 22Layers & Masking7 lectures · 22 min
- 23Blends 1 free preview4 lectures · 19 min
- 24Project: Design a Badge Graphic 1 free preview10 lectures · 30 min
- 25History, Symbols, Artboard & Effects3 lectures · 9 min
- 26Project: Creating Variations 1 free preview8 lectures · 24 min
- 27Project: Redraw a Sports Shoe 2 free previews14 lectures · 48 min
- 28Start of the Level 2 Pixel Studio - Techie Bits 1 free preview3 lectures · 9 min
- 29Perspective & Distortion8 lectures · 23 min
- 30Project: Flat Photo Poster9 lectures · 20 min
- 31Project: Pixel Stretch Image 2 free previews10 lectures · 26 min
- 32Brush Tools in Depth 2 free previews15 lectures · 48 min
- 33Project: Japan Flow Poster12 lectures · 36 min
- 34Useful AI Tools for Paid Version7 lectures · 23 min
- 35Project: Soil Poster / Brochure Cover 1 free preview6 lectures · 16 min
- 36Project: Wes Anderson Filmmaker Style 1 free preview10 lectures · 36 min
- 37Channels 2 free previews6 lectures · 22 min
- 38Development Area 1 free preview11 lectures · 33 min
- 39Liquify3 lectures · 6 min
- 40Project: Spy Poster 1 free preview7 lectures · 19 min
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Complete beginners learning Affinity Studio for the first time
- Canva users who wish to expand their creative skills.
- Designers switching from Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign
- Students and professionals wanting a free, all-in-one creative toolkit
- Hobbyists, home users, and illustrators exploring digital creativity
- Anyone who wants to learn vector, pixel, and layout design in one course
What you need before you start
- No prior design experience — perfect for beginners and those with some knowledge
- The free Affinity Studio installed on your computer
How it compares
Against the other 413 rated Udemy courses in Graphic Design on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.8 out of 5higher than 91% of them
- Reviews466#110 of 414 by number of reviews
- Length23.8 hourslonger than 90% of them
- Last updatedMay 2026more recently than 80% of them
Course Description
Learn Vector, Pixel & Layout Tools in One Creative Workflow
Welcome to this beginner-to-pro Affinity (by Canva) course, where you’ll learn to work confidently across all three integrated studios: Vector, Pixel, and Layout.
Whether you’re a complete beginner, a Canva user ready for deeper control, an Adobe switcher, or an existing Affinity user, this course is designed for you. This course is actively expanded! We have just added our Level 2 Layout & Typography section, giving you a complete intermediate toolkit for professional page design and typesetting without needing a separate enrollment.
What You’ll Learn
Navigate the 3 Studios: Move seamlessly between Vector, Pixel, and Layout workflows.
Vector Design & Patterns: Use basic shapes, the Pen tool, Bezier curves, symbols, and the Appearance panel to build complex vector patterns and repeatable styles.
Pixel Manipulation & AI: Master selections, cutouts, masking, RAW image processing, and integrated Canva AI tools.
Advanced Layout & Typography: Take complete control of text with frame and column breaks, text wrapping, and Type on a Path.
Precision Typesetting: Fine-tune copy using character transforms, ligatures, glyphs, custom tabs, bullets, and numbering.
Pro Output: Manage RGB/CMYK profiles and export print-ready PDFs or digital JPG/PNG assets.
Who This Course Is For
Hi, I’m Tim — a designer, former university lecturer, and creative software trainer based in London. This course is ideal for:
Complete beginners looking for a clear, step-by-step introduction to digital design.
Intermediate learners wanting to master professional editorial layouts and high-end photo composites.
Canva users who need precision control over large blocks of text, margins, and layouts.
Adobe Switchers migrating from Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign.
Course Projects
You’ll learn by creating a massive range of practical, real-world designs, including:
Vector Art: An animal illustration from basic shapes, custom repeating patterns, flat-art graphics, and a redrawn sports shoe with textures.
Pixel Composites: A multi-image layout, a Flat-Art Photo Poster, a Multi-Effect Poster, and a cinematic Wes Anderson-style photo edit.
Advanced Layout & Type: A custom Typographic Logo using vector shapes and glyph manipulation, plus Multi-Page Brochures featuring advanced column flows, text wrapping, and custom bullets
and many more!
What You Need
The free Affinity by Canva Studio suite installed on your computer.
No prior design experience required — everything is explained step-by-step.
By the End of the Course
You will possess the technical toolkit to handle any creative brief with total confidence - from corporate brochures and branding to freelance illustration and image retouching.
The course continues to grow alongside your skills. I can’t wait to see what you create!
Your course materials and resource files are available via the Dropbox links in the first video but I've also added them as separate links in the main sections.
Don’t forget to share your projects — I love seeing what you create!
Instructor Details
- 4.8 Rating
466 Reviews
Tim Wilson
Tim divides his time between training, and undertaking design and photography projects. He has trained a range of companies including BBC, Disney, Aardman, Sky, Nissan, Ford, British Airways, Virgin, Barclays, KPMG, NHS, the Times and Adobe amongst many others.
Tim spent many years as a lecturer for Graphic Design and Photography Honour Degree students at universities. He loves sharing his passion for design and this is reflected by the enthusiasm from his students who rebook his courses to continue their professional development.
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Reviews
By Margot Barnet on 8/29/2026
Mostly. I'm learning a lot. The interface in the instructions doesn't always match what I have in my version, so it's a bit frustrating at times. I also sometimes get ahead of things so I have been trying out some other projects and ways to do things, and sometimes it conflicts.
By Chaires Joy Goyo on 8/17/2026
The teacher's voice is so comforting, it sounds like a teacher who's very patient to his students. I also like that the lessons are in bit sizes and I can try it right afterwards; the lesson sticks to my brain a lot more effectively. I also love the small project sections right after the lesson sections! I made a vector dog illustration for the first time in my life; it was fun! I definitely recommend this course!
By Luís Gouveia de Sousa on 8/2/2026
I successfully completed the Affinity course. Throughout the classes, I learned to work in a structured way with Publisher, Designer, and Photo, developing practical skills that I can now apply with confidence. This course allowed me to improve both my technical skills and my approach to organizing the creative process. My final evaluation reflects the dedication and consistency I maintained throughout the course.
By Deborah Mastrodonato on 5/1/2026
Yes, the instructor talks like a regular person (doesn't use tech-speak) and goes slowly. We are using Affinity now, since Publisher is going the way of the dodos, and I am really struggling with it. The secretarial staff are on our own when it comes to learning this new program. I'm afraid I find it extremely complicated.
By D K on 4/5/2026
I have just completed all the available courses in this program, and I am incredibly satisfied with the content. The curriculum is well-structured, starting with fundamental operations that make it very approachable for absolute beginners. As the course progresses, it dives deeper into professional tools and diverse techniques, giving me a real sense of growth beyond the beginner level. The instructor’s explanations are thorough and paced perfectly, and I was impressed by the quick responses to student questions. What sets this course apart is its practical approach—rather than just explaining features, many lessons involve creating projects from scratch. This "learning by doing" helped me gain valuable hands-on experience. Additionally, since almost all the necessary assets are provided, I could jump straight into creating. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to master Affinity. It’s easily my top pick!
By Nyssa Blake on 2/20/2026
It was good but I would have loved more information on bulk photography editing for Affinity.
By Anne Watman on 1/24/2026
Really great instruction! This is my first course with Tim, and I couldn’t be happier. Even though I already knew a lot from the original Affinity, and its updated V2, I have still learned a lot here. Some of it was things I’d forgotten, but just having a different perspective and ideas has made this course more than worthwhile. I also like the way everything is organized, and each section is of reasonable length. That always makes it easy to come back if there’s something I need to practice, or just as a refresher. How do I make my own brush? I can quickly find that part of the course whenever I need it.
By Rafał W on 12/20/2025
I must say I'm positively surprised. It is indeed a very good course for beginners, but foundation has to be solid, right? :) Still finishing the last sections but overall this is a great introduction to Affinity. I have some basic knowledge of graphics software and and first I thought that the rather verbose and basic explanations were a bit slow for me but actually this helped me find the gaps in my understanding of the topic. It feels like Tim is very knowledgeable about the subject but he's doesn't show off or assume that you know something, he very kindly explains it all bit by bit. Also, I really like Tim's voice, sense of humour and overall relaxed tone; kind of like Bob Ross of Affinity, love it. Can't wait for the intermediate course and beyond! I'm especially interested in the Layout/Publisher part :)
By Darrell Chaddock on 12/19/2025
This is an excellent course that is both educational and enjoyable. The pace is neither too slow or too fast. I have some experience working with the Affinity 2 suite of soft wares but nevertheless I still learned many new things in this course. I'm very much looking forward to the additional intermediate level sections after they are added.
By Zsolt Földesi on 12/16/2025
I started this course with zero experience, and it was exactly what I needed. Everything is explained slowly and clearly, step by step, so it never feels overwhelming. If you’re a complete beginner with no prior design or software knowledge, this course is a perfect place to start. Highly recommended for anyone learning Affinity from scratch. Update: The course content has almost doubled recently. I haven’t gone through the new sections yet, but it’s great to see that the course is being actively expanded.
Quality Score
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Overall Score : 96 / 100











