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#5 in Affinity PhotoUdemyHighest Rated on UdemyAffinity PhotoPaid courseAll LevelsCertificate

Beginner to Wow - Affinity Photo Version 2 (Udemy.com)

All the Essentials of Affinity Photo Version 2 in Easy Steps

Created by: Tim Wilson

Last updated November 2022

Our take

Based on the ratings of 420 students and a sample of their written reviews, the syllabus, the course as of November 2022. No course pays to be reviewed.

Tim Wilson's course is a short introduction to Affinity Photo 2, about five hours across 72 lectures. The syllabus shows a pattern: a block of tools (image essentials, brushes, selections, layers, masking), then a project that uses them. There are four of those: a color and luminosity correction, retouching an old photograph, a pineapple social media post and a jazz poster. It's built for people who have never edited a photo before, though the audience list also names Photoshop users switching over. Exercise files are included, and the images come from Unsplash and Pixabay.

Reviewers keep coming back to the same thing: Wilson speaks slowly and clearly and breaks each tool down to its simplest step. One student called him one of the best instructors they'd had on Udemy. A couple of people who already knew some Affinity said they still picked up new techniques. Ratings back this up, with 312 of 420 reviews at five stars and only one at a single star. The course was last updated in November 2022, and reviewers now on Affinity 3 report that a few menus have moved and they had to search around. One three-star review felt selections were demonstrated too many times, padding the lessons.

With about 2,000 students it is not a big course, but it carries Udemy's Highest Rated badge. It's paid, comes with a certificate, and at under five hours with no quizzes it stops at the essentials, so treat it as a first step rather than a reference. If a patient walkthrough of the basics matters more than coverage of the newest features, this is a good pick.

Best forComplete beginners to photo editing who want four small projects and a calm, unhurried instructor.
Skip it ifYou're on Affinity Photo 3 and want every menu to match, or you already know selections and masks.

Pros

  • Wilson speaks slowly and clearly; reviewers say he breaks each tool down to its simplest step.
  • Four hands-on projects, including an old photo restoration and a jazz poster, follow each tools block.
  • 312 of 420 reviews are five stars and only one is a single star.
  • Exercise files included, and students already familiar with Affinity say they still learned new techniques.

Cons

  • Last updated November 2022; reviewers on Affinity Photo 3 report a few menus have moved.
  • One three-star review says selections were demonstrated repeatedly, dragging out lessons.
  • Under five hours with no quizzes, so it stops at the basics.
This is one of the best instructors I have had on Udemy. He is clear and concise and makes it easy for the student to understand by breaking the process down to its most simple level.
James Bradley, a student

Listed as All Levels, but it's really for beginners; the requirements say no prior Affinity experience is needed.

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What you will learn

  • How to make your images look their best using Exposure, Color Balance and other tone & color controls
  • How to retouch images to enhance them such improving skin, and cleaning up tears, dirt and imperfections in photos.
  • Create multi-image collages using cut-outs including how to cut out hair / fur.
  • Understand non-destructive editing techniques using layers and masks
  • Gain an excellent understanding of all the main editing tools

Course content

11 sections · 72 lectures · 4.8 hours of video

  1. 1Introduction 2 free previews3 lectures · 5 min
  2. 2Essentials of a Good Image 3 free previews15 lectures · 1.1 hours
  3. 3Project: Correct Color & Luminosity & Warm Up an Image2 lectures · 9 min
  4. 4Brush Tools 2 free previews13 lectures · 37 min
  5. 5Project: Retouch an Old Photograph 1 free preview5 lectures · 23 min
  6. 6Selections 2 free previews10 lectures · 38 min
  7. 7Project: Pineapple Social Media Post 1 free preview8 lectures · 37 min
  8. 8Layers 2 free previews5 lectures · 26 min
  9. 9Masking 1 free preview6 lectures · 33 min
  10. 10Project: Jazz Poster 1 free preview4 lectures · 20 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone new to Affinity Photo or those with skills wanting up to update them, learn new tips and new features of the latest update.
  • Anyone using Photoshop or other photo editing software who wants to translate their skills into Affinity Photo

What you need before you start

  • Affinity Photo V2 although V1 is very similar
  • Eagerness to learn!
  • No prior knowledge or experience with Affinity Photo is required
  • Exercise files are provided

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Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
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Qualified Instructor
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Course Depth & Coverage
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Overall Score : 98 / 100

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Course Description

Learn to Edit and Retouch Your Images and Make them come to Life in This Comprehensive Affinity Photo V2 Course.

Hi - I'm Tim and I'm a designer and photographer as well as a software trainer who's been working in the industry for over 20 years. Companies I've trained include, BBC, Disney, The Times Newspaper, NHS, Deutschebank as well as numerous others. I've also spent many years as a lecturer to honors degree students in photography and graphic design.


This course is an introduction to Affinity Photo with tutorials and step-by-step projects, starting right from the beginning for complete beginners. You do not have to have any photo editing experience at all.

Together we will look at a specific set of tools and techniques. Then I will give you some projects to complete to reinforce your knowledge.


All the content can be adapted for both print or web.


You will learn the basics of Affinity Photo and solidify your knowledge by creating multi-image compositions, retouching old and new images, color-correcting images, working with non-destructive adjustment layers as well as selections.


This course is for anyone new to Affinity Photo, whether you have used any other editing software like Photoshop or not. All you need is a copy of Affinity Photo on computer / laptop.


During the videos there will also be key phrases that appear to help you remember tools, shortcuts and techniques.


At the end of this course you will have good understanding of the basics of Affinity Photo and will be able to create simple yet eye-catching and exciting images, retouch and recolor photos and work in a non-destructive way.


All the exercise files come from the Royalty Free websites Unsplash and Pixabay.


Music by Bensound - License code: JPQVCAZSDCUXC2BX

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Instructor Details

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

4.9

420 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Paul Moffatt on 9/7/2026

I find the presentation style excellent. The format is great for actually learning the information. I'm learning what to do. I wanted a Photoshop alternative and chose Affinity. I had no idea how good it was until this course. I downloaded version 3. I thought the course might be out of date. The way to find some menus has changed; however, I found everything I needed by looking around the menus. I highly recommend this course

By Erik Dam on 9/10/2025

interesting but not so much value for me

By Laurie S. on 6/11/2025

The overall quality of this course was excellent! As a lifelong Photoshop user, I was really intimidated to switch to Affinity Photo and was getting really frustrating trying to figure it out on my own. Watching this course, made it super easy. It covered all the basics to get me started. Tim was an excellent teacher! The videos were very easy to follow. Thank you, Tim!

By Andrew Hunt on 1/14/2025

I've had Affinity Photo for years and although I'm able to use it adequately there's always been a fair amount of its capabilities that have eluded me. Until now. What a fabulous teacher Tim is. He's opened up so many short cuts and work arounds that I didn't know existed. I've also always struggled with masks and I now feel far more confident in so many aspects of this brilliant software. This has been my first course on Udemy. I hope all of your courses are led by someone as good as Tim.

By Jacob Martinez on 11/12/2024

This course has been tremendously helpful! I have experience with Photoshop, but I needed to learn the nuances of this software. This course has done a tremendous job making some of the more complicated functions of the software easy to understand and pick up on. If you are coming from an Adobe background, you'll be able to pick up and learn Affinity with ease. For those who are brand new to photo editing, this course will absolutely help you get up to speed on the more important functions, tools, and tricks.

By Attila Fulop on 8/14/2024

This is my second course after Affinity Designer 2 from Tim and I can only give the same 5-star rating that I gave for the previous course. So far, the best courses on Udemy and the reason is the style of Tim's delivery of the content. It's easy to follow and keep up the attention due the shorter lectures. Everything is explained very well and the projects are also great for applying what we learned into practice. Thanks Tim!

By William Visser on 7/8/2024

Excellent course, helpful examples, the right amount of detail and not overwhelming, pace is good, tone of the presenter is warm and pleasant. There are a couple of references to a more advanced level 2 course, but given this one was updated in 2022 I don’t see any such course on Udemy. Maybe Tim you could give an update on when this might be available. I would certainly subscribe to it.

By Ivana Zeravica on 6/23/2024

Definitely a good course to invest in. I have had some graphic design experience with Affinity but needed someone to explain some things in Affinity photo and much is clearer now.I initially learned Photoshop...I found it kind of challenging.I like and prefer Affinity Suite more so far.I would enrol in all of Tim Wilson's courses.He explains everything so well and has a very pleasant voice and demeanor.Thank you for everything.

By Stephen Hackley on 3/25/2023

Having limited experience with Photo Elements 13, it was time to move along. I purchased Affinity Photo 2 after seeing this course available. It is exactly what I was looking for. When I first opened Affinity, I was overwhelmed by the sight of it. The course was well thought out and easy to understand. I enjoyed the step by step with the included photos to work from. Very Well Done. Thank you for producing this class.

By Fernando Saitta on 3/21/2023

This course is excellent. Tim covers all the essential features of Affinity Photo 2 in a clear, easy-to-follow, yet detailed manner, focusing on ensuring the student can follow and actuate the instructions properly. I have a few Udemy courses, but this is the best thought and presentation. Thank you, Tim; I can't wait for the advanced part.

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