Jess Johnston

Artist relations

47 posts

Jess is part of our artist relations team. When given the luxury of peace from an excitable toddler Jess loves nothing more than curling up with a trashy novel, a family-sized chocolate bar and a G&T.

Inspiration

Christian Weiß: ‘drawing is what gives me strength and a voice’

Illustrator Christian Weiß started his career as a self-expressed act of rebellion. Since then, his passion for art has driven him to hone his skills and create the multifaceted artworks we see today.

Learning

Creating stunning smoke overlays in Affinity Photo with Reto Scheiwiller

Asset creator Reto Scheiwiller shares how to shoot breathtaking images of smoke and turn them into overlays using Affinity Photo.

Learning

Create a lo-fi digital collage in Affinity Photo with Frankentoon

Enrique Figueroa of Frankentoon Studio shows us his photo collage process in Affinity Photo whilst providing a free asset pack so you can re-create this look too.

Inspiration

Lionel Darian: ‘each illustration elicits a different emotion in me’

The modest yet fantastically talented illustrator Lionel Darian joins us to share his thoughts, inspirations and drive behind his art.

Inspiration

Jose Ciceraro: ‘comics, cartoons and games are my biggest inspiration’

Character designer and UI artist Jose Ciceraro shares his energy and tale of how he came to work in the design industry and how he uses Affinity Designer to create art in his two favourite styles.

Inspiration

Tony Allen: ‘I try to make each new artwork an improvement of the last’

Affinity user Tony Allen is Yorkshire-born but currently living in Kyiv, Ukraine. He explored various creative outlets before making illustration his main focus last year.

Inspiration

Good enough to eat: the tantalising food photography of Stacie Ma

Sparked by boredom and aided by online tutorials, Stacie Ma found her true passion in food photography and came out of a world pandemic with a bright new career. Here she tells us more.

Behind the Scenes

Marielle Groot Obbink: shooting in the fast-paced world of music photography

Dutch photographer Marielle Groot Obbink took her love of music, festivals, and photography from a simple passion to a career. She tells us how she made the leap from hobbyist to freelancer.

Inspiration

Adrià Tormo: ‘stay true to your style, evolve, and don’t give up’

Spanish artist Adrià Tormo stands out from the crowd with his bold, geometric designs created in Affinity Designer. He talks us through his journey so far, giving some sound advice along the way.

Inspiration

Viktorija Grachkova: ‘my goal is to integrate my art into the world’

Latvian designer and illustrator Viktorija Grachkova tells us more about her joyful geometric character designs and how she developed her distinctive signature style in Affinity Designer.

Inspiration

Ege Ilicak: ‘every photo in the history of humanity holds its own unique story’

Photographer and Affinity Photo user, Ege Ilicak, captures glimpses into peoples lives through a single frame, his passion for documenting humanity and diverse cultures clearly evident in his work.

Inspiration

MK Joe: turning a lifelong passion into a career

The talented MK Joe talks us through the influences behind her style and how she realised she could turn her love of anime into a dream job.

Inspiration

Marianna Orsho: adding some girl power to her portfolio

Marianna Orsho's vivacious designs really stand out from the crowd. She tells us more about her approach to design and how she became involved in the branding for the Spice Girls 2019 world tour.

Inspiration

Street photographer Grant Ashford: ‘I see myself as someone documenting life as it is now for future generations’

Sydney-based street photographer Grant Ashford talks to us about his varied career, the unorthodox shooting methods he uses and his top tips for capturing fleeting moments on the streets.

Inspiration

Iajhy Grant: ‘humility is the starting point for everything; we always have something new to learn from others’

Brazilian born and self-proclaimed generalist artist, Iajhy Grant, tells us the story behind his 100 commissions piece 'Anthony' and more about his creative career.

Inspiration

Anne Albert: ‘finding my style was a lot about asking myself questions’

Anne is an editorial illustrator who thrives on creating dynamic imagery from complex ideas in her studio in Germany. She talks us through her approach to design and much more in this interview.

Inspiration

Cleonique Hilsaca: inspiring kindness through illustration

Cleonique was one of our selected 100 commissions artists at the start of the global pandemic. We caught up with her to hear more about the skill, passion and motivations behind her work.

Inspiration

Illustrator Johan Keslassy: ‘I just keep drawing and let my style evolve naturally’

Johan Keslassy is a self-taught illustrator living in France. After taking part in our 100 Days. 100 Commissions campaign earlier in the year he talks us through his process and goals for the future.

Inspiration

Sr. Reny: ‘I love the satisfaction of overcoming each challenge, even the smallest ones’

Spanish illustrator and designer Javier Ramirez, the talent behind the brand Sr. Reny, tells us how his talent for creating intriguing and eye-catching designs is continuously evolving.

Inspiration

Thomas Moke: ‘I love the long journey that’s brought me here and possibly leading me somewhere further’

Italian born photographer and cinematographer Thomas Moke talks about his unwavering passion for his art and what it's like to shoot for the fashion industry.

Inspiration

Aldric Bonani: ‘inspiration is everywhere, the secret is to always be curious’

Talented designer Aldric Bonani self-published the children’s book “Palavrinha Desenhada” which was commissioned during 100 Days. 100 Commissions. Aldric tells us more about his work and life.

Inspiration

Shivam Maini: ‘I felt the longing for photography and living in the hills’

We interview Dr Shivam Maini; an Affinity user, photographer and photography coach based in the beautiful village of Natadol, India, overlooking the Himalayan peaks.

Inspiration

Paul V Harrison: exploring the World’s hidden beauty in macro

Paul V Harrison is one of our 100 days. 100 commissions photographers. He loves sharing the hidden beauty in nature using the detail that’s possible with macro.

Behind the Scenes

Xavier Portela: to Iceland and back with Affinity Photo for iPad

Using Affinity Photo for the first time, Xavier Portela embarked on his latest trip to Iceland armed with only his photography equipment and an iPad, leaving his usual laptop set up behind.

Inspiration

Moon Mane: sleepless nights in the name of stargazing and illustration

Benet Zaganjori, the creative talent behind Moon Mane Design talks us through his tattoo-inspired designs, his love of stargazing and illustration and the owl piece he recently created for us.

Inspiration

Laura Ferreira: ‘many of my favourite pieces come from shooting Carnival costumes’

Laura Ferreira is one of the inspiring talents commissioned for our 1.8 update. We caught up with her post-edit to hear more about the vibrant soul behind the imagery and her experience with Affinity.

Inspiration

Chaaya Prabhat: ‘I find nature and wildlife really inspirational’

We spoke to talented illustrator Chaaya Prabhat about her passion for creating and the stories behind her whimsical work.

Behind the Scenes

Showcase: the creators behind Affinity Photo 1.8

Take a look at the inspirational work created by these highly skilled digital painters, compositors and photographers that our Artist Relations team worked with to showcase Affinity Photo 1.8.

Inspiration

Nick Liefhebber: creating dynamic worlds through colour

Dutch designer Nick Liefhebber talks us through the inspiration and work behind his lively, colour-rich illustrations.

Behind the Scenes

Creating a festive greeting with Affinity Designer for iPad

Illustrator and designer Tobias Hall has delivered once again during a recent commission to celebrate Christmas. He talks us through process of how it was done using Affinity Designer for iPad.

Inspiration

Mr Paisley: designing intricate patterns for high-end brands

French Textile Designer Florent Terracol tells us how he uses Affinity Photo to create detailed designs for big name fashion brands.

Inspiration

Kristina Makeeva: making the world more colourful one frame at a time

Step into the whimsical world of Kristina Makeeva where beauty is amplified using a fusion of photography and colour.

Learning

Drue Photo shares his secrets to beautiful light

Affinity Photo convert Drue Schnelle of Drue Photo talks us through his editing process using Affinity Photo for iPad.

Inspiration

How to use multi brushes by DAUB Brushes

Created by Affinity brush expert Paolo Limoncelli, DAUB® PaintBox Brush pack delivers a diverse collection of raster brushes to add a natural paint look and feel amazing to use on Affinity on iPad.

Inspiration

Fabienne and Adriano: Hitchhiking around the world

In July 2017 Fabienne and Adriano quit everything familiar to them to hitchhike around the world. Documenting their journey through photography and blogging they tell us more about their adventure.

Learning

How to vectorise lettering with the Pen Tool

Ivana Maric of Le Punkt Noir talks us through the process of vectorising lettering in Affinity Designer.

Behind the Scenes

Creating a sci-fi landscape with Affinity Photo for iPad

Artist Giuliano Brocani talks us through the process of creating a sci-fi landscape using 'custom shapes' and colourisation in Affinity Photo.

Behind the Scenes

No compromise: the illustrated world of Tobias Hall

We love the work of illustrator and mural artist Tobias Hall. In this article, we find out about his work and how Affinity Designer for iPad has totally transformed his practice...

Behind the Scenes

Vibes of the seventies: shooting with Tony Willis

Tony is a talented photographer, Affinity convert and founder of SOTG Studio. In this article, we take a look behind the scenes of his 'vibes of the seventies' shoot...

Learning

Tony Willis: riding the road to creative freedom

Meet Tony Willis. Photographer, filmmaker and founder of SOTG studio. Here he talks us through the journey to becoming a professional photographer.

Inspiration

Watercolours and Washes: raster brushes by DAUB

We've welcomed the fantastic DAUB® Brushes, aka Paolo Limoncelli to the Affinity Store! Find out more about his DAUB® Watercolour & Washes raster brushes and how you can use them in your work here.

Inspiration

Concept Master Vol.1: Nature brush pack by Frankentoon

Frankentoon's Concept Master Vol.1: Nature brush pack is now available in the Affinity Store! Find out what its all about in this excerpt from the Tips and Tricks eBook for this beautiful kit...

Inspiration

Crazy with a chance of meatballs! The spaghetti art of Jaime Sanchez

The Spanish visual artist and photographer on a creative journey from pasta to raster.

Inspiration

Jack Usephot: ‘Don’t create from memory alone’

Brazilian graphic designer Jack Usephot talks us through mastering the art of composites and photo manipulation and his thoughts on Affinity Photo for iPad.

Inspiration

Paolo Pettigiani: Making the invisible visible

Paolo Pettigiani creates a whole new world using the magic of infrared photography. We caught up with him to hear about his work and his thoughts on Affinity Photo for iPad.

Inspiration

Paul Fuentes: ‘I like the idea of saying a joke without words’

Paul Fuentes transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary taking everyday objects to create cool mashups with a touch of humour...

Inspiration

Illustrator Will Schorer: ‘I am drawn to things that have some kind of fantasy element’

Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Will Schorer is the mastermind behind Highscore Creative, who have been feeding the industry with a wide spectrum of design delicacies for over a decade.