What’s included in the asset set?

• 10 hand-drawn botanical assets, all vector based, for your own exploration

Thank you so much for supporting me and my blog publication! Ready to download? :)

PS: these also work for Affinity V3 on my desktop!

How to import the assets into Affinity

1. Open Affinity - I am currently still on the iPad V2

2. Navigate to the Assets Studio - right-side menu on the iPad. For the desktop you need to activate the Assets view from the Window > Assets area.

3. Click on the hamburger menu in the top right of the panel and choose Import Assets. Those need to be saved somewhere first, either in a file on your iPad/computer, or to your cloud storage.

4. They will magically appear in your assets library!

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The truth is that Germany is a country of extremes. Some aspects of living here have been so frustrating that they’ve made me question whether I want to stay. Others have been so good that they’ve made me seriously consider building my long-term future here.

A small disclaimer: these are my personal experiences after living in Berlin and Potsdam (Brandenburg). Germany is a large country, and your experience in another city may be completely different.

The biggest disadvantage: German bureaucracy and POOR digitization

If you’ve ever heard someone joke about German bureaucracy, I can confirm that the stereotype exists for a reason. As a freelancer, I honestly think bureaucracy is the single hardest part of living here.

There are forms for everything. Registrations, taxes, insurance, accounting, official letters, applications, declarations... it sometimes feels as though every task creates three more tasks. Germany adds another full-time job on top of that: paperwork. And I mean actual paper. Printed-out forms, letters in the post, signatures, envelopes, stamps... it’s honestly exhausting. I really mourn the trees here :( And next time around I will be expecting to send my mail by an actual mail pigeon… (coo coooo!)

What surprises me the most is the lack of efficient digitalisation. Germany often presents itself as a modern, innovative country, but when it comes to public administration, it frequently feels decades behind. So many processes still can’t be completed online, and when digital services do exist, they’re often incomplete or difficult to use.

Anyways, ass someone whose entire business is digital: I teach online, create digital illustrations, sell online courses and work with people all over the world - it honestly feels like stepping back in time every time I have to deal with government offices.

My least favourite institution: the Finanzamt

Nothing represents that bureaucracy better than the Finanzamt, which simply means the German tax office.

As I’m writing this, my Steuerberaterin (tax advisor) has been trying to reach the Finanzamt for more than three weeks. She needs information in order to complete calculations for my Elterngeld application. (Elterngeld is Germany’s parental allowance for new parents.) Three weeks without getting the information she needs. And btw, still no succes.

It’s difficult enough preparing for a baby without wondering whether important paperwork will be delayed because nobody answers the phone. Situations like this create unnecessary stress, and unfortunately they haven’t been rare in my experience.

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Freelancing isn’t easy here

Germany offers wonderful support for artists in some ways, but becoming and staying a freelancer here isn’t necessarily easy. You’re responsible for your own taxes, bookkeeping, insurance, invoicing and accounting. Most freelancers eventually hire a Steuerberater (tax advisor), which is incredibly helpful but also another business expense.

None of this is impossible, of course, but it’s something people should know before moving here. Germany isn’t the kind of place where you can simply ignore paperwork and hope for the best. It is also my subjective opinion that the German system will “reward” you if you comply and simply get a 9-5 full-time desk job. You will be rather well protected against losing your job, get a good contract, get some extra money benefits, get your insurance half paid by your employer bla bla bla. Whether there is a work balance there, and whether the system is family friendly… Depends on the company, but again, I don’t want to go there too deep.

Finding a flat can feel impossible

Another challenge that deserves its own section is housing. If you’re thinking about moving to Germany, prepare yourself for a competitive rental market. It’s completely normal for dozens or even hundreds of people to apply for the same apartment. Applicants often bring folders full of documents to prove their income, employment and financial stability. Flat owners often drive the prices up, knowing that people will pay. Since I moved back to Potsdam in 2024, I have been paying triple rent compared to the rent I used to pay in Berlin. Ouchhh…

For freelancers, it can be even harder because you don’t have a traditional employment contract. Finding a wonderful apartment is certainly possible, but it often requires patience, persistence and a bit of luck.

The everyday cost of living isn’t bad

Now let’s move on to the good news.

One thing I genuinely appreciate about Germany is grocery shopping. Compared with several other European countries, supermarket prices are still relatively reasonable. Whether you’re shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe or Edeka, it’s possible to eat well without spending a fortune.

As someone running a freelance business where income can fluctuate from month to month, I definitely appreciate that.

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Artists are spoiled when it comes to art supplies

Germany is honestly a wonderful place if you love buying art materials. There are fantastic brands available, professional-quality supplies are easy to find, and prices are often very OK.

One of my favourite places is Boesner, a huge art supply store that feels like heaven for artists. Every visit somehow turns into an expensive visit, but I never regret it :)

Here are also some of my favorite online shops for art supplies: Kunstpark Shop, and Gerstaecker Shop.

Creative equipment is also reasonably priced

I’ve also found that electronics tend to be fairly competitive. If you’re looking for an iPad, microphone, drawing tablet, camera or other equipment for your creative business, Germany is often a very good place to shop. Considering how dependent many of us are on technology these days, that’s definitely worth mentioning.

I also used to work for Rebuy.de, an online marketplace for 2nd-hand electronics, and this is where I got all my iPads from :) Medimops is also worth mentioning for 2nd-hand books.

The biggest advantage, and THE reason I seriously considered staying

I’ve saved my favourite part until the end. If there is one thing Germany does exceptionally well for professional artists, it’s the Künstlersozialkasse, better known as the KSK. The name sounds intimidating, but the idea is wonderfully simple.

The KSK is a special system for professional freelance artists and creatives. If you’re accepted, it pays roughly half of your public health insurance, long-term care insurance and pension insurance contributions, giving freelancers support that’s similar to what employees receive from an employer.

For me, this changed everything. Being self-employed is exciting, but it also comes with uncertainty. Knowing that I receive support with health insurance provides a level of stability that’s difficult to overstate. In fact, the KSK is one of the main reasons I started thinking that maybe Germany should remain my home for longer than I originally planned. Without it, I’m not sure I would have reached the same conclusion.

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So, is Germany a good country for artists?

After several years here, my answer is still: yes, but with some important caveats.

If you’re an established freelance artist who qualifies for the KSK, Germany offers a level of support that many creatives around the world would love to have.

At the same time, you’ll need patience. Bureaucracy is real. The tax system is complicated. Housing can be difficult. Public administration still has a long way to go when it comes to digitalisation.

I’d love to hear your experiences. If you live in Germany, what has your experience been like? And if you’re reading this from another country, what does your country do brilliantly for artists, and what do you wish would change?

Leave a comment

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

👉 Impressum

What’s included in the asset set?

• 4 hand-drawn fish, all vector based and with vector-based textures inside the shapes, for your own exploration

• bubbles and waves for fast copy paste into your illustration

Thank you so much for supporting me and my blog publication! Ready to download? :)

PS: these also work for Affinity V3 on my desktop!

Leave a comment

How to import the assets into Affinity

1. Open Affinity - I am currently on the iPad V2

2. Navigate to the Assets Studio - right-side menu on the iPad. For the desktop you need to activate the Assets view from the Window > Assets area.

3. Click on the hamburger menu in the top right of the panel and choose Import Assets. Those need to be saved somewhere first, either in a file on your iPad/computer, or to your cloud storage.

4. They will magically appear in your assets library!

Read more

I got an unexpected message from a German media authority (die Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg). The subject line referred to my YouTube channel. As I read through the message, I learned that a complaint had been submitted regarding my content. The authority believed that some of my videos might not have been properly labeled as advertising under German media regulations.

Further down the email, I saw a sentence mentioning potential fines of up to €500,000 for certain violations…

I don’t think my heart rate has ever increased that quickly from opening an email.

After spending weeks focused on baby feeding schedules, sleepless nights, and learning how to care for two children, I suddenly found myself wondering whether I had accidentally done something seriously wrong in my business. It was not the comeback to work I had imagined.

What the issue was

The good news is that I wasn’t accused of fraud, copyright infringement, or anything dramatic. Over the years, some of my YouTube videos had included things like:

• affiliate links

• discount codes

• links to my own courses and products

In one example highlighted by the authority, I had mentioned that a set of colored pencils had been sent to me free of charge and had included an affiliate link and discount code in the video description, maybe you remember this video (I had to take it down aiii):

The authority’s position was that this content should have been more clearly labeled as advertising - ”Werbung” in German, and yes, it had to be in German, not in English (how could I know????).

They also pointed out that my YouTube channel did not clearly provide an Impressum, a legal notice that is required for many business-related online activities in Germany.

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The emotional side nobody talks about

When you’re a creator, especially a small creator, it’s easy to think of yourself primarily as an artist, teacher, designer, or illustrator. But the reality is that once you start selling products, earning affiliate commissions, collaborating with companies, or building an audience, you’re also operating a business.

First, my mind immediately jumped to worst-case scenarios. Had I missed something important? Would I face penalties? How many platforms would I need to review? Was there something else I didn’t know?

Looking back, I think what frightened me most wasn’t the actual issue. It was the feeling that there might be rules I had never been taught.

What happened next

After the initial panic wore off, I started reading carefully. I replied to the authority with questions. To my relief, the person handling my case was helpful and clear. It was an opportunity to correct issues and bring my content into compliance.

On that day, I did the following:

• reviewed my YouTube channel

• updated video descriptions where appropriate

• added clear advertising disclosures

• reviewed affiliate links and discount codes

• updated my website

• created a proper Impressum page

• linked that Impressum from my social media profiles

• reviewed my Substack, Instagram, and other creator platforms

In other words, I gave my entire online business a compliance audit that I probably should have done years ago.

A quick reminder for creators

If you create content online, it might be worth asking yourself:

• Do I use affiliate links?

• Do I share discount codes?

• Have I received free products from companies?

• Do I promote my own products or courses?

• Are there disclosure requirements in my country?

• Do I need an Impressum or legal notice?

The answers will vary depending on where you live. I’m not a lawyer, and this article isn’t legal advice! But I can say from experience that it’s much better to spend an afternoon reviewing these things than to discover them through an unexpected email.

Coming back

What made this experience particularly difficult was that I’m not a large creator with a team, a lawyer, or a thriving business behind me. I’m a small creator. Like many artists, I spend far more time creating than I do thinking about regulations. Most months, my creative business feels like a battle of making videos, teaching courses, illustrating, and trying to earn enough income for all of that work to make sense.

So when I saw an official email mentioning potential fines of up to €500,000, it genuinely scared me.

At the time, my baby had just turned 3 months old. I was trying to find my way back into work while caring for two children, functioning on interrupted sleep, and slowly rebuilding my creative routines after months focused entirely on family life.

Instead of feeling excited about returning to my channel, I suddenly found myself wondering whether I should be doing any of it at all.

I created my YouTube channel because I wanted to help people. I wanted to make digital illustration more approachable and less intimidating. I wanted to share what I had learned and connect with other creatives. I never imagined that one day I would be sitting at my desk worrying about legal regulations and reading documents about potential fines. And also wanted to mention - I was genuinely happy to get my first “collab” and get those damn 30-euros colored pencils to test lol :D They’re not even that expensive, a small price for a YouTube video, but I was so happy!

Then, for a few days, the stress really got to me. Of course, looking back now, I understand that the email was an opportunity to correct mistakes, not a sign that my creative career was about to collapse. The issues were fixable, and I’m grateful that I was given the chance to address them. But I also think it’s important to be honest about how vulnerable many small creators are.

Most of us are doing our best, wearing ten different hats at once, and trying to navigate a world that becomes more complex every year.

I’m sharing this story because I suspect I’m not the only one who would have found that email frightening. If you’re a creator, consider this a gentle reminder to spend an afternoon reviewing the less glamorous parts of your business. It might save you a lot of stress later. And if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all the responsibilities that come with sharing your work online, know that you’re certainly not alone.

I guess - welcome back from your maternity leave Wera! ;) With fireworks :D

Leave a comment

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

👉 Impressum

Let’s take a closer look at the brief from the client.

The brief

The project came to me through my illustration agency. The client was Educa Borras, a Spanish puzzle and games publisher, and the task was to create a single illustration for a 1000-piece puzzle that would feature historically important women.

Project title: “Women Who Changed the World”

Format: 1000-piece adult puzzle, 48x34 cm, CMYK, 300dpi, 5 mm of bleed

Style: Elegant, modern, educational, and diverse

A symbolic tribute to 40 historical and contemporary women across fields like science, activism, literature, and exploration.

A reminder to myself:
A puzzle is a product first - an illustration second.

Step 1: Research comes first

Before I even started drawing, I spent time researching each woman. Some of them were very familiar, and others were new to me. That part of the process is honestly one of my favourite aspects of projects like this, and this is the main reason why I decided to work more on my non-fiction portfolio pieces.

In my research, I looked for:

• recognisable visual references

• typical clothing, hairstyle or accessories

• and one or two subtle visual cues that could help identify each person without relying on text

A strong silhouette and an instantly recognisable element are often more important than perfect historical detail.

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Step 2: Designing 36 characters for one image

PS: I had to negotiate reducing the characters from 40 to 36, it was a lot of work and I needed to meet my deadline. Designing one character is comfortable. Designing 36 characters that all need to feel:

• equally important,

• visually distinct,

• and balanced within one composition…

…is a completely different challenge.

From the very beginning, I treated this illustration more like a poster layout than a traditional scene. My main goals were: no character should visually dominate the whole image, no faces should be too small or hidden, and the viewer should be able to slowly “travel” through the image while discovering new figures

I spent a lot of time on my sketch, here is one work in progress view:

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Step 3: Thinking like a puzzle designer, not just an illustrator

One of the most important mindset shifts in this project was remembering that the final artwork would be cut into 1000 pieces. That can affect:

• contrast

• color placement

• and how busy certain areas of the illustration can be

Large flat areas can be boring for a puzzle. But overly detailed areas can become visually overwhelming once cut into small shapes.

So I consciously designed:

• repeating color accents across the image

• gentle background variation

• texture/pattern elements on the clothes of the women

This is something I always teach in my own courses as well: designing with the end product in mind changes your illustration decisions.

MORE PHOTOS

Good commercial illustration is not about showing how much you can draw.
It is about how clearly you can communicate an idea within real constraints.

Designing a puzzle with 36 iconic women was not only a creative challenge.
It was a design problem. And that is exactly the kind of work I love most.

Wish me luck - I would love to illustrate more puzzles!

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

If you’re on a yearly plan, your subscription will be extended by the same amount of time, so you won’t lose anything.

Thank you so much for your support and for being here, and please keep your fingers crossed for me :))))) Ouuuchhhh :D

Warmly,
Weronika

Share The Art of Growth

I often get quiet questions like:,“Is it really possible to live from illustration?” So here is my real answer, without hype, without big promises.

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I love drawing by hand and I always have! Traditional tools are not separate from my digital workflow, they are part of how I develop ideas, test colour combinations and explore textures before or alongside my digital work.

That’s why I wanted to test the Woomer colored pencils (72-colour set) [Werbung 7 advertisement] and see how they actually fit into a modern, mostly digital illustration process. I have a video about it, including some behind the scenes regarding my process for speculative client work:

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What matters most to me in colored pencils

As a children’s book illustrator, the feeling of the pencil is extremely important to me. The one thing I care about most is that pencils are on the softer side. I don’t enjoy working with very hard, scratchy leads, especially when I sketch. Even when I do my pre-sketching in Procreate, I choose soft pencil-like brushes with a “smudged” quality.

So, I was looking for new colored pencils on a budget, because I mainly use them for my sketchbook and for journaling = they barely see the sunlight :) And Woomer reached out to me to test their set. Am I becoming a real influencer at the age of 40? Woweeeeee!

The Woomer pencils surprised me in a very positive way here. They feel smooth, they apply easily, and I don’t have to press hard to get visible, rich layers. They work in particular well with my own sketchbook, which is on the rougher paper side. Plus, who doesn’t like 72 delicious colors, including one called cinnamon? :))))

How I use them in a digital workflow

Even though I create most of my final illustrations digitally, I still:

• sketch characters, parts of the environment and scenes by hand

• test color moods on paper

• need to test out the SCALE for my possible book projects on real paper! - this might be the most important one

For this hybrid way of working, colored pencils fit naturally into my process. They are not meant to replace my iPad, and I wouldn’t want them to. They are a very nice companion tool for idea development, color exploration and slower, more tactile drawing sessions.

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Would I recommend them?

Yes, I would :) I think the Woomer 72-colour pencil set is a really nice choice, which won’t ruin your wallet - something that matters to poor artists like me haha :) So, they could work for you:

• if you are a digital illustrator who still loves traditional drawing

• if you prefer softer colored pencils

• and if you want a widecolor range for your illustration work

• if you are more on a budget

They are also a lovely option as a gift for someone who enjoys drawing, or as a small upgrade for your own creative tools. You can save 10% with the code WERONIKASALACH if you want to buy the set directly from their website:

WOOMER 72 COLORS

Are you working mostly digitally today, or do you still enjoy mixing traditional tools into your illustration process?

Leave a comment

Stay tuned for more reviews! I am trying to finish up a few overdue videos before my maternity leave ufff. Next will be a certain drawing monitor… How exciting!

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

Today I’m releasing a new set of Affinity Designer assets for my paid Substack members. We are still deep in winter, so today I’m sharing some of my favorite snow assets:

What’s included in the asset set?

• 8 hand-drawn snowflakes using textured brushes in Fresco (with uneven edges) , all vector-based

• 1 textured snowfall asset group with organic and textured snowflakes, each of them can be also moved around separately, all vector-based

Thank you so much for supporting me and my blog publication!

Owing to my upcoming maternity leave, my Substack will most likely be paused for 3 months, another announcement will follow. I don’t want you to pay anything while “nothing is going on”. Our current monthly subscription is 5€/a month.

Ready to download? :)

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Now that the year is over, I want to share a realistic snapshot of what 2025 actually looked like. Not as a success story, not as a failure, but as a process. Because if you’re a kidlit illustrator, you probably know this strange in-between phase very well.

The moment I had been waiting for (for two years)

I signed with my illustration agency in January 2024, and it took 2 full years until I could finally hold my first published book in my hands. That moment came in July 2025, so please note, it was about 1.5 year after signing, ufff. Yes, this industry is notorious for being so sooo slow!

MY PUBLISHED WORK

I still remember opening the package and thinking: so this is what all that waiting was for…

That alone already made 2025 a bit better than last year.

How many books could I actually hold in my hands?

In total, I received 5 publications in 2025. Out of that, I bought one out of my own pocket because the publisher never sent my my author copies. Remember publishers: impressions last, it goes both ways…

Physically holding my work mattered more than I expected. Real books I could stack on my desk and show my daughter. Is it a lot? For two years with an agency, honestly, no. But it is progress.

Clients & projects behind the scenes

Since signing with my agency (2 years), I’ve worked with 11 different clients.

In 2025 alone, my work included:

• 5 board book projects

• 2 puzzle deals

• 1 magazine project

• 2 smaller vector clip art projects

On paper, that looks like a decent amount of work. And it was work: real deadlines, revisions, production schedules, and long waiting periods between “yes” and “published.”

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Let’s talk about income

This is the part people rarely spell out clearly. In 2025, agency work made up about 20% of my total annual income. That is… very little. But still more than in 2024 ickkkk.

If I relied only on agency illustration income, I would not be able to live on it. Not even close.

This is one of the hardest realities to accept when you’re represented:

• being signed does not mean financial security

• published does not mean well paid

• busy does not mean sustainable

And yes, that is disappointing. Seeing the numbers written down can feel sobering, especially when you know how much emotional energy, patience, and unpaid waiting goes into kidlit work.

Why I’m sharing this

I’m writing this for other illustrators who:

• feel behind

• wonder if signing with an agency was a mistake

• compare their progress to others

• quietly worry about money

You’re not failing. You’re just in the middle of a very long game. And sometimes, progress looks like holding five books instead of zero.

Leave a comment

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

I’ve built a new landing page on my website with free tutorials - a place where you can easily find my most helpful YouTube videos, all sorted into clear categories instead of being lost in the algorithm.

If you’re new to my work, this is a gentle starting point. And if you’ve been following me for a while, it’s a way to revisit the tutorials you found most useful, without endless scrolling.

What you’ll find there (so far)

I’m curating my most popular and most-requested videos and organizing them by topic, for example:

• Freelance illustrator and creative business videos

• Getting started with Affinity

• V2 iPad interface intro

• Affinity Designer for pattern design

• Quick lessons and troubleshooting vids

• Procreate tutorials

Some people are not sure whether they’d like a full course, so I wanted to wave hello and communicate it clearly that I also have some free content waiting for you to get warmed up :)

I’d love your input

Before I add more, I’d really love to know what you want next. What kinds of videos would be most helpful for you right now?

• Draw with me sessions (slow, cozy, beginner-friendly)

• A more personal vlog showing my life as a kidlit artist

• Software updates videos

Or something else entirely?

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Thank you for being here, for learning with me, and for supporting my work. I’m excited to grow this free tutorial space together with you :)

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

And today, I finally sat down to share my honest answer.

I’m not switching to Affinity V3 yet
And depending on how you work, you might not need to either.

I recorded a full video explaining the details (link below), but I wanted to break it down here as well, especially for my fellow iPad illustrators, texture lovers, beginners, and anyone currently learning Affinity Designer for the first time.

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There’s no V3 for iPad yet - and that’s a big deal

Right now, Affinity Designer V3 is desktop-only.

And since my entire illustration workflow happens on the iPad, upgrading would break the consistency I rely on. I want all my brushes, textures, assets, courses, and files to live in one place, without switching back and forth between versions.

Affinity Designer V2 still does everything I need

This is the part that surprises a lot of people.

Even though V3 looks exciting, V2 is still incredibly powerful:

• vector and pixel tools in one place

• a clean, distraction-free workspace

• a fast, intuitive drawing experience

• perfectly suited for kidlit, graphic design and even textured vector illustration

And as many of you know, I’m currently deep into exploring vector textures, pixel textures, and the creative possibilities inside V2.
I even built a brand new course around it because there is still so much to explore.

CHECK OUT THE NEWEST COURSE

V2 is perfect for beginners and future-proof for V3

One question I get all the time is: “Will learning Affinity V2 become useless once V3 arrives on iPad?”

Short answer: absolutely not. Affinity evolves gradually. Tools don’t disappear, they improve. So the foundation you learn in V2 transfers almost perfectly into V3.

Plus… Affinity on iPad is free :)

The iPad version of Affinity Designer (V2) can be downloaded for free, making it one of the best entry points into professional illustration. It’s still one of the biggest advantages Affinity has over Adobe.

If you’re debating the upgrade, watch this

If you’re an iPad artist, an illustrator just starting out, check out my intro to the iPad V2 interface on YouTube:

Let me know what you think in the comments, are you upgrading, or staying with V2 a little longer like me?

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Ooooh and don’t forget the Black Friday Affinity sale on my website! :)

CHECK IT OUT HERE

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

Hello Creatives!

This year’s Black Friday deal is a special one, and it’s all about Affinity. This is your sign to master Affinity Designer :)

As you may have seen, Affinity has become completely free, which is incredible news for creatives:

To celebrate, I’m offering 50% off all my Affinity bundles on Gumroad.
These bundles include my most comprehensive, beginner-friendly, and beautifully organized resources to help you start creating right away.

CHECK OUT THE BUNDLES

Use code FRIDAY50 at checkout, valid till the end of Monday, December 1st 2025 - when you click through my website, the code should already be pre-applied.

These bundles are ideal if you want to:

• build your vector skills quickly

• explore Affinity Designer now that it’s free

• get high-quality resources for illustration and pattern design

• follow along with my tutorials and upcoming courses

Oh, don’t forget the FREE YouTube playlist to get started with the iPad V2 interface:

I’ll see you in class :))))) I will be also on the lookout for cool Black Friday deals - please comment below if you’d like me to prepare a new Substack post about my favorite deals:

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Check out the bundles below too:

CHECK OUT THE BUNDLES

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

Today I’m releasing a brand-new set of Affinity Designer assets for my paid Substack members. The set is also available via Skillshare and when you buy my newest course on Gumroad. Don’t forget about the code FLUFFYCLOUDS on Gumroad to get 15% OFF ^^

15% DISCOUNT HERE

What’s included in the asset set?

• 6 handmade vector textures: drawn by me, with organic edges, soft grit, and playful imperfections, but still vector-based = full scalability

• 6 custom color palettes that I created for my upcoming pattern design projects: winter, spring, summer, Halloween/autumn & more

• All assets organized neatly so you can drop them right into Affinity Designer and start experimenting

This is the kind of resource I always wish I had when starting a new project - something simple, beautiful and ready to use without endless tweaking.

And now I get to gift it to you, the people who support my work most deeply.

In case you’ve missed the class trailer:

Also, check out those cool Skillshare projects coming in! You don’t necessarily have to draw a weather-themed pattern:

This last pattern by Julie E. from Skillshare, the first pattern author unknown (yet).

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If you’ve ever felt like your vector patterns looked a bit too flat, this class is made for you. Of course, it’s all a matter of style and I’ve been drawing flat-style patterns for years now. It also all depends on your end product: flatter patterns are totally fine for fabrics, whereas more detailed patterns can be so cool for gift wrap or wallpaper!

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So, that’s why in this new class we’ll explore how to combine Affinity Designer (and optionally Adobe Fresco) to create patterns with rich textures, using:

• my own texture assets saved as vector assets

• pixel brushes via the Pixel persona in Affinity

• vector brushes in Affinity

You’ll see how I go from a simple motif to a beautiful, seamless repeat that feels simply richer than just its vector base. It’s a fun, intermediate-level class that builds on your existing Affinity skills, but keeps everything approachable and practical.

A little launch gift

To celebrate the release (and to celebrate something else growing - but about that some other time hihi) I’m offering a 15% discount for this new course, as a small thank you for following my creative journey and learning with me, and also reading me here on Substack :)

Use code FLUFFYCLOUDS at checkout on Gumroad to claim your discount. Valid for this new course on Gumroad, you can apply this code in my Gumroad shop:

GO TO CHECKOUT

No time limits, no rush, just a gentle nudge to join me when you’re ready to create something beautiful. Valid for 1 person + you can also gift this code to a friend who is keen to learn Affinity/Fresco/pattern design.

Thank you for being here, your support truly means the world to me!

Wera

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

It was there because as an artist, you’re “supposed” to have a website - a digital business card, something to link to in your bio. But it didn’t feel alive. It didn’t say anything about how I think, teach, work, or make art. And I realized: people don’t connect to finished work. They connect to the person who made it.

That realization led to the best investment I’ve made in my personal website:

I added a blog :)

Not a complicated one. Not a perfect, heavily planned one. Just a space where I could speak in my own voice.

SEE MY WEBSITE

And here’s what changed:

1. I finally have my own corner of the internet.

Social media is borrowed space. The algorithm decides who sees you, how much, and when.

But a blog? A blog is yours. Together with my Substack :)

2. A blog quietly works for you in the background.

Every post adds to your website’s SEO (search visibility). People who search for the things you teach or create can actually find you, even years later. Your website becomes a growing library of your ideas and not another fleeting scroll.

This is how clients and students discover you without you constantly promoting yourself.

3. It builds trust, the good kind.

When someone reads three of your blog posts, something shifts: they understand how you think, they see your process, they sense your values.

You become someone with insight, depth, and expertise.

This kind of trust leads to:

• More course sign-ups

• More returning clients and students

It feels like talking with someone who is already interested.

SEE MY ABOUT PAGE

If you’ve been thinking about adding a blog to your website…

This is your invitation to try.

Not because you “should” and not to impress anyone, but because your ideas deserve a place to land. A place that won’t disappear tomorrow, a place that can grow alongside you.

Your blog becomes a home for your voice. Drop your blogs in the comments section :)

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Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

If you’d like to hear all the details: what’s changed, what’s new, and how this affects your creative workflow, I’ve just uploaded a new YouTube video breaking it all down:

PS: Stay tuned via YouTubeshorts and my TikTok to get quick “chatty” updates about this new Affinity app situation.

The new Affinity app brings all three programs together: vector, pixel, and layout, all into one single creative space. No more switching between apps or stitching files together. And here’s the part that surprised everyone: it’s now free forever. No subscriptions, no hidden fees.

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There’s a catch, though, for now, this new version is only available for desktop. The iPad version isn’t here yet, and I’ll be honest, I’m a little disappointed. The iPad is where I create and teach, and I absolutely love working in Affinity Designer 2. It’s still fully functional, stable, and beautiful to use, so if you’re on iPad like me, there’s no reason to worry or switch just yet.

I really appreciate Serif’s stance on privacy. Your artwork isn’t being used to train AI, and you can still work completely offline, just like before.

What do you guys think about this update? :)

Leave a comment

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

COURSES & BUNDLES

Hi friends! 💛

I have two exciting things to share with you today - a little Halloween treat and a sneak peek at what I’m working on next!

Halloween SALE

All my Affinity Designer, Adobe Fresco and Procreate courses (and bundles!) are 20% off until midnight, October 31st!

If you’ve been meaning to dive into one of my classes or pick up a bundle, now’s the perfect time to save.
👉 Use the code HALLOWEEN20 at checkout. (Please note: additional VAT applies.)

You can find all my classes here:

SEE ALL CLASSES

A new class is on the way

I’m currently creating something new - a class that will help you take your design skills to the next level.

I can’t reveal too much just yet, but I can say it’s something I’ve been wanting to make for a long time, and I’m really excited about how it’s coming together. I can give you a tiny hint….TEXTURE… ^^ You’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for this one!

Thank you for being here, for learning with me, and for supporting my work. Your messages, comments, and enthusiasm truly keep me inspired to keep creating and teaching.

Wishing you a cozy, creative Halloween! 🎃✨
Weronika

Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers

In this post, I’d love to take you behind the scenes of my workflow - from the very first email to the moment I opened the box of fresh copies. We will talk about client briefing, expectations regarding the final files, how I prepared my artwork for print, and about my timeline and process.

CHECK OUT ON BEHANCE

1. The first brief

So this book was published in October 2025, and when was the first contact with the publisher? Any guesses? :)

The first email with the publisher was exactly on October 22nd 2024, so this book project took 1 year, from the first brief to getting published.

Every project starts with a spark, in this case, an invitation from one of my agents (based in the UK) to join a group of illustrators for a themed book. The brief arrived in my inbox as a PDF filled with references, page layouts, and a general tone for the visuals.

When I receive a brief like that, I usually do three things right away:

1. Read carefully: noting key themes, color limitations, and writing down deadlines into my Notion calendar.

2. Clarify expectations: I often ask questions about mood, audience (age group), or how flexible the concept is, and also about their expectations regarding the final files.

3. Collect inspiration: a quick board or mood collage helps me connect emotionally to the topic before I even start sketching. This one was so scientific that I tried to stick to Google Images and avoid Pinterest.

2. Sketching ideas

This is my favorite part: when the ideas are still free and the possibilities endless. I like to work on my iPad and I often use Procreate for my rough sketches. For this collaborative work I needed to draw 4 scientists: the entomologist, the genetic engineer, the biochemist and the cosmologist. The research part was awesome!

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Not always (I don’t mean to fall into any stereotypes in here - forgive me if this feels inaccurate, doing my best to put my own personal experience into words), but oftentimes women thread their creativity through laundry cycles, childcare, caretaking, emotional labor, and self-doubt.

I am myself in the middle of some important life changes, and the biggest challenges since 2009, when my father passed away. My therapy? Drawing sweet dinosaurs and animals for 2 new clients. In between despair and some serious life obstacles that I choose not to talk about (maybe just yet).

Showing up as a woman in art means:

• Working with interruptions. So many of us often create in the margins, for example after bedtime, during nap times, or in early morning hours before the day swallows us whole. Maybe that is why the iPad is my most favorite drawing tool… I can draw form anywhere…because I have to draw anywhere, and I need to stay flexible, especially as a mom.

• Carrying the double weight. We juggle not only artistic ambition but also the pull of being mothers, partners, professionals, or caretakers. Saying yes to art often feels like saying no to something else that’s expected of us.

• Battling self-doubt. Generations of silenced women live in our bodies. Showing up means unlearning shame, healing our perfectionism, and giving ourselves permission to be ambitious.

Every decision feels often like a trade-off: between my art and my health, my ambitions and my family, my creative fire. I remind myself daily that choosing to slow down or re-prioritize is not a failure, it’s simply another way of showing up.

And yet, there is strength in this persistence. Women artists bring not only skill and imagination, but also resilience.

We learn to work with constraints, to create despite exhaustion, to let lived experience pour into our work.

If you’re reading this and you’ve been struggling to keep going, know this: showing up doesn’t have to look like massive breakthroughs or overnight success. Sometimes it’s simply making space for one drawing this week. Sometimes it’s applying for that grant you’re afraid you won’t get. Sometimes it’s allowing yourself to rest so that you can return to your work with clarity.

So here’s to us, showing up.

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Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators

👉 FB group for pattern designers