How to Have Fun with the Windows Paint Program

If your computer is a PC and you have a Windows operating system, included is the Paint program. If you are not familiar with it, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, and finally Paint.

The best way to learn the program is to follow along with these instructions. So go ahead and open the program if you have not already done so and try each step as we go.

What we are going to do is create some abstract art. It is possible to create realistic art but this requires much more skill, so let's save that for later. For now, we just want to produce some pleasing shapes and colors in a simple composition.

What opens up is a blank page with a toolbox on the right and a color palette at the bottom with a menu on the upper left. Try clicking on the various colors in the palette by moving your cursor and left clicking on a color. You will notice that as you left click on a color, it shows up on the little box in front on the left-hand side of the palette.

Now try right clicking on any color and you will see it appear in the little box in the back.

This program is so easy to use that you can really learn most of it just by playing with the various tools and colors. What you can't learn by experimentation, you can learn from the instructions Microsoft has provided.

To start, decide on a color that you want to use for a background. Black is great, or dark blue but you can use any color you want! Left click on the color you choose. Go over to the toolbox on the side and left click on the icon that looks like a tipped bucket of paint. Then move your cursor to anywhere on the page and left click again. You will see your background color instantly fill the page.

Now what you want to do is change tools. So go back to the toolbox and click on the icon that looks like a paintbrush. When you do that you will see a bunch of spots and diagonal lines appear on the bottom of the toolbox. This is your choice of brushstroke. Pick a nice fat spot and left click on it.

Now you need to change colors. Go over to the palette and pick a color that will provide a nice contrast to your background. Left click on that color.

Now courageously venture onto the page and make a closed shape with your color by left clicking and moving your mouse around. Don't worry about making anything perfect. Allow yourself to be loose and experimental.

Now make a few more shapes, whatever tickles your fancy; just make sure you close off the ends so you have an enclosed shape. Why?

Because now we are going to fill those shapes with contrasting colors. Pick a color you haven't used, left click on it, and then go back to the tool box and left click on the paint bucket icon, also called the fill icon since it fills an enclosed area.

Move your cursor to one of the enclosed areas on your page and left click. You will see it magically fill the area with your new color. Now repeat the same process with different colors, filling the enclosed areas with different colors. Isn't this fun!

This little tutorial is just enough to get you started, but hopefully you have seen how easy and fun this program is. There is much more to the program and obviously I have just scratched the surface but you can easily continue to learn new tools and techniques while you experiment and play. Consult the Microsoft instructions for more help.

I have found this program to be a great way to have fun, be creative and relax and as you get familiar with it you will find useful applications for it besides just recreation. Enjoy!