Create a graphic using Paint

Create a graphic using Paint

Another application that is included with Windows is “Paint”, a drawing program that can be used to create and modify graphic images. To start Paint, click “Start” and select “All Programs → Accessories → Paint”. Generally, when we create a file, we open the application first, and then create and save the file.

You may wish to create a blank file on the desktop. Select “File → Save”. The “Save As” window is displayed. Specify the location as “Desktop” and then select the type of file you want to create from the “Save as type” list. In this case you will create a blank file called “New” on the desktop using the “24 bit Bitmap” image file type. Your file is stored with the extension “.bmp”. The text under the icon displays the default icon name "New". Since the file is blank, the desktop icon displays a blank square. Now, you are ready to open the file and create a graphic. Let us create a logo for your organization, which is the picture of a palm tree.

Since you want to use Paint to create the graphic, you need to select this application by clicking on the icon on the desktop. The Paint program is loaded with the blank file open. Paint has many of the same features, including a title bar, menu bar and status bar as you have seen in the other application programs.

Try to draw a picture of a palm tree, similar to the one shown above, that you can add to the document you previously created using WordPad. The Paint program also includes a toolbar, called a toolbox. By default the toolbox is displayed on the left edge of the window. The toolbox buttons are used to draw shapes, fill shapes with colors, edit the drawing and so on.

Displayed at the top of the window is the color box that is used to add color to the graphic. The white area in the workspace is the drawing area where you may create the drawing. The pre-selected icon is the “Pencil” button. You can tell it is selected because it appears in a box.

The mouse pointer appears as a pencil when this tool is selected and you are pointing to the drawing area. The tool you select is drawn when you drag or click in the drawing area.

First, you need to draw the plot of grass below the tree.

The “Ellipse” tool creates an ellipse or circular shape. When you move the mouse pointer into the drawing area, it changes to a plus (+). To begin drawing, move the pointer to where you want the circle to begin. A circle or ellipse is created by dragging the mouse until the shape is displayed as you want it to appear.

You have created a simple oval shape with a black outside borderline and white interior. Notice the three additional buttons, called “fill-style” buttons, displayed at the bottom of the toolbox. The first button draws an ellipse with an outline border in the selected fill color without filling the object. This is the default selection and the setting you have used.

The second button draws an outline border and also fills the object with the selected fill color. The last fill style creates an object without a border using the selected fill color.

Adding Color: You now want to fill the shape with a green color. You may do this by selecting colors from the color box. The color box consists of two areas, the “select colors area” and the “color palette”. If you select colors before creating a shape, the outline of the shape is created using the foreground color, while the inside of the shape is filled with the background color. To set the background color, right-click in the color palette. You need to delete the oval and replace it with another that contains color.

Using the “Brush” Tool: Next, you want to create two tree trunks. You need to use the Brush tool to create the shape and apply the color at the same time. The brush applies the foreground color when you drag to create the shape. You may change the foreground color to brown. The Brush tool creates broad lines of color as you drag.

Using the “Eraser”: You may make mistakes or to not like the appearance of your drawing. For this you may need to erase sections of your drawings. To clean up the drawing, you can use the Eraser tool to delete the parts of the trunk you may not like. The eraser uses the background colors.

Using the “Airbrush” Tool: Finally, you want to create the palm fronds. You need to use the Airbrush tool for this purpose. This tool also provides several "spray" shapes. Using different shapes can add interest to the drawing. The Airbrush sprays with the foreground color. To use the background color, drag with the right mouse button held down while spraying.

Creating a Custom Color: Since the color selection of green colors on the palette is limited, you may create a custom color. Double-click on a color in the color box. The “Edit Colors” window contains a palette of basic colors, many of which are displayed in the color box. The green color you selected is the selected color in the “Basic colors” palette.

Click “Define Custom Colors >>” to display the color area to the right. This is a color matrix. To define a custom color, you may click anywhere on the matrix. You can also use the slider on the color gradient bar at the right to change the elements, such as hue and saturation, associated with the selected color. The box below the matrix displays the selected color. Click “Add to Custom Colors” and then click “OK”. The custom color automatically becomes the foreground color and replaces the originally selected green. Now you may apply this color to the fronds.

Your logo is now ready. The “Save” command saves the document as it appears onscreen to the same file name, automatically replacing the original contents with the new contents. Now see the live icon representing your Paint document. You can see a small picture of the graphic you created.

Drawing a Straight Line: In the toolbox, click the “Line” icon. At the bottom of the toolbox click a line width. Drag the mouse to draw the line. Press the “Shift” key while dragging to get a straight line.

Drawing a Curved Line: In the toolbox, click the “Curve” icon. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a line width. Draw a straight line by dragging the pointer. Click on the page where you want one arc of the curve to be, and then hold down the left mouse button to drag the pointer to adjust the curve. Release the mouse button and repeat this step for a second arc. You can only create two curves for each line.

Drawing a Rectangle or Square: In the toolbox, click the “Rectangle” icon to create a square-cornered shape, or click the “Rounded Rectangle” to create a round-cornered shape. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a fill style. To draw a rectangle, hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer diagonally in the direction you want. To draw a square, press the “Shift” key while dragging the pointer.

Drawing a Polygon: In the toolbox, click the “Polygon” icon. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a fill style. To draw the polygon, hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer to draw a straight line. Click on the page where you want each new line segment to appear. Repeat these steps and double-click when done.

Typing and Formatting Text: In the toolbox, click the “Text” icon. To create a text frame, hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer diagonally to the size you want. On the text toolbar, click the font, size and style you require. Click inside the text frame to type text.

Changing the Picture Size: To change the size of your picture, select “Image → Attributes” from the menu. Enter the dimensions you require. You may also resize your picture by dragging the image resize handles that are located at the bottom right corner and along the sides of your picture.