Paint: An Introduction | Still Plugging Away

The video below provides an introduction to the Paint application:

The Home menu options
The canvas
Setting color and line width
Using the pencil and paintbrush tools
Using the shapes and eraser tools
Example: simple sketch of computer w/ disc
Example: re-size an image
Example: draw lines on an image
Example: digitize photographs, adding a caption

Note: I strongly suggest you view all our videos in full screen mode: click the icon in the lower right corner of the video area (it shows four arrows pointing to the corners of the screen). When you are done, the Esc ("escape") key returns you to regular mode.

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Lesson 6: Introduction to Paint

Click here for the video transcript

Supplemental material

Here is a brief description of some common image formats, along with links to more in depth information.

Supplemental material - post production note

    One of my viewers sent me a shortcut that I did know, but I find it very useful, so I wanted to pass it on.

    At about 9:30 into the video, I demonstrate clipping an image using these steps:

       * Select the area to keep
       * Ctrl-X (put the clip into the clipboard)
       * Ctrl-N (say you are starting a new picture)
       * N (in response to "do you want to save?")
       * Ctrl-V (paste the clipboard content into the canvass)

    The shortcut method is:

       * Select the area to keep
       * Ctrl-Shift-X (Crop the picture)

    A huge improvement. Thanks to the viewer for this.

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