Shapes, Fill and Eraser
MS Paint has shape tools that draw perfect shapes with one drag of the mouse. You do not need to draw shapes by hand. These tools are in the Shapes section of the toolbar.
🔷 Common Shapes in MS Paint
| Shape Tool | Icon | What It Draws |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | ⬜ | A rectangle or square |
| Ellipse | ⭕ | A circle or oval |
| Triangle | 🔺 | A triangle |
| Line | ━ | A straight line |
| Arrow | ➡️ | An arrow shape |
🖼️ Drawing a Shape — Steps
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click the shape you want from the Shapes menu |
| 2 | Choose an outline colour from the colour palette |
| 3 | Click and drag on the canvas to draw the shape |
| 4 | Release the mouse to complete the shape |
The Fill Tool Colours a Shape
The Fill tool (bucket icon) fills a closed shape with colour. Click the Fill tool, choose a colour, then click inside the shape. The whole area fills with that colour instantly.
🪣 Fill Tool in Action
The Eraser Removes Mistakes
The Eraser tool removes parts of your drawing. Click the Eraser tool, choose its size, then drag it over the area you want to erase. The eraser paints over your drawing with the background colour (usually white).
🧹 Eraser Tips
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Change eraser size | Click the size option in the toolbar — bigger eraser removes more area |
| Undo instead | Press Ctrl + Z to undo your last action instead of erasing |
Example: Drawing a traffic sign on the computer — use the rectangle shape for the board, the fill tool to colour it red, then the text tool to add the word STOP. The eraser fixes any mistake.
✏️ Exercise
Open MS Paint. Draw a house using the rectangle (walls), triangle (roof) and rectangle (door). Fill the roof with red and the walls with yellow.
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Which tool fills a shape with colour? |
| 2 | What does the Ellipse tool draw? |
| 3 | What does the Eraser tool do? |
| 4 | Which shortcut undoes a mistake? |
| 1. | Fill tool (bucket) |
| 2. | A circle or oval |
| 3. | Removes parts of the drawing by painting over them with background colour |
| 4. | Ctrl + Z |
Quick Review
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do you draw a shape in Paint? | Click the shape tool, then click and drag on the canvas |
| What does the fill tool do? | Fills a closed shape with the chosen colour |
| How do you change the eraser size? | Click the size option in the toolbar after selecting the eraser |