MS Paint Using the Pencil and Brush Tools
Freehand drawing gives your pictures a personal touch. Paint offers a Pencil for precise, thin lines and a gallery of Brushes for stylish strokes. Both tools follow the movement of your mouse, so practice improves your control quickly.
The Pencil Tool
The Pencil draws hard-edged lines without any softness. Each stroke follows your pointer exactly. Use the Pencil for outlines, handwriting, pixel art, and small corrections.
Use the Pencil
- Click the Pencil icon in the Tools section.
- Pick a color from the palette.
- Hold the left mouse button and move across the canvas.
- Release the button to finish the stroke.
The right mouse button draws with the second color. Switch between the two buttons to add variety without opening the palette.
The Brushes Gallery
The Brushes group holds many styles. Each style changes the look of the stroke.
Popular Brush Styles
- Standard brush: smooth lines with round ends.
- Calligraphy brush and pen: slanted strokes for fancy lettering.
- Airbrush: soft spray that fades at the edges.
- Oil and watercolor brushes: textured strokes that mimic real paint.
- Crayon and marker: sketchy and bold effects.
- Natural pencil: soft shading like graphite on paper.
Available styles vary between Paint versions, so your gallery may look a little different.
Change the Stroke Thickness
Open the Size menu and drag the slider or pick a width. Thin strokes capture detail. Thick strokes cover large areas fast. Change the size often while you draw, because a single width rarely suits a whole picture.
Draw Straight Lines with the Brush
Hold Shift while you drag to lock the stroke to a horizontal or vertical direction. The trick helps with underlines, borders, and table lines. Shapes from the Shapes gallery offer even more accuracy for exact lines.
Steady Your Hand
- Rest your wrist on the desk and move the mouse with your arm.
- Zoom in to 200 percent or more for fine details.
- Draw short strokes and lift the button between them.
- Press Ctrl and Z to remove any stroke that went wrong.
Choose the Right Tool
| Task | Best Tool |
|---|---|
| Fine outlines and pixel art | Pencil |
| Thick colorful strokes | Standard brush |
| Fancy writing | Calligraphy pen |
| Soft shading | Airbrush or natural pencil |
| Highlighting | Marker |
Pencil Versus Brush in Simple Terms
A pencil on paper draws a thin line with a sharp edge. Paintbrush strokes run wide and soft, and they can vary in thickness. Paint mirrors this difference. The Pencil gives precision, and the Brushes give personality. Beginners often reach for the Pencil first, because the thin line feels familiar.
Use Two Colors with One Tool
Draw with the left button for Color 1 and the right button for Color 2. A shaded sphere uses this idea well. Paint the main body with a medium blue using the left button. Add dark blue shading on one side with the right button. Finish with a light highlight in a third color for a rounded look.
Common Problems
Lines Look Jagged
A fast mouse movement creates angles. Slow down or zoom in for smoother curves.
The Brush Covers Too Much
Reduce the size in the Size menu before you start the stroke.
The Stroke Is Too Pale
Some brushes use soft transparency. Switch to the standard brush or pick a darker color.
A Practice Exercise
Draw a wavy line across the canvas with each tool. Compare the results. Write your name with the Pencil and with a Calligraphy pen. Shade a circle with the Airbrush. The experiments teach you how each tool behaves faster than any description.