Set small tasks in MSPaint so that students come to specifically understand the potential of each tool. The brush tool doubles as a caligraphy pen for drawing and writing
The paint brush tool in Microsoft Paint is much more versatile than most teachers would ever have thought possible.
This is because there are so many sizes. It is made more versatile because of the Calligraphy Styled Brushes at the bottom of the Specification Palette found at the bottom of the Tool Bar.
- When you talk to the students show them a picture like this platypus.
- Ask them how they think the river weeds were drawn?
- When they say with the Brush Tool ask them “How the lines were made so jagged?”
- Demonstrate drawing with different styles of lines on the drawing stage so that they are enabled to see how you change to and fro.
- Set them a simple sentence to write using each of the brush styles and sizes.
- When they are finished doing this simple ‘getting to know the tools exercise’ have them enhance a simple drawing such as this stencilled platypus
- They should now know a lot more about how to use the tool
- When you ask the students to draw ask them to use the smallest size of the Brush Tool rather than the Pencil Tool as the lines will be just that bit bigger.
- This allows students to see any gaps in the lines
- If they always check that there are no gaps in the lines from which their shapes are made,the colours won’t be able to flow out onto the rest of the drawing stage.
- As a Literacy Booster have them write the same sentence using different colours and different shades of the same colour.
