Painting in Canvas works on the selected layer, within the document and any active selection. Start by checking that target: a hidden or locked layer, an active mask, or a text layer can explain why a stroke behaves differently from what you expected.
Make a Mark You Can Control
Choose a visible, unlocked paint layer, then select Brush or Pencil. Brush supports soft-edged marks and configurable tips; Pencil provides pixel-aligned marks. Eraser removes coverage from a compatible pixel layer.
The controls separate several choices:
A stroke is grouped as one editing action. Finish it before changing layers or tools, then use Undo if the result needs another attempt.
Use the foreground swatch to choose the paint color. The picker accepts numeric values and a hexadecimal color such as #DEB56C, as well as palette and recent-color choices. The background swatch is a separate color; swapping the two is useful when alternating between a small set of tones.
Select Only the Part You Mean to Change
A pixel selection and a selected layer are different. The layer identifies the content; the selection limits the area an eligible operation can affect.
Marquee creates a rectangle. Lasso follows a freeform contour. Magic Select uses matching pixel colors, with tolerance and contiguous or global selection options. Replace, add, subtract, and intersect modes help build the coverage you need.
A selection can constrain painting, fills, gradients, and supported adjustments. Deselect it when you want to work across the layer again. Hiding selection edges only hides the outline; it does not remove the selection.
Clipboard operations have narrower support than painting. For reliable New Layer via Copy, New Layer via Cut, or selected-pixel transfers, use a non-inverted rectangular selection on one eligible raster or image layer. Freeform and inverted selections do not support every clipboard command.
Fill, Blend, or Retouch
Fill applies color according to the selected tolerance and contiguous or global behavior. Use a selection when you want a clear outer boundary. Gradient creates a linear or radial transition; its color and opacity stops determine the appearance along the drag.
For repairs, choose the tool around the problem:
These tools change eligible pixels. Duplicate the layer first when you want an easy comparison with the original.
Useful Shortcuts While Painting
Hold Shift during a supported paint or retouch stroke to constrain it to 45-degree directions, including horizontal and vertical. With Rectangle or Ellipse, the same modifier keeps equal proportions; with Line or Arrow, it constrains the angle.
Open the keyboard shortcut reference from More for the current command list. Shortcuts used while typing in a text field should remain part of that field's normal editing behavior.
Common Questions
Why does paint affect only a small area?
Check for an active selection and inspect the selected layer's bounds. Also check whether its mask thumbnail is selected: you may be editing visibility rather than color.
Why can I select an area but not copy it?
Some clipboard operations require a rectangular, non-inverted selection and a compatible single layer. Try a rectangle or choose an appropriate pixel layer.
Can I keep working without the guides and outlines?
Yes. View controls can hide editing aids independently of the artwork. Use Layers and masks when the difficulty is choosing the right content, or Mask and adjust an image for a complete editing task.