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      Choosing the right digital painting tool

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can choose suitable tools and colours to make an image in the style of Kandinsky.

      Key learning points

      1. Different digital tools can create similar effects.
      2. Different digital tools are used for different tasks.
      3. Art in the style of Kandinsky can be created using a painting program.

      Keywords

      • Digital - something that is saved on a computer

      • Select - make a choice on a computer

      Common misconception

      The erase tool is always the correct tool to fix mistakes.

      Both erase and undo tools will remove marks differently and can be used in different ways. The undo tool will remove the whole of a mark made at once but pupils might not need to do this.

      Teacher tip

      Making mistakes when modelling tasks is important for pupils to see. They should learn that this is a common occurrence in computing and it is easy to go back and undo these changes.

      Equipment

      Pupils will need access to a device with software that provides freehand digital painting tools. Examples in this lesson use paintz.app https://oak.link/paintz

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      In a painting program, the __________ is where you choose colours.

      stick
      page
      Correct answer: palette
      circle

      Q2.
      True or false? The paintbrush tool lets you paint freehand.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q3.
      True or false? When creating a digital painting, you must make yours the exact same as a friend's.

      True
      Correct answer: False

      Q4.
      The tool that allows you to create even circles or rectangles is the __________ tool.

      line
      erase
      Correct answer: shape

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      __________ means to choose something in a program.

      Draw
      Close
      Correct answer: Select

      Q2.
      I accidentally drew a circle in the wrong place. It is on top of other marks I have made. Which tool should I use to get rid of it?

      erase
      Correct answer: undo
      paintbrush

      Q3.
      Digital means ...

      something on paper.
      Correct answer: something saved on a computer.
      something outside.

      Q4.
      True or false? The shape tool is used to change colours in a program.

      True
      Correct answer: False

      To help you plan your 1 computing lesson on: Choosing the right digital painting tool, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...