Module 1: Paint Box

Official Raspberry Pi Project

This lesson is based on the official Raspberry Pi Foundation project. Open it alongside this guide to access the starter project, step-by-step instructions and community remixes.

How to use it: Click the link above, then click See Inside on the Scratch project to explore the finished version. Use Remix to get your own copy to edit.

What You Will Build

Create a drawing application using the Pen extension.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this project you will be able to:

• Use Events blocks to start scripts and respond to clicks
• Combine Motion, Looks and Sound blocks to create behaviours
• Use variables to track game state and scores
• Apply the specific Scratch concepts introduced in Module 1

You Will Need

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Add a white backdrop as the canvas.
2. Add the Pen extension from the Extensions menu.
3. Create a cursor sprite (small dot). Move it with the mouse using go to [mouse-pointer].
4. When the mouse is down: pen down. When mouse is up: pen up.
5. Add colour buttons. When clicked: set pen color to [ ].
6. Add size buttons. When clicked: set pen size to [2/5/10].
7. Add an eraser tool: set pen colour to white and size to 20.
8. Add a clear canvas button: clear, reset pen.
9. Add a stamp tool: when a shape sprite is clicked, stamp it onto the canvas.
10. Add a save reminder message — tell the user to screenshot their artwork.

Extension Challenges

Try these after completing the main project:

• Add a spray paint tool using random offsets around the mouse.
• Add shape-drawing tools (rectangle, circle) using coordinate math.
• Add colour mixing — let users blend custom colours using sliders.

Reflection Questions

1. Which Scratch blocks did you use most in this project?
2. What would you add or change if you had more time?
3. How could you reuse the ideas from this project in a different context?

Share Your Work

When your project is complete, click Share in Scratch and post the link to your class or the Techbase community.