Google has launched a new web app called Canvas. As it's a progressive web app, Canvas lets you draw doodles and take notes without needing to download or install anything. Which makes it ideal for Chromebook users as well as anyone else on the go.
The Art of Doodling
Lots of us like doodling when our hands aren't occupied doing something else. Doodles aren't meant to be works of art, unless you have an art degree and can call it "modern art". Instead, doodles are just colorful patterns or squiggles. Like my effort above.
There are plenty of drawing apps available for any platform you care to mention, but most of them require you to download and install a program. Canvas doesn't. It's a web app that anyone can use simply by pointing their web browser at canvas.apps.chrome.
Google Launches Canvas
Canvas was first spotted by Chrome Unboxed. However, as Google hasn't yet formally announced Canvas, it's impossible to know how long it has been around. What we do know is that it showed up as an app in a recent Chrome OS build in the Dev channel.
Now, it's available to everyone either using Chrome or another web browser that supports WebAssembly. And while Canvas isn't designed to let artists create fantastic works of art, it has everything you need to be able to doodle, sketch, and take notes.
The Basics of Google Canvas
You get a blank sheet of paper with various tools to use. There's a pencil, a pen, a marker, chalk, and an eraser. By clicking on your tool of choice twice you can change the size and opacity of the mark each one leaves on the paper.
Clicking on the black spot above the tools opens the color pallette. Here, you can pick from a selection of colors prebuilt into the pallette, or click Custom to create your own color. You can then save the hex code to ensure you can use the same color again in future.
If you create a doodle you're particularly proud of you can export your drawing by clicking on the three dots in the top, right-hand corner. And as you're logged into your Google account, your saved work is available across a range of different devices.
Google Should Keep Developing Canvas
Canvas is very basic right now, but there's nothing stopping Google from continuing to work on it, building new features in as they go. Who knows, maybe one day Canvas will enable those with the talent to do so the ability to create actual works of art.