Hey there! I’m Zoë from the Scratch team, and I’m excited to show you how to draw simple and fun backdrops in Scratch. Backdrops are like the background of your project, and they can make your scenes look amazing. Let’s dive in and learn how to create them!
First, to draw a backdrop in Scratch, find the button that says “choose a backdrop” and click “paint.” This is where the magic happens! A great way to start is by drawing two rectangles in different colors. One rectangle can be for the sky or a wall, and the other for the ground or floor.
For an outdoor scene, let’s make a blue sky. Click on the rectangle tool, pick a blue color, and drag out a big rectangle. You can remove the outline to make it look smooth. Next, let’s add some grass! Change the color to green and draw another rectangle at the bottom of the screen.
Now, let’s add something interesting to our backdrop. You can use the circle or rectangle tool to create objects. For example, let’s make a rock! Click on the circle tool, choose a gray color, and drag out an oval shape. You can adjust the shape to make it look like a rock. You can even add a smaller rock next to it by changing the color a bit.
When creating your own backdrops, think about the colors you want to use. For an indoor scene, you might choose a yellow wall and a blue floor. For a city scene, try a brownish-red wall and a gray street. If you’re imagining a spaceship or secret hideout, use light gray for the walls and dark gray for the floor.
Think about small details you can add. A flat brown rectangle could be a shelf, and a square on top could look like a vase. Use different shades of brown to make bricks on a wall. A light blue rectangle could be a window in a house, while a dark blue one could be a window in a spaceship looking out into space.
If you want to add plants or trees, the paintbrush tool is perfect! Set the color to green, click on the paintbrush tool, and draw some squiggly lines. Use the fill bucket to fill them in, and you’ve got a bush or plant!
For a top-down view, start with a large rectangle for the ground. Use the paintbrush tool to draw paths in any color you like. You can also use the circle or rectangle tool to make shapes that look like they’re seen from above.
There are so many ways to draw backdrops in Scratch. I hope these ideas inspire you to create your own unique scenes. Explore what you enjoy drawing and see what works best for your characters and projects. Have fun, and happy scratching!
Backdrop Scavenger Hunt: Go on a backdrop scavenger hunt around your home or school! Look for different scenes like a garden, a classroom, or a kitchen. Observe the colors and shapes you see. Can you find a blue sky or a green grass area? Draw what you see on paper using simple shapes like rectangles and circles, just like in Scratch. Share your drawings with your classmates and see if they can guess the scene!
Create a Story with Backdrops: Use your imagination to create a short story using different backdrops. Draw three different backdrops on paper: one for the beginning, one for the middle, and one for the end of your story. Think about what happens in each scene and how the backdrop can help tell your story. Share your story with a friend or family member and explain how each backdrop fits into your story.
Color Experiment: Experiment with colors by creating a mini backdrop using colored paper or crayons. Choose a theme, like a beach or a forest, and think about the colors you would use. Cut out shapes or draw them to create your backdrop. Discuss with a partner why you chose those colors and how they make your scene look realistic or imaginative.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi everyone, it’s Zoë from the Scratch team, also known as Zinnea. Today, I wanted to show you how to draw really simple backdrops in Scratch. Adding a backdrop to a Scratch project can really set the scene, and I’ve found that there are simple ways to create an effective backdrop. So, let’s get started!
To draw a backdrop in Scratch, hover over the button that says “choose a backdrop” and click “paint.” A good base for drawing a backdrop is to create two rectangles of different colors: one for the sky or wall and the other for the ground or floor. For an outdoor scene, I would use a blue rectangle for the sky. To do that, click on the rectangle tool, change the color to blue, and drag out a large rectangle. I usually edit the outline to have no outline on the shape.
Next, to create the grass, set the color to green and drag out another rectangle at the bottom. Once I finish the base, I like to add one item to the backdrop, which I usually create with either the circle tool or the rectangle tool. For example, I could add a rock. By clicking on the circle tool and setting the color to gray, I can drag out an oval and edit the points of the shape to make it look like a rock. I could even change the color slightly and make a smaller rock next to it. And there you go! That’s a pretty simple backdrop, and it’s quick to make.
When drawing your own backdrops, start by thinking of two colors for your scene. For an indoor scene, it could be a yellow wall and a blue floor. For a city scene, it could be a brownish-red wall and a gray street. If it’s a scene in a spaceship or a secret hideout, it could be a light gray wall and a dark gray floor. Then, think of a small object or detail to add with the rectangle or circle tool. A flat brown rectangle could represent a shelf in a house, and you could place a square on top to look like a vase.
Some flat rectangles of a slightly different shade of brown could be bricks on a wall. A light blue rectangle could be a window in a house, while a dark blue rectangle could represent a window in a spaceship looking out to the night sky. You might also want to add a plant, bush, or tree leaves. For this, the paintbrush tool is really helpful. Set the color to green, click on the paintbrush tool, and draw some squiggly lines. Fill it in with the fill bucket, and that could represent a bush or a plant.
For a top-down backdrop, start with one large rectangle for the ground and use the paintbrush tool to create paths in your desired color. You can also use the circle or rectangle tool to create shapes that would be seen from above.
There are many ways to draw backdrops in Scratch. I hope these ideas inspire you, and you can take them in any direction you want. Explore what you enjoy drawing and what works for your characters and projects. I’ll see you next time, and happy scratching!
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