How to paint
Your own quiet garden
Choose a color, then tap an area. There are no points, wrong colors or time limits. Start with larger areas, then zoom in for the details.
Small details, easy to reach
Pinch with two fingers to zoom and move. The + and − buttons work too. Use the pen button below the picture to choose Precision pen: the tip appears above your finger with a magnifier. Release to fill. Select Move picture for one-finger panning.
Paint freely
Select Free brush using the pen button below the picture to draw your own strokes. By default each stroke stays inside its starting area. You can turn this off. Light, shadows and outlines stay visible. Undo removes one stroke or one fill.
Choose a category and picture
Open Settings (the gear at the top right), choose a category and tap a picture. Animals are divided into cats, native songbirds and butterflies. Apply settings opens the selected picture. Each picture keeps its own progress in this browser, so you can return and continue painting. Save a drawing file as an additional backup.
Save and continue
Use the save button below the picture to open the three saving and loading actions.
Download picture (PNG)
Saves an image of your painting to your device, for viewing, printing or sharing. A PNG cannot be loaded here as an editable drawing. To continue painting later, also save a drawing file.
Save drawing file
Downloads your current painting progress as a JSON file, including filled areas and brush strokes. You can save at any time, even when the picture is unfinished. Keep this file to continue later. After more painting, save a new drawing file to keep the latest progress.
Open drawing file and continue painting
Open the save menu, choose Open drawing file and select a JSON file saved from Color Atelier. After your confirmation, the matching picture opens automatically with its saved colors and brush strokes. The current picture is saved separately in this browser when storage is available. Loading a file replaces any earlier progress for that same picture; save a drawing file first if you want to keep it.
Continue on another device
Transfer the JSON drawing file to the other phone, tablet or computer, for example using a file transfer service. Open Color Atelier there and load it using Open drawing file. The file keeps the painting progress; favorite colors and tool settings remain stored separately on each device.
Automatic saving in this browser
Your painting is also saved automatically in this browser after each change, when browser storage is available. Clearing browser data or changing browsers or devices does not carry this copy over. Keep a drawing file as a separate backup. There is currently no cloud saving in this game.
Keyboard
Use arrow keys to move the crosshair; hold Shift for larger steps. Enter fills an area, Ctrl/Cmd+Z undoes, +/− zoom, and 0 fits the picture. Tab reaches all buttons.