Two computers, one canvas

A shared canvas is one document open in two browsers at once. A stroke on your computer shows up on your friend’s screen a moment later, and the other way around. Nothing to install: a link is enough. How a room works in general is covered in the guide on drawing together online.

A graphics tablet and stylus

Who creates the room

One person creates the room. The other person should not start a separate file “the same size.” That produces two pictures you cannot merge later. Set the canvas size before you send the invite. For two people, 2000 × 1400 pixels is a comfortable start: it fits a laptop, and the details still hold.

Put a name on the cursor even if no account is required. The name tells you whose pointer is at the edge. Signing in without an account is covered in the guide on drawing online in the browser.

How to send the link

Copy the whole link and drop it in any chat. Your friend opens it on their own computer. If they already had the editor open in another tab, they should close that tab. Two windows from the same person sometimes argue about which one is in charge.

  1. Create the room and set the canvas size.
  2. Copy the link and send it.
  3. Wait until a second cursor appears.
  4. Draw a short line and ask if the other person can see it.
  5. Only then pick a subject.

What the other person sees

The second person sees the same canvas, the same layers, and your cursor. They do not get a screenshot once a minute. The line grows while they watch. That is the check that you are in one document, not two similar ones.

Cursors and strokes

Your friend’s cursor moves even before they press the button. If the cursor is there and the line is not, they are just moving the mouse. If neither cursor nor line shows up, the link opened the wrong room, or the tab is still loading.

If the connection lags

On a weak connection, strokes arrive in bursts. The drawing catches up with itself after a couple of seconds. Do not erase a line that “disappeared.” It may land on top of the eraser. Wait until the canvas settles, then edit.

How not to erase a friend’s drawing

Two people on one layer wipe each other out. The eraser does not know whose line it is. A one-minute agreement saves the evening.

One layer per person

The bottom layer is the shared background. Above it, one layer with your name and one with your friend’s. Each of you draws only on your own. You can hide the other layer if it gets in the way, and turn it back on before you save. That stacking order is covered in the guide on layers in a graphics editor.

Agree on the eraser

The rule is simple: do not touch the other person’s layer. If a line crosses into your zone, say so in the chat instead of erasing it. Otherwise your friend sees a hole and assumes the app broke.

Check

Before the subject, each of you draws a small cross in your own corner. If both crosses show on both screens, the room is set up. If you only see your own, you are in different documents.

What to draw the first time

Do not open the first session with a portrait contest. The canvas is new, the delay feels odd, and a hard subject turns into an argument about who the “real” artist is.

One object for two people

Pick one thing: a mug, a chair, a backpack. One person draws the outer contour in short segments. The other paints the shadow and the flat color inside. You can see who owns what, and you do not have to split a whole scene.

Five minutes with no rules

If choosing feels heavy, set a timer for five minutes and draw anything in your own corner. Then swap corners for another five minutes and add to the other person’s marks without erasing them. That is enough to learn the delay, the layers, and the eraser. The next subject is easier to pick.

Time to draw, not just read

Theory fades in a couple of days if you never use it. Open the editor and spend 15 minutes on what you just read. That is enough for the skill to stick.

Try it now

A free online editor: brushes, layers, a palette, and a shared canvas. No install and no sign-up.

Start drawing

Topics in this guide

← Digital vs traditional: what a beginner should choose What to draw with friends online: 10 ideas for one canvas →