1. is there a pen(cil) tool like on paint or gimp? and one that uses the color i have selected? doesn't work.... it makes the line but it always turns out gray.

2. how do i start with a blank document? that rectangle is annoying.

thats all. for now.

Please see the links and info in my signature for instructional materials for Inkscape. Then you can look things up yourself, in the future. No guarantees you can find the answer you need, but it's always a good place to start. And we're always here if you can't find what you need.

Inkscape, since it's a vector graphic program, works differently than raster graphics programs (like GIMIP). One of the many consequences of this is that the program is set up to draw things 1st and color them afterwards (in raster programs, typically you choose your color 1st). So all you need to do, after you draw what you want with the pencil, is select it ( if it's not already selected), and either click the color you want from the palette, or open the Object Menu > Fill and Stroke dialog > Stroke tab, and from there, it depends on exactly how you want to color the stroke. You can choose the color 1st, but it takes extra clicks, and for most users, it's easier to go with the flow, and draw 1st, color later.

I know, it annoys me to death to have the page border showing by default when you 1st open Inkscape. To remove it, go to File menu > Document Properties > Page tab > uncheck Show page border and Show border shadow. However, you must keep in mind that if your image is not completely inside the page border, it will not completely show up in image viewers or after uploading to internet. So you can periodically replace the page border, to make sure you're still inside the borders. Or on that same page in Document Properties, you'll see a bar with the words "Fit page to selection". After you finish your image, you can select the entire thing, and click that bar/button, and automatically the page border will exactly fit your image, whether you have it showing or not.

OR -- Not only does Inskcape open with the page border showing by default, it opens at 35% zoom. Another way to get the page border more out of the way, is to set the canvas to 100% zoom (which basically means 1 to 1). Now, depending on your screen size and resolution, you'll probably just see one side or another of the page border, and still have plenty of room to draw. But it's entirely up to you, what you're most comfortable with

Please feel free to reply to this message, if you have any further questions. And if you have other problems, just start a new topic. Good luck!

Just as brynn said it might be easier to color objects after they are drawn although it's not impossible. All you have to do is take a look at the top right corner of the window when you have the Pencil tool active but no objects selected. It will show you what the colors of the object you are about to draw will be.

But I think where you're most confused is the vector concept itself - objects and that they can have a fill and a stroke. You expect pencil to draw a line just like you would with a pencil but still it's a vector object and you can assign it both fill and stroke. Clicking on color chips from the palette when an object is selected will color it's fill.

If you hold Shift while clicking it the Stroke will change color, this is the option you were looking for. It's the same if you want to select the stroke color for the future object - make sure no objects are selected (Esc) and then hold Shift while clicking a color chip, you will see the change in the top right corner of the window.