How to Make Sand Art Online
ThisIsSand.net is a calm, full-screen canvas where every touch pours real-feeling sand. Here is everything you need to know, from your first stroke to exporting a timelapse video.
Drawing basics
- Pour: press and hold to keep pouring; drag to draw lines of sand.
- Fixed grains: turn on “Paint fixed grains” to draw lines that stay in place instead of falling.
- Brush size: press [ and ], or use Settings → Brush.
- Undo: the curved arrow at the top, or Ctrl+Z.
- Pause: press Space to freeze the sand while you think.
Tools in the menu
The menu groups every feature so the canvas stays clean: Create (new, open, save, templates, random art), Sand Tools, Image to Sand Art, Creative Effects, Edit Canvas (flip, rotate, crop, replace colors, layers), Download & Export, Settings, My Artwork and Information.
Keyboard shortcuts
| B | Sand brush |
| R | Rainbow sand |
| G | Gradient sand |
| P | Pattern brush |
| S | Spray sand |
| E | Eraser |
| I | Color picker |
| X | Explosion tool |
| M | Toggle mirror drawing |
| Y | Toggle symmetry drawing |
| [ / ] | Smaller / larger brush |
| 1 – 9 | Quick colors |
| Space | Pause / resume sand |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z / Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+S | Save project |
| Ctrl+O | Open project |
| Ctrl+E | Export |
| F | Fullscreen |
| N | Random inspiration |
| Delete | Clear canvas |
| Esc | Close menu or panel |
| ? | Show shortcuts |
Exporting
PNG, JPG and WebP downloads support up to 4× resolution and custom sizes. SVG exports real vector shapes. PDF places print-quality artwork on standard pages. To export animation, open Timelapse Recorder, press record, draw, then export GIF, WebM or MP4.
Ready? Open the sand canvas.
Your first sand art in five steps
- Open the homepage and press anywhere on the canvas — sand pours from your pointer and piles up.
- Tap the color circle at the top right to pick a color, or choose Rainbow for automatic colors.
- Open the menu (☰) and try Gradient Sand, Pattern Brush, Spray Sand or Symmetry Drawing.
- Use Creative Effects for wind, waves, rain, explosions and gravity changes.
- Save your project in My Artwork, or download it as PNG, SVG, PDF, GIF, WebM or MP4.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Draw with your finger or a stylus — stylus pressure changes the brush size. Panels open as bottom sheets on small screens.
Will I lose my drawing if I close the tab?
Autosave keeps your latest artwork in your browser. When you come back you can restore it. For permanent copies, use Save Project or download a .sandart file.
Does it work offline?
After your first visit the drawing app is cached, so you can keep drawing without a connection. Publishing to the gallery needs internet.
How do I make the sand fall faster?
Open Settings → Physics and increase Flow speed, or raise gravity strength.