• Main color — In the Color panel, what color is the Main Color (front) swatch? Is it a color that will show up when applied to your image? If not, click the Main Color swatch, and then set a different color.

• Opacity — Check the Opacity setting on the property bar and, if necessary, adjust the pop-up slider to increase opacity.

• Brush method — The brush method determines the basic nature of a brush. To check the brush method, choose Window Brush Control Panels General. If you’re drawing with a light color on a dark background, the method must be set to Cover in order to show the lighter color.