(In)finite Canvas on Magma? Here's how...
Jan 15, 2025
·
8 min
Artist and content writer | Reviews digital art tech | Paints under the name Eyekoo | Dreams of torii gates with his morning coffee
One of our biggest and most complex additions to Magma so far is the Multiboard feature. This unlocks some exciting possibilities, including the ability to create an almost infinite canvas. We think this could be an interesting way to add new depth to your images and storytelling, and we are excited to see what you can do with it. This post will guide you through how to set one up
The Setup
First, create a new Multiboard from your Artdesk or Artspace. The multiboard is essential for this to work, as you'll need the Add Board tool.
When your editor loads, switch to the move tool, tap on your board, and scale it up to 10000%. This gives you more possibilities to zoom in further.
For more useful info about using the multiboard, check out our guide.
Start your drawing
Now you're ready to start drawing. Switch to the brush tool and tap on your board to get started.
This is your main board with your most zoomed-out view. Boards that you add will be placed on top of this to zoom into.
Creating your first zoomed area
You should already know what area of the drawing you want to zoom into. This is where we'll create a new board.
First, create a new board outside of your current one:
zoom out so that your whole canvas is in view;
switch to the add board tool and tap on your drawing once. You should now be in multiboard view and the layers panel looks different;
tap on the board in the layers menu and then the duplicate button. This creates a board of the same size and scale.
tap on the new board you created (you will be automatically switched to the move tool) and then click and drag in one of the corners to scale the board down. The resolution remains the same when you scale the canvas.
Place the board over the area that you want to zoom into;
Your next step is to fill in the new board to match the area around and under it. Then it's time to draw the main thing for that board.
You can repeat this several times, adding new boards and scaling them smaller to fit in with each zoomed-in area.
Layer order
Make sure that the boards you will zoom into are ordered correctly; otherwise, they might be difficult to find. Open each one in order, from the back to the front, to ensure they are in the correct sequence.
When you connect to a larger board lower down on the layer list, it will appear in front while all other boards are hidden behind, but the actual layer order has not changed.
Finally
Disconnect from the boards so that your view shifts to multiboard, and reset your viewport so that your whole piece fits your screen. Now you can try zooming in and out. Sometimes it can take a moment for the boards to load up a high-quality preview.
Showing off your Infinite Canvas
The only way to truly show off this kind of creation, is with a video. Capture a screen recording or video above your tablet as you zoom in to show the deeper levels of your drawing. Post it on social media and be sure to tag us!
Related articles
Ryan Allan
·
March 18, 2026
Two new creator brush packs and a whole lot more texture for your brushes.
Ryan Allan
·
February 11, 2026
In this update, we bring you some news and improvements to Artspaces as well as a new Participants List
Ryan Allan
·
January 1, 2025
Check out some stats as we look back at 2025, and how to view your own round-up of your activity on Magma
Ryan Allan
·
December 18, 2025
In this update, we bring you some new brushes as well as the Dual Brush setting.
Ryan Allan
·
Jan 15, 2025
Magma's Multiboard feature unlocks quiute a few possibilities, one of those being a sort of infinite canvas.
Ryan Allan
·
November 28, 2025
We're excited to be partnering with Orb to share a free custom brush pack to use in Magma.
Ryan Allan
·
November 24, 2025
We've got some improvements to Super Simple Mode and Comment threads
Ryan Allan
·
November 13, 2025
We've got some improvements to the new Homepage and Liquify, and Multiboard
Ryan Allan
·
November 6, 2025
To keep Magma's environment safe and healthy for artists, we have updated our Community Guidelines.
Ryan Allan
·
October 25, 2025
We've got some improvements to the new Homepage and Liquify, and Multiboard
Ryan Allan
·
October 9, 2025
Make adjustments to proportions and posing with the new Liquify tool in Magma.
Magma
·
October 2, 2025
Browsing multiboards just got easier, plus new fonts and brush panel controls
Ryan Allan
·
September 25, 2025
We're leveling up the collaboration possibilities with a new Remixing feature!
Ryan Allan
·
September 4, 2025
Introducing our new homepage where you can discover awesome art from Magma users across the globe.
Ryan Allan
·
September 2, 2025
Introducing an update to the Magma UI as well as our much anticipated Multiboard feature
Ryan Allan
·
August 19, 2025
Check out what's new in Magma including a customizable pressure sensitivity curve and the ability to add an entrance fee for Art Jams
Ryan Allan
·
August 6, 2025
Introducing a new project at Magma to support our artists, one Mag at a time.
Ryan Allan
·
July 24, 2025
Introducing a new project at Magma to support our artists, one Mag at a time.
Ryan Allan
·
9 July, 2025
A look at what's new in the first July '25 Magma update.
Ryan Allan
·
June 24, 2025
A look at what's new in the second June '25 Magma update.
Ryan Allan
·
June 13, 2025
A look at what's new in the first June '25 Magma update.
Ryan Allan
·
April 30, 2025
Annoucing the winners from our first User Gallery contest
Ryan Allan
·
April 17, 2025
A look at what's new in the second April '25 Magma update.
Ryan Allan
·
April 14, 2025
With the public launch of our User Gallery feature, we want to host a competition. Here's all that you need to know...
Ryan Allan
·
April 9, 2025
A look at what's new in the April '25 Magma update... and it's a big one!
Ryan Allan
·
March 13, 2025
A look at what's new in the first March '25 Magma update...
Ryan Allan
·
Feb 18, 2025
A look at what's new in the latest Magma update...
Ryan Allan
·
Feb 13, 2025
Check out the latest addition to the Magma toolset, and the moset requested feature from our community: the blend tool.
Ryan Allan
·
Jan 15, 2025
Check out the latest addition to the Magma toolset, and the moset requested feature from our community: the blend tool.
Ryan Allan
·
Nov 25, 2024
Check out our latest exciting release which features the much-requested Public Profiles!
Anya Kondratyeva
·
Oct 11, 2024
We’re back with our latest release, helping you make more Magma connections and stay in touch with your drawing pals!
Magma
·
Sep 13, 2024
We’ve updated our Art Jams Terms of Use to allow us to more easily promote outstanding Art Jams. Learn more about this change and what it means for Art Jam joiners!
Anya Kondratyeva
·
Sep 13, 2024
This release introduces Korean translations, offers some important Art Jam updates, and makes Magma faster and more reliable.
Magma
·
August 16, 2024
This release brings UI improvements for Brushes and Layers, improves Reference Window functionality, and includes important security updates and other fixes
Ryan Allan
·
July 12, 2024
This release offers some improvements to the Art Jams experience, plus a couple of helpful bug fixes!
Anya Kondratyeva
·
Jul 10, 2024
We’re launching a rewards program for inviting friends to Magma! When you refer another artist, you’ll both get to save an extra brush preset.
Anya Kondratyeva
·
June 18, 2024
Read our conversation with the team behind Art Pizza Podcast, an artist collective that hosts delightful drawing events in Magma.
Anya Kondratyeva
·
June 20, 2024
This release introduces Art Jams, gives video call and screensharing features to Blaze users, and offers the option to use Magma in Japanese!
Ryan Allan
·
May 10, 2024
Our latest update introduces a new brush engine, the ability to save brush presets, and extra customization options for perspective grids
Magma
·
Apr 5th, 2024
This release features the Perspective Grid (Beta) for creating collaborative perspective grids and new layer visibility settings for personalized drawing experiences. Stay tuned for further enhancements including upcoming major brush engine update and consider joining as a beta tester to shape the future of digital art tools.
Ryan Allan
·
Mar 6th, 2024
This release introduces canvas resizing options and a convenient shortcut (Ctrl+R) for the Reference Window. Additionally, we provide a sneak peek at an upcoming advanced brush engine and inviting community members to participate as beta testers or Ambassadors
Ryan Allan
·
Feb 8th, 2024
Latest update introduces canvas crop tool, motion blur filter, floating reference window, self-served Fusion pricing, and performance enhancements for an upgraded Magma experience.
Ryan Allan
·
Jan 18th, 2024
Latest update with a new grid view, layer trim, user search, Blaze autobuy function and improved performance to elevate your Magma experience
Ryan Allan
·
Nov 3rd, 2023
Latest update with a new dark mode, free textured brushes for all users, and simplified pricing plans to enhance your collaborative art journey.
Magma
·
Oct 12th, 2023
We’re excited to announce some new updates that we’ve been working on behind the scenes to improve your Magma experience: Version History, Text Tool, Community Hub & more
