diff --git a/SketchWidget.py b/SketchWidget.py
index 0c5c6f9..ecf307f 100644
--- a/SketchWidget.py
+++ b/SketchWidget.py
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ class SketchWidget:
         self.axis_width = 1.8
         self.axis_length = 50
         self.zoom_factor = 1.2
+        self.background_color = (0.6, 0.9, 1.0, 1.0)
+        self.line_color = (0.1, 0.4, 1.0, 1.0)
+        self.axis_color = (1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
 
         try:
             # try double-buffered
@@ -62,6 +65,8 @@ class SketchWidget:
 #        glEnable(GL_POLYGON_SMOOTH)
 #        glEnable(GL_LINE_SMOOTH)
 
+        glClearColor(*self.background_color)
+
         gldrawable.gl_end()
 
     def reshape(self, glarea, event):
@@ -99,6 +104,7 @@ class SketchWidget:
 
         self.drawAxes()
 
+        glColor(*self.line_color)
         for shape in self.sketch:
             if isinstance(shape, Line):
                 self.drawLine(shape, self.line_width)
@@ -195,7 +201,7 @@ class SketchWidget:
 
     def drawAxes(self):
         glPushAttrib(GL_CURRENT_BIT)
-        glColor(1.0, 0.4, 0.4, 1.0)
+        glColor(*self.axis_color)
         cx, cy = self.ptToScreenPt((0, 0))
         self.drawFilledLine(cx - self.axis_length, cy,
                 cx + self.axis_length, cy, self.axis_width)