diff --git a/backends/x/x.go b/backends/x/x.go
index df34e69..d89e88c 100644
--- a/backends/x/x.go
+++ b/backends/x/x.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package x
 
 import "image"
+import "image/draw"
+import "image/color"
 import "golang.org/x/image/font"
+import "golang.org/x/image/math/fixed"
 import "golang.org/x/image/font/basicfont"
 
 import "github.com/jezek/xgb"
@@ -12,7 +15,6 @@ import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xevent"
 import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xwindow"
 import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xgraphics"
 
-
 import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/stone"
 
 type Backend struct {
@@ -47,6 +49,28 @@ type Backend struct {
 	}
 }
 
+type fakeImage struct {
+	color color.Color
+}
+
+func (fake fakeImage) ColorModel () (model color.Model) {
+	model = color.RGBAModel
+	return
+}
+
+func (fake fakeImage) Bounds () (bounds image.Rectangle) {
+	bounds.Max = image.Point {
+		X: 1024,
+		Y: 1024,
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (fake fakeImage) At (x, y int) (pixel color.Color) {
+	pixel = fake.color
+	return
+}
+
 func (backend *Backend) Run (channel chan(stone.Event)) {
 	backend.channel = channel
 	
@@ -195,19 +219,56 @@ func (backend *Backend) reallocateCanvas () {
 	backend.canvas.For (func (x, y int) xgraphics.BGRA {
 		return backend.colors[stone.ColorApplication]
 	})
-	// FIXME (?): this doesn't work. if it were to work, it
-	// would possibly be a cleaner way to resize the canvas.
-	// backend.canvas.Scale (
-		// backend.metrics.windowWidth,
-		// backend.metrics.windowHeight)
-	backend.drawRune(8, 16, 'X')
+	
+	backend.drawRune(0, 0, 'T')
+	backend.drawRune(1, 0, 'h')
+	backend.drawRune(2, 0, 'e')
+	backend.drawRune(4, 0, 'q')
+	backend.drawRune(5, 0, 'u')
+	backend.drawRune(6, 0, 'i')
+	backend.drawRune(7, 0, 'c')
+	backend.drawRune(8, 0, 'k')
+	
 	backend.canvas.XSurfaceSet(backend.window.Id)
 	backend.canvas.XDraw()
 	backend.canvas.XPaint(backend.window.Id)
 }
 
 func (backend *Backend) drawRune (x, y int, character rune) {
-	// bounds, image, point, _, _ :=
+	_, mask, maskPoint, _, _ := backend.font.face.Glyph (
+		fixed.Point26_6 { },
+		character)
+	draw.DrawMask (
+		backend.canvas,
+		backend.boundsOfCell(x, y),
+		fakeImage {
+			color: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorForeground),
+		},
+		image.Point { },
+		mask,
+		maskPoint,
+		draw.Over)
+}
+
+func (backend *Backend) cellSubImage (x, y int) (cell *xgraphics.Image) {
+	cell = backend.canvas.SubImage(backend.boundsOfCell(x, y)).(*xgraphics.Image)
+	return
+}
+
+func (backend *Backend) originOfCell (x, y int) (origin image.Point) {
+	origin = image.Point {
+		X: x * backend.metrics.cellWidth  + backend.metrics.paddingX,
+		Y: y * backend.metrics.cellHeight + backend.metrics.paddingY,
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (backend *Backend) boundsOfCell (x, y int) (bounds image.Rectangle) {
+	bounds = image.Rectangle {
+		Min: backend.originOfCell(x, y),
+		Max: backend.originOfCell(x + 1, y + 1),
+	}
+	return
 }
 
 // factory instantiates an X backend.