GIMP Version: 2.10
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: windows 10
GIMP Experience: New User

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When trying to remove a watermark with clone/healing nothing happens, I also then noticed i can't paint or use eraser or smudge tools directly under 'file' on the left hand side. I found an online "how to guide" but it doesn't work.

"1) The best way to handle cloning and healing is to apply all your edits to a new layer, or even to multiple new layers in larger projects. This gives you the ultimate flexibility later on if you need to adjust your edits, and you won’t have to start from scratch if something goes wrong. Many beginner image editors skip this step when they’re still learning, but it’s a good habit that you should form as early as possible! Create a new layer in your image using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + N (use Command + Shift + N if you’re using GIMP on a Mac). You can also use the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel, or open the Layer menu and click New Layer. In the New Layer dialog box, make sure to give your layer a descriptive name, and set the Fill with option to Transparency. Click the OK button.
2) In the Layers panel in the bottom right corner of the GIMP window, select your new layer. Switch to the Clone Stamp tool by pressing the shortcut C or switch to the Healing tool with the shortcut H. At the bottom of the Tool Options panel, make sure that the Sample merged option is enabled in the Source section. This tells GIMP to sample all the visible layers in your image when cloning. Without this enabled, you would just clone the empty pixels from your new layer and nothing would happen. Both tools also require you to set a source point before you can start using them since they need to know which pixels they should be cloning/healing from. Hold down the Ctrl (or Command on a Mac) and click at an appropriate point in your image to set the source.
3) Then you simply ‘paint’ using the brush the way you would with any other brush-based tool in GIMP. You can adjust brush size, brush edge hardness, and opacity to create the effects you need. After a few false starts and a lot of use of the Undo command (use Ctrl + Z or Command + Z for the fastest results), you’ll eventually be able to hide the watermark entirely."

...Except this still doesn't work and nothing happens!!! I can't clone, I can't heal even though I ctrl click to set a point before hand. It won't work in the image layer or new layer i create. I can't even just paint random lines across the image (like you can easily do in paint when clicking on the paint brush tool). Here in GIMP "nothing happens" seems to be the default setting!!! HELP!

edit: hmmm i think finally after writing this help post then going back and adding the image, then reviewing the image i submitted i noticed this mask thing... it was using as a sample. under brush it said clipboard mask. i changed it to a big black circle brush and now its painting. doh. This program is so hard to use until you figure out how to use it. not intuitive at all. Okay well now i think the cloning tool is working now that i've answered my own question. Well i guess this forum did help- sorta

Your brush is set to clipboard (which probably is empty).
Set it to something else.

It's because you have selected the "Clipboard mask" which is empty at the time you are using it, just select another "proper" brush by clicking on that white square and your healing tool will work "again" as you intented



Anyway that's not how I would do it, too much waste of time, cumbersome and the result will be arguable as the BG is a gradient.
I would select the watermark with the free select tool, no need to be precise, just roughly circle it.



then go to Filters > Enhance > Heal selection... a window opens, just click OK as default setting are fine.
Done!