diff --git a/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/ControlManager.kt b/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/ControlManager.kt
index 2a90a905..02974803 100644
--- a/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/ControlManager.kt
+++ b/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/ControlManager.kt
@@ -572,20 +572,20 @@ fun ControlManager.layout(init: Body.() -> Unit) {
 }
 
 @Deprecated("use Program.controlManager")
-fun controlManager(builder: ControlManagerBuilder.() -> Unit): ControlManager {
+fun controlManager(defaultStyles: List<StyleSheet> = defaultStyles(), builder: ControlManagerBuilder.() -> Unit): ControlManager {
     val cm = ControlManager()
     cm.fontManager.register("default", resourceUrl("/fonts/Roboto-Regular.ttf"))
-    cm.layouter.styleSheets.addAll(defaultStyles().flatMap { it.flatten() })
+    cm.layouter.styleSheets.addAll(defaultStyles.flatMap { it.flatten() })
     val cmb = ControlManagerBuilder(cm)
     cmb.builder()
     return cm
 }
 
-fun Program.controlManager(builder: ControlManagerBuilder.() -> Unit): ControlManager {
+fun Program.controlManager(defaultStyles: List<StyleSheet> = defaultStyles(), builder: ControlManagerBuilder.() -> Unit): ControlManager {
     val cm = ControlManager()
     cm.program = this
     cm.fontManager.register("default", resourceUrl("/fonts/Roboto-Regular.ttf"))
-    cm.layouter.styleSheets.addAll(defaultStyles().flatMap { it.flatten() })
+    cm.layouter.styleSheets.addAll(defaultStyles.flatMap { it.flatten() })
     val cmb = ControlManagerBuilder(cm)
     cmb.builder()
     return cm
diff --git a/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/elements/LayoutBuilder.kt b/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/elements/LayoutBuilder.kt
index 4e11f8bd..68045ffa 100644
--- a/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/elements/LayoutBuilder.kt
+++ b/orx-jvm/orx-panel/src/main/kotlin/org/openrndr/panel/elements/LayoutBuilder.kt
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ fun Canvas.draw(f: (Drawer) -> Unit) {
     this.userDraw = f
 }
 
-fun Element.canvas(vararg classes: String, init: Canvas.() -> Unit) {
+fun Element.canvas(vararg classes: String, init: Canvas.() -> Unit) : Canvas {
     val canvas = Canvas()
     classes.forEach { canvas.classes.add(ElementClass(it)) }
     canvas.init()
     append(canvas)
+    return canvas
 }
 
 fun Element.dropdownButton(vararg classes: String, id: String? = null, label: String = "button", init: DropdownButton.() -> Unit) = initElement(classes, DropdownButton().apply {