diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f8c11ab72..9da5a4bc8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 CC=g++
 CFLAGS=-c -Wall
 LDFLAGS=-lSDL
-SRCSOURCES=main.cpp Renderer.cpp GuiComponent.cpp
+SRCSOURCES=main.cpp Renderer.cpp Renderer_draw.cpp GuiComponent.cpp components/GuiTitleScreen.cpp
 SOURCES=$(addprefix src/,$(SRCSOURCES))
 OBJECTS=$(SOURCES:.cpp=.o)
 EXECUTABLE=emulationstation
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ $(EXECUTABLE): $(OBJECTS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $< -o $@
 
 clean:
-	rm -rf src/*o $(EXECUTABLE)
+	rm -rf src/*o src/components/*o $(EXECUTABLE)
diff --git a/src/GuiComponent.cpp b/src/GuiComponent.cpp
index e172a4e16..9a1c950a9 100644
--- a/src/GuiComponent.cpp
+++ b/src/GuiComponent.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,32 @@
 #include "GuiComponent.h"
 #include "Renderer.h"
+#include <iostream>
 
-GuiComponent::GuiComponent()
+void GuiComponent::addChild(GuiComponent* comp)
 {
-	Renderer::registerComponent(this);
+	mChildren.push_back(comp);
 }
 
-GuiComponent::~GuiComponent()
+void GuiComponent::removeChild(GuiComponent* comp)
 {
-	Renderer::unregisterComponent(this);
+	for(unsigned int i = 0; i < mChildren.size(); i++)
+	{
+		if(mChildren.at(i) == comp)
+		{
+			mChildren.erase(mChildren.begin() + i);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	std::cerr << "Error - tried to remove GuiComponent child, but couldn't find it!\n";
+}
+
+void GuiComponent::render()
+{
+	onRender();
+
+	for(unsigned int i = 0; i < mChildren.size(); i++)
+	{
+		mChildren.at(i)->render();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/GuiComponent.h b/src/GuiComponent.h
index 786671bed..6219ce656 100644
--- a/src/GuiComponent.h
+++ b/src/GuiComponent.h
@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
 #ifndef _GUICOMPONENT_H_
 #define _GUICOMPONENT_H_
 
+#include <vector>
+#include "Renderer.h"
+
 class GuiComponent
 {
 public:
-	GuiComponent();
-	~GuiComponent();
-	virtual void render() { };
-	virtual unsigned int getLayer() { return 0; };
+	void render();
+	virtual void onRender() { };
+	virtual unsigned int getLayer() { return BIT(0); };
+
+	void addChild(GuiComponent* comp);
+	void removeChild(GuiComponent* comp);
+	unsigned int getChildCount() { return mChildren.size(); }
+	GuiComponent* getChild(unsigned int i) { return mChildren.at(i); }
+private:
+	std::vector<GuiComponent*> mChildren;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/Renderer.cpp b/src/Renderer.cpp
index fff78d44d..30f666d93 100644
--- a/src/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/Renderer.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "Renderer.h"
+#include "GuiComponent.h"
 
 std::vector<GuiComponent*> renderVector;
 
@@ -31,3 +32,4 @@ void Renderer::render()
 		}
 	}
 }
+
diff --git a/src/Renderer.h b/src/Renderer.h
index ffa61cee9..2d5ae1cab 100644
--- a/src/Renderer.h
+++ b/src/Renderer.h
@@ -5,14 +5,22 @@
 
 #define BIT(x) (1 << (x))
 
-#include "GuiComponent.h"
 #include <vector>
+#include <SDL/SDL.h>
+
+class GuiComponent;
+
 namespace Renderer
 {
 	void registerComponent(GuiComponent* comp);
 	void unregisterComponent(GuiComponent* comp);
 
 	void render();
+
+	extern SDL_Surface* screen; 
+
+	//drawing commands
+	void drawRect(int x, int y, int w, int h, int color);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/Renderer_draw.cpp b/src/Renderer_draw.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63bf6a538
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Renderer_draw.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include "Renderer.h"
+#include <SDL/SDL.h>
+
+SDL_Surface* Renderer::screen;
+
+void Renderer::drawRect(int x, int y, int h, int w, int color)
+{
+	SDL_Rect rect = {x, y, h, w};
+	SDL_FillRect(Renderer::screen, &rect, color);
+}
diff --git a/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.cpp b/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8218ee9f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include "GuiTitleScreen.h"
+#include "../Renderer.h"
+#include <iostream>
+
+GuiTitleScreen::GuiTitleScreen()
+{
+	Renderer::registerComponent(this);
+
+	//add children here
+}
+
+void GuiTitleScreen::onRender()
+{
+	Renderer::drawRect(0, 0, 640, 480, 0xFFFFFF);
+	std::cout << "rendering guititlescreen\n";
+}
diff --git a/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.h b/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f5b93409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/GuiTitleScreen.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef _GUITITLESCREEN_H_
+#define _GUITITLESCREEN_H_
+
+#include "../GuiComponent.h"
+
+class GuiTitleScreen : public GuiComponent
+{
+public:
+	GuiTitleScreen();
+	void onRender();
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 7006348f8..bb4a0f830 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,49 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <SDL/SDL.h>
 #include "Renderer.h"
-
+#include "components/GuiTitleScreen.h"
 
 int main()
 {
-	if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO | SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK) != 0)
+	//if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO | SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK) < 0)
+	if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_EVERYTHING) != 0)
 	{
 		std::cerr << "Error - could not initialize SDL!\n";
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	
+	Renderer::screen = SDL_SetVideoMode(640, 480, 16, SDL_SWSURFACE);
+	if(Renderer::screen == NULL)
+	{
+		std::cerr << "Error - could not set video mode!\n";
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+
+	GuiTitleScreen* testGui = new GuiTitleScreen();
+
+	bool running = true;
+	while(running)
+	{
+		SDL_Event event;
+		while(SDL_PollEvent(&event))
+		{
+			switch(event.type)
+			{
+				case SDL_KEYDOWN:
+					running = false;
+					break;
+				case SDL_QUIT:
+					running = false;
+					break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		Renderer::render();
+		SDL_Flip(Renderer::screen);
+	}
+
+	delete testGui;
 
 	SDL_Quit();
 	return 0;