diff --git a/src/gl.zig b/src/gl.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03a9d48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gl.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const c = @import("c.zig");
+
+pub const buffer = @import("gl/buffer.zig");
+
+pub fn init() void {
+    if (c.gladLoadGLLoader(@ptrCast(c.GLADloadproc, c.glfwGetProcAddress)) == 0) {
+        @panic("Failed to initialise GLAD");
+    }
+    c.glEnable(c.GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+    c.glDisable(c.GL_MULTISAMPLE);
+    c.glEnable(c.GL_CULL_FACE);
+}
+
+pub fn viewport(x: c_int, y: c_int, width: c_int, height: c_int) void{
+    c.glViewport(x, y, width, height);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/gl/buffer.zig b/src/gl/buffer.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3335608
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gl/buffer.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+const c = @import("../c.zig");
+
+pub const Target = enum(c_uint) {
+    vertex = c.GL_ARRAY_BUFFER,
+    index = c.GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER,
+};
+
+pub const Usage = enum(c_uint) {
+    stream_draw = c.GL_STREAM_DRAW,
+    stream_read = c.GL_STREAM_READ,
+    stream_copy = c.GL_STREAM_COPY,
+    static_draw = c.GL_STATIC_DRAW,
+    static_read = c.GL_STATIC_READ,
+    static_copy = c.GL_STATIC_COPY,
+    dynamic_draw = c.GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW,
+    dynamic_read = c.GL_DYNAMIC_READ,
+    dynamic_copy = c.GL_DYNAMIC_COPY,
+};
+
+pub fn VertexBuffer(comptime ElementT: type) type {
+    return Buffer(.vertex, ElementT);
+}
+
+pub fn IndexBuffer(comptime ElementT: type) type {
+    return Buffer(.index, ElementT);
+}
+
+pub const IndexBuffer8 = IndexBuffer(u8);
+pub const IndexBuffer16 = IndexBuffer(u16);
+pub const IndexBuffer32 = IndexBuffer(u32);
+
+pub fn Buffer(comptime target: Target, comptime ElementT: type) type {
+    return struct {
+        /// 
+        handle: c_int,
+
+        pub const Element = ElementT;
+        pub const Target = target;
+
+        const Self = @This();
+
+        /// create a new buffer on the gpu
+        pub fn init() Self {
+            var handle: c_int = undefined;
+            c.glCreateBuffers(1, &handle);
+            return Self { .handle = handle };
+        }
+
+        /// delete this buffer
+        pub fn deinit(self: Self) void {
+            c.glDeleteBuffers(1, &self.handle);
+        }
+
+        /// allocate `size` bytes and declare usage
+        /// old data is discarded, if it exists
+        pub fn alloc(self: Self, size: usize, usage: Usage) void {
+            c.glNamedBufferData(self.handle, @intCast(c_longlong, size * @sizeOf(Element)), c.NULL, @enumToInt(usage));
+        }
+
+        /// upload data, allocating enough bytes to store it, and declare usage
+        /// old data is discarded, if it exists
+        pub fn data(self: Self, data_slice: []const Element, usage: Usage) void {
+            const ptr = @ptrCast(*const c_void, data_slice.ptr);
+            const size = @intCast(c_longlong, @sizeOf(Element) * data_slice.len);
+            c.glNamedBufferData(self.handle, size, ptr, @enumToInt(usage));
+        }
+
+        /// replace a slice of data in the buffer. no reallocation will occur
+        pub fn subData(self: Self, data_slice: []const Element, offset: usize) void {
+            const ptr = @ptrCast(*const c_void, data_slice.ptr);
+            const size = @intCast(c_longlong, @sizeOf(Element) * data_slice.len);
+            c.glNamedBufferSubData(self.handle, offset, size, ptr);
+        }
+
+        /// replace all data in the buffer
+        pub fn update(self: Self, data_slice: []const Element) void {
+            self.subdata(data_slice, 0);
+        }
+    };
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/gl/types.zig b/src/gl/types.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a93d18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gl/types.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// const c = @import("../c.zig");
+
+pub const Handle = c_int;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index ff38d08..8b73c6f 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
+const gl = @import("gl.zig");
 const glfw = @import("glfw.zig");
 const math = @import("math.zig");
 
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
     var window = glfw.Window.init(640, 360, "a toki ma!");
     defer window.deinit();
 
+    gl.init();
+
     while (!window.shouldClose()) {
         window.update();
         window.swapBuffers();