Son asks earnestly for paints straight out of the can (6)
I believe the answer is:
sprays
'asks earnestly for paints straight out of the can' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.
'son' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'son' could be 's' (genealogical abbreviation for son) and 's' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'prays' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sprays that I've seen before include "Sends out liquid in very small drops as through a hose" , "Jets of vapour" , "Sends out water in very small droplets" , "bunches of flowers" , "Disperses water in very small drops" .)