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canvas-design

Helps your agent create beautiful visual art in files. It's useful when you ask for a poster, art, or any static design.

What it does

This tool creates a visual art concept, called a 'design philosophy,' and then uses that concept to create an image or document. It focuses on how the art should look (colors, shapes, space) and uses very little text.

When to use it

  • ✓When you want to create a poster with a unique artistic style.
  • ✓To generate an abstract image based on an idea.
  • ✓When asking for a design that follows specific aesthetic principles.

Example of what to ask your AI

“Create a visual art piece inspired by 'Chromatic Silence,' focusing on geometric shapes and complementary colors.”

Want more? Open the sections below.

How to use

The easiest way: copy the message below and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI. It reads the skill and follows the instructions.

Skill link

https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/canvas-design/SKILL.md

Ready-to-paste message

Use this skill to help me: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/canvas-design/SKILL.md Read the SKILL.md file at that link and follow its instructions for my task.
How it works

First, the AI defines a 'design philosophy' that describes how the art should be (colors, shapes, etc.). Then, it uses this philosophy to create the final image, ensuring it looks like it was made by a master craftsman.

Installation

Easiest way: copy the skill link and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor asking it to follow the instructions.

In the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), in your project folder:

npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill canvas-design

Or download just the file:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/skills/main/skills/canvas-design/SKILL.md -o SKILL.md
Technical content (original SKILL.md)

Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.

These are instructions for creating design philosophies - aesthetic movements that are then EXPRESSED VISUALLY. Output only .md files, .pdf files, and .png files.

Complete this in two steps:

  1. Design Philosophy Creation (.md file)
  2. Express by creating it on a canvas (.pdf file or .png file)

First, undertake this task:

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY CREATION

To begin, create a VISUAL PHILOSOPHY (not layouts or templates) that will be interpreted through:

  • Form, space, color, composition
  • Images, graphics, shapes, patterns
  • Minimal text as visual accent

THE CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING

  • What is received: Some subtle input or instructions by the user that should be taken into account, but used as a foundation; it should not constrain creative freedom.
  • What is created: A design philosophy/aesthetic movement.
  • What happens next: Then, the same version receives the philosophy and EXPRESSES IT VISUALLY - creating artifacts that are 90% visual design, 10% essential text.

Consider this approach:

  • Write a manifesto for an art movement
  • The next phase involves making the artwork

The philosophy must emphasize: Visual expression. Spatial communication. Artistic interpretation. Minimal words.

HOW TO GENERATE A VISUAL PHILOSOPHY

Name the movement (1-2 words): "Brutalist Joy" / "Chromatic Silence" / "Metabolist Dreams"

Articulate the philosophy (4-6 paragraphs - concise but complete):

To capture the VISUAL essence, express how the philosophy manifests through:

  • Space and form
  • Color and material
  • Scale and rhythm
  • Composition and balance
  • Visual hierarchy

CRITICAL GUIDELINES:

  • Avoid redundancy: Each design aspect should be mentioned once. Avoid repeating points about color theory, spatial relationships, or typographic principles unless adding new depth.
  • Emphasize craftsmanship REPEATEDLY: The philosophy MUST stress multiple times that the final work should appear as though it took countless hours to create, was labored over with care, and comes from someone at the absolute top of their field. This framing is essential - repeat phrases like "meticulously crafted," "the product of deep expertise," "painstaking attention," "master-level execution."
  • Leave creative space: Remain specific about the aesthetic direction, but concise enough that the next Claude has room to make interpretive choices also at a extremely high level of craftmanship.

The philosophy must guide the next version to express ideas VISUALLY, not through text. Information lives in design, not paragraphs.

PHILOSOPHY EXAMPLES

"Concrete Poetry" Philosophy: Communication through monumental form and bold geometry. Visual expression: Massive color blocks, sculptural typography (huge single words, tiny labels), Brutalist spatial divisions, Polish poster energy meets Le Corbusier. Ideas expressed through visual weight and spatial tension, not explanation. Text as rare, powerful gesture - never paragraphs, only essential words integrated into the visual architecture. Every element placed with the precision of a master craftsman.

"Chromatic Language" Philosophy: Color as the primary information system. Visual expression: Geometric precision where color zones create meaning. Typography minimal - small sans-serif labels letting chromatic fields communicate. Think Josef Albers' interaction meets data visualization. Information encoded spatially and chromatically. Words only to anchor what color already shows. The result of painstaking chromatic calibration.

"Analog Meditation" Philosophy: Quiet visual contemplation through texture and breathing room. Visual expression: Paper grain, ink bleeds, vast negative space. Photography and illustration dominate. Typography whispered (small, restrained, serving the visual). Japanese photobook aesthetic. Images breathe across pages. Text appears sparingly - short phrases, never explanatory blocks. Each composition balanced with the care of a meditation practice.

"Organic Systems" Philosophy: Natural clustering and modular growth patterns. Visual expression: Rounded forms, organic arrangements, color from nature through architecture. Information shown through visual diagrams, spatial relationships, iconography. Text only for key labels floating in space. The composition tells the story through expert spatial orchestration.

"Geometric Silence" Philosophy: Pure order and restraint.

…

FAQ

What is a 'design philosophy'?

It's a set of rules and ideas about how art should look, focusing on visual elements like color, shape, and space, rather than text.

Why does it use so little text?

Because the idea is for the art to communicate visually. Text is used only as a small, important detail, not to explain the art.

Does the AI copy other artists?

No, it creates original designs to avoid copyright issues.

Details

Original description by the author

Create beautiful visual art in .png and .pdf documents using design philosophy. You should use this skill when the user asks to create a poster, piece of art, design, or other static piece. Create original visual designs, never copying existing artists' work to avoid copyright violations.

repo: anthropics/skills

Popularity

GitHub stars
181k
Ranking position
#317
License
—
Updated
10/9/2026

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