How do I use Paint MCP?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Paint MCP Paint a sunset over the mountains using the oil paint mode." That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Paint MCP

A drawing canvas exposed as an MCP server. An LLM connects over stdio and paints on a pygame window using tool calls.

Setup

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

python server.py

This opens an 800x600 pygame canvas and starts the MCP server on stdio. Connect any MCP-compatible client (e.g. Claude Desktop) to the process.

MCP Tools

Tool	Description
`get_canvas_info`	Get canvas dimensions, current color, brush size, and mode
`set_color`	Set drawing color (RGB 0-255)
`set_brush_size`	Set brush size (1-50 px)
`set_brush_shape`	Set brush shape: round, flat, filbert, fan, or palette_knife
`draw_point`	Draw a single dot
`draw_line`	Draw a line between two points
`draw_rect`	Draw a rectangle (blocked in oil paint mode)
`draw_ellipse`	Draw an ellipse (blocked in oil paint mode)
`draw_path`	Draw a freehand path through coordinate pairs
`batch_strokes`	Execute many strokes in one call with per-stroke color/size/shape overrides
`blend_path`	Smudge/blend existing colors along a path
`flood_fill`	Bucket fill an area (blocked in oil paint mode)
`clear_canvas`	Clear to white
`undo`	Undo last operation
`get_canvas_pixels`	Read pixel data from a region
`preview_canvas`	Save canvas to a temp PNG and return the path for visual inspection
`save_canvas`	Save canvas to a PNG file

Oil Paint Mode

Tool	Description
`set_oil_paint_mode`	Toggle oil paint simulation on/off
`get_oil_painting_guide`	Get a technique guide for realistic oil painting

When oil paint mode is enabled:

Color mixing — the brush picks up existing canvas color as it moves, so overlapping strokes blend naturally.
Paint depletion — strokes start opaque and gradually thin out as the brush runs dry. Each new stroke reloads the brush.
Soft edges — dabs use concentric rings with cubic falloff for painterly texture.
Brush shapes — five brush types (round, flat, filbert, fan, palette_knife) create distinct stroke characteristics. Flat for broad washes, filbert for general work, fan for blending, palette knife for bold impasto.
Shapes disabled — rectangles, ellipses, and flood fill are blocked. Only points, lines, and paths are available.
batch_strokes is the recommended way to paint — send many short strokes per call, each with its own color, brush size, and brush shape.

Examples

Regular mode

Starry Night	Meme

Oil paint mode

Sunset	Alien Sunset

Architecture

server.py — Entry point. Runs the pygame main loop and drains commands from a thread-safe queue.
tools.py — MCP tool definitions. Pushes drawing commands onto the queue.
canvas.py — Drawing engine. Wraps a pygame surface with draw ops, oil paint simulation, and an undo stack.