Use when creating visual art, poster design, programmatic canvas art, PDF/PNG visual compositions, design philosophy-driven artwork, or abstract visual design. NEVER for static page layouts or component design (use frontend-design). NEVER for applying preset theme styles or design tokens (use theme-factory). NEVER for presentation slides (use pptx). NEVER for implementing Figma designs in code (use figma-implement-design).
| Path | Contents |
|---|---|
canvas-fonts/ | 30 Google Font families (.ttf + OFL licenses): display, serif, sans, mono, handwritten, pixel categories. Use for all typography in canvas work. |
| Request | This skill? | Instead use |
|---|---|---|
| Create a poster, visual art piece, or abstract composition | YES | -- |
| Design philosophy for visual expression | YES | -- |
| PDF/PNG with artistic layout and minimal text | YES | -- |
| Multi-page visual storytelling (coffee-table book style) | YES | -- |
| Static webpage layout or UI component design | NO | frontend-design |
| Apply theme tokens, color schemes, or design systems |
| NO |
| theme-factory |
| Build a slide deck or presentation | NO | pptx |
| Translate a Figma mockup into working code | NO | figma-implement-design |
| Icon design or SVG illustration | NO | frontend-design |
Every canvas piece follows two phases. Do not skip or merge them.
Phase 1 -- Design Philosophy (.md file): Write a 4-6 paragraph manifesto for an art movement. This is NOT a brief -- it is an aesthetic worldview that guides visual expression. The philosophy must be generic enough to stand alone (no mention of the specific subject), yet specific enough in its visual language to produce a coherent piece.
Phase 2 -- Canvas Expression (.pdf or .png file): Interpret the philosophy visually. The result is 90% design, 10% essential text. Before starting Phase 2, identify the subtle reference (see below).
A philosophy has three components:
| Component | Format | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Movement name | 1-2 words | Anchors the aesthetic identity |
| Core philosophy | 1 sentence | The conceptual thesis |
| Visual expression | 3-5 sentences | How the thesis manifests in form, space, color, typography, composition |
"Concrete Poetry" -- Communication through monumental form and bold geometry. Visual: Massive color blocks, sculptural typography (huge single words, tiny labels), Brutalist spatial divisions, Polish poster energy meets Le Corbusier. Visual weight and spatial tension carry meaning.
"Chromatic Language" -- Color as the primary information system. Visual: Geometric precision where color zones create meaning. Minimal sans-serif labels let chromatic fields communicate. Josef Albers' interaction meets data visualization. Information encoded spatially and chromatically.
"Analog Meditation" -- Quiet visual contemplation through texture and breathing room. Visual: Paper grain, ink bleeds, vast negative space. Photography and illustration dominate. Japanese photobook aesthetic. Typography whispered -- small, restrained, serving the visual.
"Organic Systems" -- Natural clustering and modular growth patterns. Visual: Rounded forms, organic arrangements, color from nature through architecture. Information through visual diagrams, spatial relationships, iconography. Text only as floating key labels.
"Geometric Silence" -- Pure order and restraint. Visual: Grid-based precision, bold photography or stark graphics, dramatic negative space. Swiss formalism meets Brutalist material honesty. Small essential text, large quiet zones.
"Metabolist Grid" -- Modular repetition generating emergent complexity. Visual: Repeating units that shift incrementally across the canvas -- rotation, scale, hue. The system IS the art. Inspired by Metabolist architecture (Kurokawa, Tange) and Sol LeWitt's wall drawings. Clinical labeling of the system's parameters.
"Tectonic Collage" -- Layered fragments creating geological depth. Visual: Overlapping planes with visible edges, torn-paper textures, mixed media illusion (photo + vector + type). Depth through opacity and overlap, not perspective. David Carson meets Robert Rauschenberg.
"Signal Noise" -- Tension between data clarity and visual interference. Visual: Clean data visualization forms (grids, axes, plot points) disrupted by glitch, grain, or hand-drawn marks. The collision between precision and entropy. Edward Tufte meets Ryoji Ikeda.
| Visual intent | Composition | Typography role | Color approach | Best archetypes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monumental / Brutalist | Massive asymmetric blocks, extreme scale contrast | Sculptural -- type IS architecture | 2-3 color max, high saturation | Concrete Poetry, Tectonic Collage |
| Contemplative / Minimal | Vast negative space, single focal point | Whispered -- small, peripheral | Muted, desaturated, near-monochrome | Analog Meditation, Geometric Silence |
| Systematic / Diagrammatic | Strict grid, modular repetition | Clinical labels, small mono | Controlled palette, functional color | Metabolist Grid, Signal Noise |
| Organic / Fluid | Flowing forms, asymmetric balance | Integrated into forms, hand-placed | Nature-derived, gradients allowed | Organic Systems, Tectonic Collage |
| Kinetic / Dynamic | Diagonal tension, implied motion | Bold, angled, overlapping | High contrast, complementary pairs | Signal Noise, Concrete Poetry |
| Atmospheric / Textural | Layered surfaces, depth through grain | Embossed or debossed effect | Tonal range within one hue family | Analog Meditation, Tectonic Collage |
Fonts are in ./canvas-fonts/. Load specific weights as needed.
| Font | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Boldonse | Heavy, expressive slab | Brutalist posters, single-word statements |
| EricaOne | Ultra-bold condensed | Monumental type, vertical stacking |
| BigShoulders | Industrial condensed, 2 weights | Event posters, mechanical aesthetic |
| Font | Character | Best for | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrimsonPro | Classical proportions, 3 weights | Long-form elegance, literary feel | InstrumentSans, DMMono |
| Lora | Warm calligraphic curves, 4 weights | Organic warmth, approachable formality | WorkSans, Outfit |
| LibreBaskerville | Sturdy transitional | Authoritative body text | InstrumentSans |
| YoungSerif | Chunky contemporary | Display-sized headings, friendly weight | Outfit, BricolageGrotesque |
| Gloock | High-contrast Didone | Fashion, luxury, editorial covers | Jura, SmoochSans |
| IBMPlexSerif | Technical precision, 4 weights | Data-adjacent design, systematic work | IBMPlexMono, InstrumentSans |
| Italiana | Thin elegant Didone | Minimal luxury, whispered headings | PoiretOne, Jura |
| InstrumentSerif | Sharp contemporary, 2 weights | Modern editorial, refined accent | InstrumentSans |
| Font | Character | Best for | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|---|
| InstrumentSans | Clean geometric, 4 weights | Primary workhorse, labels, body | InstrumentSerif, CrimsonPro |
| Outfit | Rounded geometric, 2 weights | Friendly modern, tech-adjacent | Lora, YoungSerif |
| WorkSans | Humanist, 4 weights | Body text, readable at any size | Lora, IBMPlexSerif |
| BricolageGrotesque | Quirky grotesque, 2 weights | Personality-driven, editorial play | YoungSerif, CrimsonPro |
| ArsenalSC | Small-caps proportions | Labeling, systematic reference markers | CrimsonPro, DMMono |
| Jura | Light geometric, 2 weights | Futuristic, scientific, airy | Gloock, Italiana |
| SmoochSans | Soft rounded | Playful, approachable branding | Gloock, Lora |
| NationalPark | NPS-inspired, 2 weights | Nature themes, outdoor aesthetics | LibreBaskerville |
| PoiretOne | Art Deco thin | Decorative headlines, 1920s-1930s revival | Italiana, CrimsonPro |
| Font | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DMMono | Compact, friendly | Code aesthetics, clean labels |
| GeistMono | Modern, crisp, 2 weights | Developer culture, tech minimalism |
| IBMPlexMono | Corporate technical, 2 weights | Data visualization labels, clinical |
| JetBrainsMono | Developer standard, 2 weights | Terminal aesthetics, code art |
| RedHatMono | Open-source character, 2 weights | Linux/open-source culture pieces |
| Silkscreen | Bitmap/pixel | Retro computing, 8-bit nostalgia |
| Tektur | Geometric tech, 2 weights | Futuristic displays, HUD aesthetic |
| Font | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| NothingYouCouldDo | Handwritten casual | Personal touch, organic contrast with geometric layouts |
| PixelifySans | Pixel grid | Retro gaming, digital nostalgia, glitch art |
Before canvas creation, identify the conceptual DNA from the user's request. This reference is embedded INTO the art -- never announced.
| Reference depth | Technique | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Literal shape | Silhouette or outline abstracted into composition geometry | Mountain request -> triangular forms dominating the grid |
| Color association | Palette derived from subject's visual identity | Ocean request -> deep blue-green tonal range |
| Structural metaphor | Composition mimics subject's inherent structure | Music request -> visual rhythm through repeating elements |
| Cultural symbol | Iconographic shorthand woven into pattern | Japanese request -> circular motifs (enso), asymmetric balance |
| Emotional temperature | Overall mood calibrated to subject's feeling | Loss request -> descending forms, desaturated, heavy lower third |
The test: someone familiar with the subject feels it intuitively. Everyone else simply experiences a strong abstract composition. Like a jazz musician quoting another song -- only those who know catch it.
./canvas-fonts/. Typography is part of the art -- never default system fonts.When requested, treat page 1 as the opening of a visual narrative. Subsequent pages are variations on the philosophy -- same DNA, distinct expression. Each page should feel like turning through a monograph: recognizably part of the same body of work, but never repetitive. Bundle as single PDF or multiple PNGs.
Before presenting final output, verify:
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Philosophy-canvas alignment | Does the canvas faithfully express the written philosophy's visual language? |
| Reference subtlety | Would someone unfamiliar with the subject still find the piece compelling on purely visual terms? |
| Text minimalism | Is every word earning its place spatially? Could any text be removed without losing composition strength? |
| Font intentionality | Are font choices driven by the philosophy, not convenience? Do pairings create visual tension or harmony deliberately? |
| Boundary compliance | Are all elements contained within canvas margins with breathing room? Zero overlaps, zero edge-touching? |
| Craft standard | Does this look like it came from a senior designer's portfolio, not a template or AI generator? |