LABSCO SUMMARY
Install globally, or the MCP half will not hold.
That is the one thing the README repeats and the one thing that decides whether this is a drawing toy or the thing it is for. Run it globally and the assistant can see the canvas; run it through npx and you have a sketchpad. Once wired up, the loop is genuinely different from uploading a screenshot: you draw, ask, adjust, and ask again without leaving either window.
What it is
A local drawing application with an MCP server attached. You draw in the browser; the MCP connection lets Cursor or Claude Code read the current drawing, so "analyse my composition" or "what shapes are in this" is a question about the thing you just made rather than a file you had to export and upload.
What you get
- A canvas with brush and eraser, 6 colours plus a custom picker, 4 brush sizes, unlimited undo and redo, and one-click clear
- Drawings saved with auto-save prompts and thumbnails, updated in place when you save again, and exportable as PNG
- Dark and light themes, touch support for tablets, keyboard shortcuts, and a responsive layout
- An assistant that can read the current drawing to analyse composition, identify shapes, suggest improvements and give feedback
- A server that finds an available port on its own, so two people on a team each get their own session without configuration
Requirements
Node.js 18+ and a modern browser. For MCP to work reliably, install globally with npm install -g draw-it-mcp and run draw-it-mcp — the README is explicit that the npx draw-it-mcp path is fine for a quick sketch but may not hold an MCP connection. Then add a server entry whose command is draw-it-mcp with the argument mcp:server, and restart the client. First run installs dependencies and builds before starting; after that it opens the browser itself. No account and no key.
Setup effort
One command — npm install -g draw-it-mcp
USE CASES
01
Getting feedback on a sketch as you make it
Draw, then ask the assistant to analyse the composition — no export, no upload, no screenshot step in between.
02
Sketching a diagram to explain something
Draw the shape of the idea and have the assistant read it, when describing it in words was the slow part.
03
Working out what is wrong with a drawing
Ask for specific improvements rather than a verdict, and adjust with the feedback in the other window.
04
Keeping a set of sketches you can find again
Save as you go and use the thumbnails to pick one back up, rather than accumulating unnamed PNGs.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Requires
- draw-it-mcp on PATH
- Node.js 18+
Where it runs
Both documented clients run the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npm install -g draw-it-mcpMCP Clients
Claude Code, Cursor
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"draw-it-mcp": {
"command": "draw-it-mcp",
"args": [
"mcp:server"
]
}
}
}