diff --git a/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.c b/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.c
index 2ad32cd5e..2475836a5 100644
--- a/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.c
+++ b/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.c
@@ -425,6 +425,66 @@ lv_img_src_t lv_img_src_get_type(const void * src)
     return img_src_type;
 }
 
+lv_img_dsc_t *lv_img_buf_alloc(lv_coord_t w, lv_coord_t h, lv_img_cf_t cf)
+{
+    /* Allocate image descriptor */
+    lv_img_dsc_t *dsc = lv_mem_alloc(sizeof(lv_img_dsc_t));
+    if(dsc == NULL)
+        return NULL;
+    
+    memset(dsc, 0, sizeof(lv_img_dsc_t));
+    
+    /* Get image data size */
+    dsc->data_size = lv_img_buf_get_img_size(w, h, cf);
+    if(dsc->data_size == 0) {
+        lv_mem_free(dsc);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    
+    /* Allocate raw buffer */
+    dsc->data = lv_mem_alloc(dsc->data_size);
+    if(dsc->data == NULL) {
+        lv_mem_free(dsc);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    memset(dsc->data, 0, dsc->data_size);
+    
+    /* Fill in header */
+    dsc->header.always_zero = 0;
+    dsc->header.w = w;
+    dsc->header.h = h;
+    dsc->header.cf = cf;
+    return dsc;
+}
+
+void lv_img_buf_free(lv_img_dsc_t *dsc)
+{
+    if(dsc != NULL) {
+        if(dsc->data != NULL)
+            lv_mem_free(dsc->data);
+        
+        lv_mem_free(dsc);
+    }
+}
+
+uint32_t lv_img_buf_get_img_size(lv_coord_t w, lv_coord_t h, lv_img_cf_t cf)
+{
+    switch(cf) {
+        case LV_IMG_CF_TRUE_COLOR: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_ALPHA_1BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_ALPHA_2BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_ALPHA_4BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_ALPHA_8BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_INDEXED_1BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_1BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_INDEXED_2BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_2BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_INDEXED_4BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_4BIT(w, h);
+        case LV_IMG_CF_INDEXED_8BIT: return LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_8BIT(w, h);
+        default: return 0;
+    }
+}
+
 /**********************
  *   STATIC FUNCTIONS
  **********************/
diff --git a/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.h b/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.h
index 61c604805..794dd79e6 100644
--- a/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.h
+++ b/src/lv_draw/lv_draw_img.h
@@ -20,6 +20,26 @@ extern "C" {
  *      DEFINES
  *********************/
 
+/**********************
+ *      MACROS
+ **********************/
+
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR(w, h) ((LV_COLOR_SIZE / 8) * w * h)
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED(w, h) ((LV_COLOR_SIZE / 8) * w * h)
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA(w, h) (LV_IMG_PX_SIZE_ALPHA_BYTE * w * h)
+
+/*+ 1: to be sure no fractional row*/
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h) ((((w / 8) + 1) * h))
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h) ((((w / 4) + 1) * h))
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h) ((((w / 2) + 1) * h))
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h) ((w * h))
+
+/*4 * X: for palette*/
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_1BIT(w, h) (LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h) + 4 * 2)
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_2BIT(w, h) (LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h) + 4 * 4)
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_4BIT(w, h) (LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h) + 4 * 16)
+#define LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_8BIT(w, h) (LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h) + 4 * 256)
+
 /**********************
  *      TYPEDEFS
  **********************/
@@ -120,9 +140,30 @@ bool lv_img_color_format_is_chroma_keyed(lv_img_cf_t cf);
  */
 bool lv_img_color_format_has_alpha(lv_img_cf_t cf);
 
-/**********************
- *      MACROS
- **********************/
+/**
+ * Allocate an image buffer in RAM
+ * @param w width of image
+ * @param h height of image
+ * @param cf a color format (`LV_IMG_CF_...`)
+ * @return an allocated image, or NULL on failure
+ */
+lv_img_dsc_t *lv_img_buf_alloc(lv_coord_t w, lv_coord_t h, lv_img_cf_t cf);
+
+/**
+ * Free an allocated image buffer
+ * @param dsc image buffer to free
+ */
+void lv_img_buf_free(lv_img_dsc_t *dsc);
+
+/**
+ * Get the memory consumption of a raw bitmap, given color format and dimensions.
+ * @param w width
+ * @param h height
+ * @param cf color format
+ * @return size in bytes
+ */
+uint32_t lv_img_buf_get_img_size(lv_coord_t w, lv_coord_t h, lv_img_cf_t cf);
+
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
diff --git a/src/lv_objx/lv_canvas.h b/src/lv_objx/lv_canvas.h
index 1d59d44d6..9f9cf03ed 100644
--- a/src/lv_objx/lv_canvas.h
+++ b/src/lv_objx/lv_canvas.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "../lv_core/lv_obj.h"
 #include "../lv_objx/lv_img.h"
+#include "../lv_draw/lv_draw_img.h"
 
 /*********************
  *      DEFINES
@@ -239,21 +240,21 @@ void lv_canvas_draw_arc(lv_obj_t * canvas, lv_coord_t x, lv_coord_t y, lv_coord_
 /**********************
  *      MACROS
  **********************/
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR(w, h) ((LV_COLOR_SIZE / 8) * w * h)
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED(w, h) ((LV_COLOR_SIZE / 8) * w * h)
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA(w, h) (LV_IMG_PX_SIZE_ALPHA_BYTE * w * h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_CHROMA_KEYED(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_TRUE_COLOR_ALPHA(w, h)
 
 /*+ 1: to be sure no fractional row*/
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h) ((((w / 8) + 1) * h))
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h) ((((w / 4) + 1) * h))
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h) ((((w / 2) + 1) * h))
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h) ((w * h))
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h)
 
 /*4 * X: for palette*/
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_1BIT(w, h) (LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_1BIT(w, h) + 4 * 2)
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_2BIT(w, h) (LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_2BIT(w, h) + 4 * 4)
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_4BIT(w, h) (LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_4BIT(w, h) + 4 * 16)
-#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_8BIT(w, h) (LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_ALPHA_8BIT(w, h) + 4 * 256)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_1BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_1BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_2BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_2BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_4BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_4BIT(w, h)
+#define LV_CANVAS_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_8BIT(w, h) LV_IMG_BUF_SIZE_INDEXED_8BIT(w, h)
 
 #endif /*LV_USE_CANVAS*/