Spots worth the easel
See the view before you commit your morning. Parking, the walk in, shade, and notes from painters who've worked it.
for plein air painters & urban sketchers
Your next painting spot, already scouted.
Find good outdoor spots, time the light, and catch the paint-outs happening near you. Save favorites, post your work, meet other painters, and plan outings, all in one app.
In beta on iPhone and Android. Kickstarter opens November 2026.
golden hour!front-lit from the west tonight
- parking
- shade
- restrooms
Less of the day spent driving around looking. More of it painting.
↑ that’s the whole idea, really
Time the light
Golden hour and sun direction for any spot, any day. Check the weather window before you load the car.
Paint-outs nearby
Competitions, paint-outs and meetups in one place, instead of six different group pages.
Paint with the community
Save spots, post your work and tag where you made it. Meet the painters and sketchers working near you.
Scouting
Know the spot before you get there.
A community-built map of places worth painting, with the details that actually decide a morning.
- Where to park, how far the walk is, and whether there's shade
- Filter for water, architecture, open landscape, or a quiet corner of the city
- Notes from painters who already set up there
- Add your own spots. Keep some private if you like.
Light Window
Paint the light you came for.
Painters plan around light. Light Window shows golden hour, where the sun sits, and when a spot looks its best, per spot and per day.
- Golden hour and sun direction for the exact spot
- Pick a date and plan the session ahead of time
- Today's weather and tides, free for everyone
How it works
Open the map. Go paint.
Find a spot
Browse the map near you, or somewhere you're traveling. Filter by the kind of view you want.
Plan the session
Check the light, the weather and the tide. Run a safety check-in so someone knows where you are.
Paint and share
Post the piece, tag the spot, and leave a note for the next painter who sets up there.
Who's building it
Built by one artist. Shaped by the many who use it.
PleinScout started with one painter in San Diego solving a problem every plein air artist knows: the best hour of light keeps getting spent in the car. It gets better every time another artist joins, shares a spot, or tells us what they need in the field.
Free & Pro
Free where you paint most. Pro for anywhere.
Most painting happens close to home, so the free app covers your region fully. Pro is for travel and serious planning.
Paint near home
- Every pin on the map
- Full spot details in your region
- Today's weather and tides
- Safety check-in
- Join public paint-outs, post to the feed
Paint anywhere
- Full spot details everywhere
- Light Window planner
- Value Map and My Paint Map
- Field-condition filters
- Private spots and outings
Field Guide
New to painting outside?
Practical guides to plein air painting, from painters who do it every week.