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Location
GPS Location Tagging
Tag your artwork with precise GPS coordinates, helping fellow artists discover and visit the exact scenic locations where your masterpieces were created.
The nomad's sketchbook · Est. 2025
Sketch Nomad
The platform for Urban Sketchers urban sketchers, plein air painters, outdoor artists, travel sketchers, and nature journalers
Pin each sketch to the place you drew it, and keep a map of every street, trail, and café you've worked outdoors. Then share it with artists around the world.
Web App First — iOS & Android Coming Soon
Who it's for
Built for Artists Who Work Outdoors
Whether you sketch cities, paint landscapes, or draw on the road, Sketch Nomad is a home for your outdoor practice.
Urban Sketchers
Draw streets, cafés, and city life on location. Pin each urban sketch to the spot and find sketch-together sessions nearby.
Plein Air Painters
Capture light in the open air. Discover pleinair painting spots, log field notes, and meet other outdoor painters.
Outdoor Artists
From landscape painters to nature journalers — a quiet community for anyone who creates outside the studio.
Travel Sketchers
Turn every trip into a visual journal. Tag sketches to cities, trails, and landmarks as you go.
What's in the sketchbook
What's Here Now & What's Coming Next
Explore our current features and get excited about the innovative tools we're building for the outdoor art community.
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Community
Global Artist Community
Share your outdoor sketches and paintings with artists worldwide, and explore stunning artwork from creators across the globe.
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Discovery
Interactive Discovery Maps
Find new painting locations through our interactive mapping system, perfect for artists seeking fresh inspiration and scenic spots.
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Community
Sketch Together Sessions
Host or join live plein air sketch sessions with fellow artists — set a time and place, then create side by side with sketch nomads near you.
- Coming soon
Roadmap
Much More Coming Soon
Weather integration, art supply recommendations, skill-building tutorials, augmented reality features, and more tools built for outdoor artists.
Discover the World of Outdoor Art
View all posts »Explore our blog featuring art history, artist spotlights, and community events. Learn about painting traditions, discover works from renowned outdoor artists, and find featured sketches from breathtaking locations worldwide.
Plein Air Artists on a Map: Monet, Van Gogh, Turner & More
Browse 46 curated outdoor painters and 676 paintings pinned to the places they were made — Monet, Van Gogh, Turner, Pissarro, Yoshida, and more — on the free Sketch Nomad map.
Van Gogh & En Plein Air - How Outdoor Painting Transformed His Art
Step into the sun-drenched fields with Vincent van Gogh and discover how painting outdoors was not just a technique, but a spiritual necessity that fueled his revolutionary art.
Urban Sketchers - See Your World, One Sketch at a Time
Ever heard of Urban Sketchers? It's a global community of artists who draw cities from life. Dive in to learn how you can join the movement and start seeing your world in a whole new way.
History of Plein Air Painting: From Outdoor Rebels to a Worldwide Movement
Plein air — also called pleinair or en plein air — started as a radical idea. The story of how outdoor artists took painting out of the studio and into the light.
FAQs
A Few Common Questions
Here are some answers to questions we often hear. If you have others, please feel free to reach out.
What is Sketch Nomad?
Sketch Nomad is a free platform for urban sketchers, plein air painters, outdoor artists, and travel sketchers. Tag your artwork to a place, keep a map of your sketching spots, and connect with a worldwide outdoor-art community.
What is plein air (or pleinair) painting?
Plein air — also written pleinair or en plein air — means painting or sketching outdoors, from life. Sketch Nomad is built for that practice: location-tagged sketches, discovery maps, and sketch-together sessions in the field.
Is Sketch Nomad for urban sketchers?
Yes. Urban sketchers who draw cities, streets, and daily life on location can pin sketches to the exact spot, find fellow sketchers nearby, and join sketch-together sessions.
Can travel sketchers use it?
Travel sketchers can log sketches from trains, cafés, trails, and cities they visit, then look back at a map of every place they drew. It is a visual travel journal as much as a community.
Is this for professional outdoor artists only?
Not at all. Sketch Nomad is for every outdoor artist — seasoned plein air painters, weekend hobbyists, urban sketchers, nature journalers, and anyone just starting.
How does location tagging work?
When you upload a piece, you can attach the GPS location where you created it. That builds a personal map of your spots and, if you choose, helps other artists discover new places to paint or sketch.
What is your stance on AI and artist data?
Your art and data are yours, period. We will never use your artwork to train AI models. We are committed to being a trusted, private space for artists to share their work without worry.
Is Sketch Nomad free?
Yes. The web app is free to use. We plan to always offer a free version so outdoor artists can create without a financial barrier.