PaintSteps review
A photo-based study planner for painters, with grids, color steps and mixing guidance.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
PaintSteps turns a reference photo into a structured painting plan for artists who want help moving from large shapes toward detail. Its progressive color studies, numbered steps, adjustable drawing grid and zoom, palettes, and paint-mixing guidance make it a planning tool for traditional painters rather than a general-purpose drawing app. It runs on iPhone and iPad, and photos and projects are processed and stored on the device without an account.
The free plan allows up to two saved paintings and tutorials of up to four steps. PaintSteps Pro expands that to unlimited paintings and up to eight steps, and adds custom paints and palettes, editable mixing recipes, and PDF tutorial and PNG step exports. The official site has no separate pricing page; the US App Store listing shows a one-time Pro purchase at $4.99. That makes the free tier suitable for trying a limited number of studies, while Pro fits artists who want more projects, longer plans, or exportable instructions.
Its strongest fit is focused: plan a painting from a photo, then follow color and grid guidance as the work develops. On-device processing and local storage may suit artists who prefer not to create an account. PaintSteps is less appropriate for someone seeking a broad freehand drawing workspace or a tool centered on digital illustration. Choose it if photo-based study planning and paint-mixing prompts match your process; look elsewhere if open-ended drawing is the main goal.
PaintSteps pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Turns reference photos into progressive color-study steps
- Includes an adjustable grid, palettes and paint-mixing guidance
- Pro adds editable recipes and PDF or PNG exports
- Where it doesn't
- Free saves only two paintings
- Free tutorials are limited to four steps
- Designed for painting studies, not freeform drawing
PaintSteps fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update