pronounced "Kōsha”
I’m an artist and creative entrepreneur living in the Netherlands. I love drawing and I do it every day. On this website, I hope to inspire you to develop a drawing practice too, because it can make you feel good.
Photo by Rick Keus
In this Draw Tip Tuesday, Koosje Koene shares a fun way to draw tricky subjects by focusing on negative space. Using a bike as an example, she sketches the shapes around it instead of the bike itself. With watercolor and pencil, the drawing comes to life. A great technique to improve accuracy and gain confidence in your sketchbook.
In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I share why I decided to let go of an unfinished accordion sketchbook project. What began as a cozy winter plan no longer fit her evolving drawing style. Creative projects can shift over time, and letting go can actually make space for new ideas.
Sketching helps you slow down, notice small details, and feel more present. A sketchbook makes you see patterns, colors, and quiet moments you’d otherwise miss. Even a quick train drawing can shift your mood and bring unexpected joy. One line at a time.
Learn how to start a drawing with confidence by using simple subjects like your feet to frame a scene. In this Draw Tip Tuesday video, Koosje Koene shares her step-by-step process for building a sketch from foreground to background. You'll get practical tips on composition, observation, and creating depth using a fountain pen, water soluble ink, and a waterbrush. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their sketchbook practice.
Join Koosje Koene in this Draw Tip Tuesday as she flips through her A4 Hahnemühle sketchbook, filled during a travel workshop in Italy. See how she captures markets, cafes, and street scenes using fountain pens, colored pencils, watercolor, and collage. Learn about editing on the page, simplifying scenes, and keeping your sketchbook playful and personal. Watch the full video for sketchbook inspiration and drawing tips.
Struggling to start a new sketchbook? In this video, learn a simple and fun way to break the ice by drawing your own hands. I share how this small ritual helps ease the pressure of the blank page and quiets the inner critic. Whether you're just beginning or have filled dozens of sketchbooks, this tip will help you draw with more confidence and joy. Plus, there's a creative assignment to try right away. Watch now and get inspired to start your next page without fear.
Feeling uninspired? In this video, get sketchbook tips for loosening up your drawing style using tempera sticks and colored pencils. Learn how to play with color, let go of perfection, and bring more fun and freedom into your art practice.
In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I sketch my coffee twice in under 10 minutes using two different approaches: first with line, then with color. It’s a fun, fast way to loosen up and enjoy your sketchbook practice. Perfect for daily drawing and creative exploration.
Join me in Orvieto, Italy, for a coffee and sketch date in this Draw Tip Tuesday episode! I sketch at Piazza del Popolo, using ink, watercolor, and colored pencil. I'm capturing buildings, people, and dramatic skies. I share tips on using negative space, adding color for light and shadow, and working quickly when sketching on location. This spontaneous drawing session shows how fun and doable urban sketching can be. Want to sketch together? I’m teaching a workshop in Spain!
Traveling with others can make it tricky to find sketchbook time, but even five minutes a day can turn moments into lasting memories. In this post, I share tips for drawing while on the go, how to communicate your creative needs, and a free downloadable guide for Patreon members. Sketching isn’t extra, it’s part of how you travel.
Join me for a flip-through of my latest A4 sketchbook, filled with daily drawings from Lisbon to Orvieto. From coffee breaks and travel sketches to quick portraits and color palettes, I share tips, fun stories, and creative moments from my sketchbook practice. Whether you're drawing at home or on the go, this video is full of inspiration to keep you motivated. Plus, I share pro tips, behind-the-scenes travel moments, and a look at how I use my sketchbook to stay creative every day. Perfect for urban sketchers and daily drawing fans!
Join me for a double sketchbook tour from two creative workshop weeks in Lisbon. See how I filled two accordion sketchbooks with maps, bold brush marks, café scenes, and colorful experiments. From market sketches to a citywide power outage, every page tells a story. I share tips, prompts, and a pro tip to help you build a daily drawing habit.
Thinking of joining a travel workshop? Now’s the time: Spain and Paris are coming up. Don’t wait for “someday”!
Join me for a sketchbook tour filled with travel sketches, playful experiments, and everyday moments. From Oslo to Lisbon and beyond. I share how I make time to draw while traveling, how I got out of a creative rut, and how trying new materials keeps things fresh. You’ll see ink, watercolor, gouache, and more, plus get a fun assignment to try in your own sketchbook. If you're looking for drawing inspiration and sketchbook ideas, this video’s for you!
Traveling this summer? Pack smart for sketching on the go. Learn which sketchbooks, pens, and inks are best for location drawing, plus get tips for flying with art supplies. Keep your sketch kit lightweight without leaving behind your favorite tools.
Join me for a relaxing sketching session in Lisbon, where I draw one of the city’s charming pink kiosks at Príncipe Real Park. Filmed during a day off between teaching two urban sketching workshops, this Draw Tip Tuesday video shows how I build up a scene using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil - embracing imperfections along the way. Watch the process unfold, and get inspired to fill your own travel sketchbook. Next workshop coming up: Paris Sketchbook! Join me!
We all think people are watching us when we’re drawing in public, urban sketching, and that they must have all kinds of thoughts about what we’re doing (usually negative ones, in our heads). But in reality, people are way too busy thinking about themselves, and what others might be thinking of them!
Urban sketching rarely happens under perfect conditions—and that’s exactly what makes it interesting. In this urban sketching tutorial, I draw a coffee truck on location in Lisbon. Rain starts to fall, ink smears, and I keep going anyway. Watch how I build the sketch step by step, embrace the imperfections, and let real life shape the page. This is what on-location sketching is all about.
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! In this urban sketching video, I recreate a favorite sketchbook drawing from my Gran Canaria trip. I start with the main figure and build the scene around him, using gouache, a chisel-tip pen, colored pencils, and crayon to add bold color and texture. I share tips on drawing people, mixing colors, and capturing a scene on location.
Watercolor vs Gouache! I paint the same subject twice using two different primary color palettes: one in watercolor, one in gouache. It’s a fun exploration of color, opacity, and how each paint behaves on the page. You’ll see how the materials respond differently, how colors mix, and how layering works in each medium. Want to try it too? There’s a creative sketchbook assignment at the end to help you explore and play with your own paints.
