All tagged urban sketching

How To Capture The Moment In Just 10 Minutes

Join me in Greece for a quick 10-minute travel sketch in this week’s *Draw Tip Tuesday* video! I found a peaceful spot in Naxos and captured the scene with a limited watercolor palette and a Derwent Inktense pencil. Discover how to simplify shapes, mix versatile grays, and embrace the wonkiness of loose, playful sketching. Perfect for anyone looking to sketch on the go!

Make Your Drawing Pop!

Finding inspiration in the park today! Join me as I sketch these stunning water lilies against the dark, reflective water. The contrast between the bright green petals and the deep water is just mesmerizing! Sometimes, simplicity and contrast can make your artwork truly stand out.

The Caffeinated Sketchbook

Today I am sharing a fun drawing technique inspired by coffee! In this video, learn how to use coffee stains to spark creativity and add depth to your sketches. I’ll demonstrate easy methods for creating art with just a cup or even a sip of coffee. Plus, get details on our upcoming Lisbon workshop, where you can join me and Cynthia Morris for a transformative, creativity-boosting experience. Perfect for artists and coffee lovers alike!

Editing: Yes, You're Allowed To Do That!

There’s this misconception that when you draw from observation, you should draw exactly what you see. But wait! What I see or observe, will be something completely different than what you see, or anyone else. Yet, we set these “rules” for ourselves that make us tense up. We want to “get it right”.
Why though? It’s a drawing! Not a prefect representation of the building, subject or view. So here’s a gentle reminder that drawing is really just about being creative and playful while having fun.

Urban Sketching | Color First, Then Line

Today we're heading out on location to draw in the beautiful city of Amersfoort, where I live. 
We'll find a cozy spot, enjoy some great coffee, and do a fun, quick sketch. 

This video shows a step by-step approach of my drawing process, taken with photos every two minutes so you can follow along. I'll be using watercolors, a water brush, and my trusty Sailor Fude nib fountain pen. 
Starting with colorful blobs for shapes, I'll build up the sketch, adding people, details, and using a white crayon for finishing touches. It's all about having fun and embracing the wonkiness. 

Drawing on Grey Toned Paper

Today I am drawing in my Hahnemühle grey toned sketchbook.
Stepping out of my comfort zone, I share how important it is to embrace new experiences to grow creatively.
Remember, it's just a drawing—so even if things don't go as planned, like you will see during the recorded process, there's no harm done. It might actually add to the liveliness of your drawing.

Travel Sketchbook Tour (2 of 2)

Today I'm showing you another sketchbook that I filled on vacation in December.

You'll see that I have been playing a lot with limited palettes. Sometimes just two colors is more than enough to capture the essence of a moment or a place. You don't need to be that literal.

Hopefully by watching this tour, you'll get some ideas about how to fill your travel sketchbook pages when you're on a trip.

How to draw shimmering lights on water

Did you know that you can use non-soluble wax crayons for glistening water? Apply a bit of texture with crayon first, and then add watercolor on top.
The wax will resist the watercolor and it’ll create a wonderful effect of highlights.

Get Inspired by Nature

My small-group art retreat “Drawing In The Wild” takes place in Germany, May 27-30, when fresh leaves are growing and things start blooming again. It still feels a long time away, but in case you're interested: start planning now. Just yesterday, I received a call from Robin, our host, that three of the most popular tickets opened up!

Travel Sketchbook Tour (1 of 2)

In today's video, I'm sharing memories from my December vacation through sketches in my travel sketchbook. It's a Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook, size A6. It's compact and perfect for on-the-go creativity and urban sketching, but I also learned some valuable lessons about size limitations.

Combining Collage and Urban Sketching

Dive into the creative fusion of urban sketching and collage in today's video!

Last week, I prepped a double-page with a composition of collage pieces. I went to the park and drew my view there on top of the collage.

Trusting the process is key, but remember, it's all about being playful and having fun!

Summer in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a bucket-list destination. I’ve never been to Scotland and I can’t wait to sketch in the streets of picturesque Edinburgh, and to explore historic sites and castles. The best part is that I get to do it with a bunch of inspiring artists who are eager to learn! Will you join me?

Adding that extra touch

I am back at it with my Urban Sketching vibes from last week! I felt like my artwork needed a little extra flair, so I grabbed my colored pencils, which I love using on top of dried watercolor washes.

Much fun with markmaking and textures, to deepen the color and give more life to the drawing.

I'll also talk about letting go of "accuracy" , which means more room for "you" in your art.

Artistic Journeys: Sketchbook Tour

Join me as I flip through my sketchbook filled with stories from my recent travels as well as back home. From the Swiss Alps to the vibrant streets of Lisbon, each drawing has a unique story and memory. Today I'll share the inspiration behind the drawings, things I learned, and approaches I took.

Drawing Greens - and Bingo!

In today's video, I'm showing you the many ways of capturing greens in your sketchbook. How do you capture greens in your sketchbook? Maybe you don't even need to use the color green. What?!
Grab your opportunity to draw greens today and cross of the first prompt for Drawing Bingo!