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
Koosje Koene shows the colors she uses most (watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, gouache) and why you do not need to buy the same colors.
Learn how you decide on YOUR colors, how a simple limited palette can boost creativity and why keeping your sketch kit light helps you draw more.
Your sketchbook might just be the best souvenir you ever bring home. Learn why travel sketching beats photos, how to make it work with non-sketching travel companions, and why you don't need hours to fit it in. Plus: Drawing doesn't need to be something you fit in around the trip. It can BE the trip!
Traveling and feel like there's no time to draw? There always is! In this video I sketch my Paris view in just 15 minutes, sharing tips on how to fit sketching into any trip. Your sketchbook is the best travel companion.
Drawing and Urban sketching while traveling is one of the best ways to truly capture a place, way more than any photograph ever could.
Sketchbook flip-through time! This Hahnemühle Nostalgie A6 started as a backup in Spain, filled up with everyday life in the Netherlands, and made it all the way to Paris. Watch along as I experiment with color and come back to my go-to tools. No rules, just drawing and keeping it regular.
A sketchbook tour through an Etchr hot press watercolor sketchbook that was not quite the right fit, but still holds some favorite drawings. Filled partly during a color workshop in Spain, this one is all about working around limitations and discovering new materials along the way.
Learn how color choices can completely shift the focus and mood of your drawing. In this video, I draw a still life in two planes and add color to only one area. The result? A different story, same scene. Includes a fun 15-minute drawing assignment you can try right away.
Learn to sketch a simple still life with pen and watercolor in one sitting. I picked fruit straight from the fruit bowl and turned it into a lively drawing with real depth. 9 practical tips along the way, plus a drawing assignment to try yourself. No big setup needed, just draw what's in front of you.
A full tour of my Hahnemühle Watercolor sketchbook (A6, 200gsm). Not every page is a winner and I'm showing you all of them anyway. Everyday sketches, a two-color cafe experiment, a few challenges, and pages from my monthly live online drawing workshop. The sketchbook practice with all its highs and lows.
Stressed & overwhelmed? Reconnect with creativity in 5 mins! Try blind continuous line drawing. No skills needed. Reset your mind, embrace imperfection, and draw your way to calm.
Learn how to loosen up your sketching by painting color first and adding minimal line on top. This Draw Tip Tuesday shows you how a simple watercolor blob becomes a fun, expressive drawing with just a few strokes. Includes a creative assignment to try it yourself!
It's our inner critics who encourage our inner artists to focus on the outcome, rather than the process of getting where we want to go.
You might catch yourself every so often thinking about your art, rather than actually spending time in your sketchbook. Maybe you are worried about the outcome. Instead of focusing on the end result, learn to focus on how you want to feel along the way.
A visual storytelling project inspired by an 8-week course with Rita Sabler. I sketched the central train station in Amersfoort, found my story at the kiosk, and navigated the creative process in real time. Proof that creativity is not linear and drawing on location leads to unexpected places!
Location sketching, in a café: ochre watercolor shapes, loose fountain-pen lines, and soft black pencil textures. The page gets overworked and the inner critic shows up, but the focus stays on mindfulness, play, and connection as strangers notice the sketch.
Five easy tips to grow your sketchbook practice: limit your palette, always carry your sketchbook, and stack drawing with daily habits. Plus a free Sketchbook Revival challenge in April, a great book for inspiration, and two open spots in upcoming workshop retreats in Germany and Italy. Sketch more, stress less!
Another sketchbook filled! In this Draw Tip Tuesday sketchbook tour I flip through memories big and small: cafe sketches, a trip to Belgium with my dad, Zoom sessions with friends, and homework from Rita Sabler's visual storytelling course. Plus material play with soluble crayons, coffee stains, and more.
Join a live online drawing workshop on Zoom! On May 7, we'll spend 90 minutes sketching, creating, and inspiring each other. I'll guide you with a fun theme and assignment, ending with an optional show & tell. No special supplies needed. Can't join live? The recording's got you covered!
You can turn a simple lunch break into a quick, creative art session. I draw my sandwich before taking a bite, and then keep eating and sketching. Making one quick drawing of the sandwich with every bite.
Doing a drawing like this is a perfect example how to stack habits: combining drawing with everyday moments. That makes it easier to keep a regular sketching practice. See this as a low-pressure way to practice observation, line variation, and composition while you enjoy your food!
Paris Sketchbook is a week-long workshop where you'll fill an entire sketchbook while exploring one of the world's most beautiful cities. You'll learn from three teachers, combining words and images to capture your experience in your own unique style. It's fun, it's deep, and Paris in autumn is just the best!
If you’re ready for something to get you’re creativity going, you’ll love the Sketchbook Revival Challenge!
11 Days filled with 30+ hands-on creativity sessions. This can shift your energy and will get your creativity flowing in new directions.
You’ll be guided by a wonderful group of more than 30 practicing artists, sharing some of their favorite ways to explore their creativity in a sketchbook.
Do you ever catch yourself thinking: there’s noting to draw? Or maybe you have convinced yourself that you’re bad at drawing a certain subject - and then avoid it? These tips will be helpful!
