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
All in Drawing Tips
In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I take on one of my weak spots: drawing animals. Follow along as I practice cats using a simple negative space technique that focuses on the shapes around the subject. I share my practice pages, from the cringe-worthy to the ones I like, and show how to keep a drawing fresh by knowing when to stop. Even if animals are not your usual subject, this method works for anything you want to draw and can help you loosen up, improve accuracy, and enjoy the process.
In this Draw Tip Tuesday, Koosje Koene flips through her A6 Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook, packed with quick sketches, black and white play, and moments from daily life and travels. From markets to train rides and coffee dates, she shares what working small, embracing limitations, and going with the flow taught her, plus ideas to make your own sketchbook practice more fun and relaxed.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
A peek into my B5 sketchbook, filled with travel moments, mixed media play, and honest pages from daily life. From gouache experiments to drawing through a creative funk: this sketchbook is all about staying playful and drawing anyway.
Learn how to draw a quick and vibrant vignette using watercolor, crayons, and colored pencils. This easy sketching technique helps you capture a moment without filling a full sketchbook page. Perfect for beginners and urban sketchers alike!
Think you're too busy to draw? In this video, I share urban sketching tips and show how I use short pockets of time, like train rides, to fill my sketchbook. Learn how to stay creative on the go, and try the fun sketching assignment at the end!
Want to make your urban sketches more vibrant without coloring everything in? In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I show you how using less color can actually make your drawings stronger. It's all about making conscious choices: what to highlight, what to leave out, and how that tells a clearer story. I sketch two musicians in Spain and share tips on simplifying a scene, creating focus with color, and letting go of perfection. Plus, I share a little teaser about my upcoming Costa Brava workshop with The Blue Walk this September. Tune in for sketchbook inspiration!
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
Learn how to draw realistic light and shadow using a ballpoint pen. I'll show you how to capture highlights, midtones, shadows, and depth. Plus, try a fun drawing assignment at home!
Struggling with a blank sketchbook page? Learn how to fill your sketchbook without overthinking by drawing the same object repeatedly! This simple and fun exercise helps you loosen up, build confidence, and enjoy the creative process. Watch my latest Draw Tip Tuesday video to see the full process and try it yourself!
