All in Drawing Tips

Urban Sketching in Paris

Urban Sketching in Paris

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

Sketching a metro entrance on location and starting with loose color to beat the blank page. I share tips for drawing people, proportions, decision making, and drawing lettering by observing shapes. A look at playful urban sketching and letting the sketchbook surprise you.

How I Fill My Travel Sketchbooks

How I Fill My Travel Sketchbooks

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

Sketchbook Tour from my Spain trip with The Blue Walk. I flip through my A4 Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook filled with Barcelona and Costa Brava drawings, playful techniques, people sketches and travel memories. Inspiration to draw more wherever you are.

How I Choose My Palette

How I Choose My Palette

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

In this Draw Tip Tuesday I show the colors I use most (watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, gouache) and why you do not need to buy the same colors.
I explain 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.

Urban Sketching with Just 3 Colors

Urban Sketching with Just 3 Colors

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

In today's Draw Tip Tuesday I take you sketching on location with just a few simple tools. Limiting materials helps keep your drawing playful, loose, and alive. I start with messy marks in color, layer shapes, and then add pen lines to bring clarity and energy. Along the way I share pro tips for drawing in public, for staying mindful of your stuff, and for trusting your inner artist. It is not about perfection but about capturing the moment in your own way. Materials: Strathmore Mixed Media sketchbook, Neocolor crayons, fountain pen, water brush.

Quick Café Sketch in 5 Minutes

Quick Café Sketch in 5 Minutes

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

In this Draw Tip Tuesday I show you how I sketch people quickly and loosely using a water-soluble pencil and a simple waterbrush. You can capture the energy of a barista with confident lines, light washes, and simplified shapes. This is about drawing with ease, focusing on movement and light instead of details, and embracing the wonkiness.

Just a few quick marks are enough to tell the story and bring your sketchbook pages to life.

4 Self Portraits in 10 Minutes

4 Self Portraits in 10 Minutes

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

In this Draw Tip Tuesday video, I share a quick and fun self portrait exercise you can do in under 10 minutes. Using a mirror and a timer, I draw my face 4 times, each with fewer lines than the last. This simple practice helps you focus on what really matters in a drawing, sharpen your observation skills, and discover how much you can simplify while still showing expression and resemblance. I also talk about why self portraits are a great subject for building your drawing habit.

How to See Like an Artist

How to See Like an Artist

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I explore how to use negative shapes in urban sketching to make a scene come to life. Starting with the space around a building, I block in trees and foliage first, letting the building appear by what I do not draw. I share tips on mark making, layering, and using selective color to create depth and contrast. This approach trains your eyes to see differently and adds a fresh twist to your sketches, whether you work from a photo or on location.

Draw Anything With Negative Space

Draw Anything With Negative Space

Koosje Koene
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.

A Small Sketchbook Full of Big Ideas

A Small Sketchbook Full of Big Ideas

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

How I Drew This Bike Without Drawing It

How I Drew This Bike Without Drawing It

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

I Didn’t Finish This Sketchbook

I Didn’t Finish This Sketchbook

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

How to Start a Drawing with Confidence

How to Start a Drawing with Confidence

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

Sketchbook Flipthrough from Italy

Sketchbook Flipthrough from Italy

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

Two Sketches in 10 Minutes

Two Sketches in 10 Minutes

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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.

How I Sketched This Italian Scene

How I Sketched This Italian Scene

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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!

How I Filled This A4 Sketchbook

How I Filled This A4 Sketchbook

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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!

Filled in Just One Week!

Filled in Just One Week!

Koosje Koene
Drawing Tips

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”!

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