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 tagged urban sketching
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 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!
Let's visit a Parisian street corner using Google Street View.
Today I tackle drawing buildings, people passing by, mixing grey tones, and using some bright color accents. I'll also give you an assignment for a virtual urban sketch in your own sketchbook.
If you’re curious about trying a different sketchbook format, or experimenting with limited tools, you'll enjoy this sketchbook tour. And I hope you'll try something new too!
Let's flip through the pages I filled: urban sketches of a snowy city, experiments with negative space and foreshortening. Quick café drawings, experiments with water‑soluble ink, brush pen and watercolors. Plus the wonderfully messy process behind some favorite spreads.
Sketchbook flip through filled in October and November 2025, showing the seasonal shift from outdoor to indoor drawing. I share pages with washes, negative space, limited tools, café sketches, people, nature, and everyday moments, plus practical sketchbook tips and inspiration to keep your drawing practice going.
I filmed a beach drawing session in Thailand where I sketched the view with a brush pen, added quick figures and palm trees, then used wax crayons, watercolor, and colored pencils for texture and depth. A relaxed urban sketching moment and a free peek of my Patreon style content.
Take a look inside my Hahnemühle watercolor sketchbook. I share how the textured paper influenced my drawing process and how I filled most of this book while teaching in Paris. You will see experiments, fun memories with friends, and urban sketches.
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.
Drawing in nature can boost your mood, calm your mind, and bring joy back into your sketchbook practice. In this post I share how I find peace and creativity outdoors, and how you can try it too. Plus info on my upcoming small group nature sketching workshop in the Eifel in June 2026.
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.
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.
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.
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.
