How To Capture The Moment In Just 10 Minutes

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!

This week, I’m taking you with me on a little sketching adventure in Naxos, Greece.
I was there to teach a 12-day workshop, and in between classes, I found a quiet spot to sit down and capture the scene around me. Even though I didn’t bring a tripod, I made do with my backpack and recorded the process for you!

In this video, I start by mixing blue and brown watercolors to create gray. It’s such a versatile technique, and you can adjust the warmth or coolness by adding more blue or brown. Then, I focus on big shapes, adding blobs of color, like the pathway, bright blue skies, windows, and the greens of the plants. I keep my palette limited to reflect the simple colors in the scene.

After blocking in those basic shapes with watercolor, I grab my Derwent Inktense pencil to add some scribbly details and texture. These pencils are water-soluble, so I can draw directly onto the still-wet paint. You’ll see how I keep things loose and playful; holding my pencil at the end for less control and a more organic line.

I’m not looking for accuracy here, but an interpretation of what I see. I make marks to suggest the shapes of tiles, plants, and architecture, adding texture to the walls and the street without worrying too much about perfection. This whole process took just 10 minutes, showing that you don’t need a lot of time to make art, even while traveling.

Often, we think we need hours to create, but sometimes all it takes is a few minutes and a playful mindset. This drawing is a wonderful memory for me, and I hope it inspires you to capture moments like this on your own travels, or at home.
Don’t forget to embrace the wonkiness, it's all part of the fun!

Materials I used for the drawing:
- Daniel Smith Watercolors
-Pentel Aquash Waterbrushpen
-Derwent Inktense colored pencil, black

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy this little sketching souvenir from Greece. Be sure to subscribe for more tips and inspiration, and I’ll see you next week.

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Copyrights Koosje Koene

[rayvirgoe]

Thank you, Koosje. Always a gift to us. 😊😊

[kavithaekambaram]

I started watching your videos 2 years ago when I couldn't draw anything! Your videos mean so much to me. Your advice to 'just draw what you see and embrace the wonkiness' gave me the confidence to draw. You are a wonderful teacher!

[jgtutors]

Such a charming drawing and captures that lovely whitewashed light of Greece. You can practically feel the sea breeze.

[paulawithers]

Perfect timing to inspire quick drawings on my next adventure - heading off on Monday. Thanks so much for sharing!

[aprilatwood]

Love this real-time drawing demo!! Inspiring and instructive to see how and what you captured, and I appreciate hearing your thinking out loud along the way. It makes me want to spend time outdoors today, sketching, even if it is just in my neighborhood. 😊

[maryhigginson]

Lovely - thank you for the real time share.

[lulabelle]

So little says do much!!! Amazing skills at capturing the scene

[clairem.caterer]

So lovely and loose and quick! I tend to get bogged down in the details, but when I’m able to loosen up, I like the result so much better. Thank you for demonstrating this!

[albertine]

I love the fact that your drawings and paintings hold feeling and heart. They are not just a reproduction of the scene (when I see paintings like that, I think, well, just take a photo!) Koosje, you created another tiny masterpiece ❤

[michalnanny]

That was cool. A good demonstration of a quick 10-minute sketch. I would have obsessed over the path which was not painted correctly, but at the end, it looked like part of it was shaded, so it totally worked. So nice to see that you don't obsesses over the details, and trust the process.

[JillOsgerby]

I love the effect you have achieved! Looks really interesting as an image. Thank you.

[annipetratos]

Bless you my dear
I rarely get out of my tiny village, but a friend came to stay and using your techniques, inspiration and encouragement... A brown biro, a watercolour set and some sea water, I painted a boat in the harbour and an elderly man readying his fish hooks...two scenes... whilst my friend braved the cooling Ionian sea.
Here in your picture, you have captured that brilliant summer sunshine and deep welcome shade in a way that is the reality of greek summer, even though it wasn't so noticeable in the photo. And adding the little guy at the end was a perfect finish.
Thankyou for he beautiful souvenir. I will try this technique too...outside as you did xx

[susannenemet]

I am always amazed at how easy you make things look. I love your style. I need to loosen up more!

[pelham_]

A beautiful, expressive interpretation. Thanks for the art Koosje :)

[lilybay]

Learned that I need not outline windows! That was exciting

[elenapimenova]

Круто! Очень нравится ваша быстрая зарисовка "от пятна"! ❤
Получилось оригинально и узнаваемо, несмотря на упрощения 😊

[suzannemarshall]

Wonderful sketch and colors Thank you

[janetwilliams]

What a beautiful and inspiring sketch you have made! Now I want to try using a Derwent pencil with simplified watercolors. Thank you, Koosje.

[momma]

it was so refreshing to see you drawing something new. i enjoyed the series of drawing the same subject it taught me a lot but it’s amazing to watch how much detail you got in 10 minutes. looks like a lovely holiday ❤

[jimorlowski]

Luv'ed the person added in the last moments - completed the story! Thank you.