A watercolor sketch of the Muiderslot castle, in The Netherlands. First time out and about this year. Had fun! I forgot to bring watercolor paper

The finished sketch held next to the actual huge castle.

A bit too cold, the paint took forever to dry. This #castle is more complicated than I remembered. Drawing sharpens your eyes.
#usknl #uskamsterdam #watercolor #urbansketching #lamysafari #muiden #muiderslot #winsorandnewtonwatercolor

Pencil and ink drawing of a typical Amsterdam cafe

Detail of that drawing, the part I’m most satisfied with, the rows of bottles behind the bar

Photo of the sketched scene

My first time sketching in a bar. Thought about adding color, obviously I chose not to. #usknl #urbansketchers #uskamsterdam #drinkanddraw
#lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook
#amsterdam #amsterdamcentrum #urbansketchers #fabercastellpencils #ArtYear

Portrait of golden brown chicken

Quick drawing in graphite of another chicken

We have three #chickens, and I drew some portraits of them. #usknl #urbansketchers #uskamsterdam #drawingnature #lamysafari #amsterdamnoord #watercolor #ArtYear #graphite #chickensofbluesky

Sketch in ink and watercolor of a small ticket office in the center of Amsterdam.

Photo of the sketched building, including a sightseeing boat in the foreground

In my humble opinion, this is the most elegant ticket office in the world. They sell rides on a sightseeing boat through the canals of #amsterdam. #usknl #urbansketchers #uskamsterdam #rondvaart #rokin
#lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook
#amsterdamcentrum #watercolor #watercolor #ArtYear

Watercolor painting of a tall modern building that’s leaning over water, as if a corner has been cut away

Same sketch, only line drawing.

A preliminary sketch

Photo of the scene where I sat sketching

With this drawing I struggled. Let it sit, came back to it. Now I’m satisfied to let it be. Also, this won’t be the last time I will draw this building, it’s beautiful.
#usknl #uskamsterdam #watercolor #urbansketching #lamysafari #ijburg #amsterdam #sluishuis @koosjekoene.bsky.social

My hand holds up a sketchbook to show a quick pencil drawing of a blue heron.

Same sketch book, out of focus. In the background the heron, standing in a garden. Next to him a plastic bowl with water.

A wounded bleu heron seeks refuge in our backyard. Poor beautiful creature. My son named him Herold. An animal shelter will pick him up shortly. #drawntoremember #usknl #urbansketchers #uskamsterdam
#drawingnature #graphite #blueheron

Backyard sketch, in which I focused on practicing my hatching skills. In the background a solid wooden fence, in front shrubbery and a very low brick wall, bordering the lawn

I like to study other artists, and this week I enjoyed looking closely at the work of drawing wizard @paulheaston.bsky.social. This is one of the sketches, channeling his impressive hatching skills.
#usknl #uskamsterdam #urbansketcher #watercolor #urbansketching #lamysafari #amsterdamnoord

A young blackcap flew against our window.
#usknl #uskamsterdam #urbansketcher #watercolor #ArtYear #mixedmedia #urbansketching #sketchingnature

Sketch of #Muurhuizen in #Amersfoort, in watercolor and fountain pen ink drawing.

Photo of sketched scene, on the left a window in a white plastered wall, to the right a high old red brick wall that surrounds a garden.

Photo of my sketchbook in front of the house

My first time at a sketching event, and I went immediately for the biggest: #NationalSketchDay. I liked it! Many conversations with lovely people. This is the sketch I am most satisfied with. #amersfoort #usknl #uskamersfoort #lamysafari #watercolor #ArtYear #artistmeetup #urbansketching

The huge letters spell ‘BOTEL’, it’s a hotel on a boat. And letters are actual hotel rooms! And the bird is one of my favorites, a ‘visdiefje’ (common tern). #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #ndsm #urbansketchers #lamysafari #watercolor #hahnemühlesketchbook #urbansketching #botel

Watercolor painting of a river view in Amsterdam. The building on the right is the #ICL a factory that produces a lot of unhealthy air and stench

Photo of the painted scene

Maybe I should buy a leporello sketchbook 😅. My solution of fitting a wide horizon in a small sketchbook. #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #watercolor #keerkringpark #hetij #riverview #bigship #urbansketching #lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook

Watercolor painting of a yellow dotterbloem (I don’t know how it’s called in English), amidst dead twigs and leaves.

The drawing in progress, with the model in the background

Spring is my favorite season, by far. Saw this lovely #dotterbloem, growing out of the rubble last year left behind. #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #watercolor #buiksloterbreekpark #drawingnature #springtime #noordoogstamsterdam #urbansketchers #lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook

Watercolor sketch of a merry go round

I was at this lovely farmers market, where this lovely small merry go round stood. Unfortunately for the kids, it didn’t turn while I was there. #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #watercolor #urbansketching #noordoogstamsterdam #urbansketchers #lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook

Watercolor painting of the river Amstel, in the city center of Amsterdam. There is a green fence on the waterfront, a house boat on the right, and a bridge and houses in the background

Earlier stage of the work, only line drawing

Photo of the painted scene

As a #watercolor painting, is it possible to be more Amsterdam than this? #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amstel #woonboot #groenburgwal #amsterdamcentrum #urbansketchers #lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook #urbansketching

#watercolor painting, water in the foreground, big electrify masts leading your eye to the sky line of Amsterdam

Photo of the sketched landscape

And I’m back in nature. Or better: on the very edge of town, where it’s silent. And I realized, through the busy spring sounds of geese and ducks, that what I call silence, really is the absence of human noise. #urbansketching #uskamsterdam #usknl #watercolor #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #durgerdam

Watercolor sketch of a golden brown pig. Made on the outskirts of #amsterdamnoord.

A photo of the pigs, there are seven in the frame, very curious. ‘What are you doing?’

I’ve drawn a 🐖! Is this #ruralsketching? Also, used my new watercolor pencils, like it! #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #amsterdamnoord #watercolor #newareaunlocked #noordoogstamsterdam #urbansketchers #lamysafari #hahnemühlesketchbook

Urban ink and watercolor sketch of the busy traffic along the IJ river in Amsterdam.

A reference photo of the scene taken while sketching,

My #urbansketching is getting more urban. #usknl #uskamsterdam #amsterdam #watercolor #hetij #gvb #urbansketchers #lamysafari #rohrer&klingnerink #hahnemühlesketchbook

Watercolor painting of an highway viaduct

Photo of the painted scene

My wife is surprised by the not-beautiful-places I choose to sketch. This one I chose for its complexity. It’s more about learning to draw than remembering. #usknl #urbansketchers #watercolor #uskamsterdam #amsterdamnoord @urbansketchers.bsky.social

The Never Ending Workshop FREE online sketching workshop that never ends

These are my free online #urbansketching lessons. You might want to have a look whether it is something for you.
workshops.thesketch.co/p/never-endi...

#urbansketchers #usknl #workshops #artlessons #art #watercolor

Drawing of an open in an Amsterdam canal

Postcards from #Amsterdam Amstel N.03, 2023-04

#urbansketchers #uskamsterdam #usknl