iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Shadow is what can make your drawing feel real. Today, I sketch some potted plants, then build shadow first with a simple gray wash before adding any color. It changes everything about how the piece comes together. Watch here: youtu.be/Ollg_fyWlQc

youtu.be

Why Shadow Should Never Be an Afterthought

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Busy urban scenes got you stuck before you even start sketching? In my new video I'm sketching the garden of the Royal Palace in Paris and sharing how I deal with the overwhelm. Curious how? Watch here: youtu.be/PR5_Wnz3qIA

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How I Sketch Overwhelming Scenes (Step by Step)

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Paris again. I know, I know. If there’s way too much detail to take when urban sketching: draw the negative space around the building rather than the building itself. Also: dealing with rain, and allowing the drizzle to become part of the page. youtu.be/to1-lJ3w3JA

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How to Use Negative Space in Urban Sketching

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

New sketchbook tour! From Paris to home in the Netherlands to a week in Germany. Experiments, happy accidents, and one page that might be my favorite yet. youtu.be/SQuk4u99u_w

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A Sketchbook From Paris to Germany

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Today I’m 5 years on Patreon! To celebrate, I’m sharing a video on how to capture foliage without overworking. Fun fact: this was inspired by a discussion in our Discord community on urban sketching and nature drawing. Yay! Here’s to 5 years and many to come. www.patreon.com/koosjekoene/...

patreon.com

5 Years on Patreon | Tree & Foliage Tutorial for All Members | Koosje Koene

5 Years on Patreon | Tree & Foliage Tutorial for All Members by Koosje Koene on Patreon. Join Koosje Koene's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! A 35-min train ride, a pen, some watercolors, no plan. A full spread later and a lovely chat with a stranger. Limiting your time and tools can do wonders for your sketching! youtu.be/rcTfSdHf0qQ

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Sketching Strangers on the Train

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! A Paris café, a blank page, no plan. I started with my drink and just kept drawing until the whole scene unfolded. Foreground to background, one line at a time. youtu.be/JarnIq7BZKE

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Latest Draw Tip Tuesday Video

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! Learn to draw accurate proportions and perspective using a single continuous line. Practice this and you'll get more fluid and alive drawings. Watch the demo on YouTube: youtu.be/rvFHBj7kNFY

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Latest Draw A Single Line Can Capture More Than You Think

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! You don’t need much time or many supplies to draw. 10 or 15 minutes is enough to make drawing part of daily life. A single pen, a bit of water, and a few clear choices can turn a simple subject into a loose, lively sketchbook page: youtu.be/xXzHDLc2MRM

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How to Make a Simple Drawing More Interesting

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Let’s keep spreading creativity, kindness, love and connection. 💛

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! Light and shadow can totally change a drawing. By moving one light source, shadows stretch, soften, and shift, adding depth and drama. I explore this today, with a simple object and limited tools. Watch the video here ⬇️ youtu.be/qW5PM9eOIys

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How Light and Shadow Change Your Drawing

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! How do you draw transparency? 🤔 I didn’t start with answers, just curiosity. By slowing down and really looking at glass, distortions, highlights and shadows, I explored how you can capture transparency through observation and experimentation: youtu.be/W3HjZ5ZKRA4

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How to Draw Transparency

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

New Draw Tip Tuesday, new sketchbook flip through. Pages from October and November showing the shift from outdoor sketching to drawing indoors. Everyday moments, washes, negative space, and loose experiments captured as a visual diary: youtu.be/Z-v7f497L-0

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Sketchbook Pages From Daily Life

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Tip: embrace the wonkiness and draw with your non dominant hand! It pulls you out of your comfort zone. With less control, you stop trying to make things “look right”. The awkwardness becomes playful, the inner critic quiets down. Lines turn looser and alive, and you have fun!

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! A beach drawing session in Thailand for today’s video! It was exclusive Patreon content, and now for free for you! Brush pen, wax crayon resist, watercolor, and colored pencils. A simple, fun page from a peaceful morning. Watch the full video: youtu.be/Hb3RMsg4IWE

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Sketching a Tropical Beach

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Lettering can bring instant life to your sketchbook. In this video I show how I mix drawing with bold titles, tiny notes and everyday lettering inspiration. Watch here: youtu.be/khqxvVW7f8w

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Hand Lettering Tips for Your Sketchbook Pages

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

I get asked about my watercolor colors all the time, so I made a Draw Tip Tuesday video showing my palette and how I keep things simple. You do not need my colors to make art. Watch the video on YouTube: youtu.be/h_46lI7wQkk

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How I Choose My Palette

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Under a blanket on the couch, engaging in the video conversation, I was drawing the phone on my lap and the blanket texture. Those tiny shadow dots were so meditative. Doodling and drawing like that keep you fully present in the moment.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

After lunch with dear friends, my sweet dessert was sketching with my dad, side by side on a bench. We played with colorful crayons, and giggled our way through our drawings. I forgot to take a photo of the drawing he did, but he did assist me when I was taking a photo of the final drawing.

Sketchbook spread with crayon drawing òf a square, tall buildings, and my dad with his hat on in the foreground

Me and my dad on a bench, sketchbooks in lap

Photo of my dad helping me hold up the sketchbook while I’m taking a photo for social media of it.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Negative space drawing trains your eye fast. By drawing the shapes around people instead of the people, new forms suddenly appear like magic. I loved for example how the curly bun appeared on the page while I drew these people. Try it in your sketchbook and see what shows up.

Sketchbook spread with yellow watercolor wash and crayon drawing on top, mostly orange. The drawings were made by filling the negative spaces, then a few details for the subjects.

Close up of sketchbook page with yellow watercolor wash and crayon drawing on top, mostly orange. The drawing was made by filling the negative spaces, then a few details for the subject.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Workshop travel is done and November hit with cold drizzle and headwind today. Days like this call for cafe drawing. My bright colorful crayons stayed in the bag and I chose juicy ink pens again. The Pilot Parallel pen’s varying line feels rich enough in black and white.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

This week, I’ve been lucky to see so many inspiring friends. We’re only halfway, and it’s already a great week! I studied faces while chatting with my friends online. I used reference photos from earthsworld.com . I love the variety of faces and characters there. Great resource for people-drawing

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

It’s amazing how colorful a page you can make, even when you limit your palette. I had a yellow/greenish watercolor wash on the page already. I started coloring around the shapes (negative spaces), with watersoluble crayons, and from there on kept going. Just three crayons.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Watering the plants in my studio (and drawing them) before going to Paris, where I will do-teach the workshop “Paris Sketchbook”

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Have you heard of habit stacking? It’s pairing something you do already with something you want to do more. I like stacking coffee + sketching. This morning I drew with a grey brushpen while having coffee with my husband and a friend visiting for the week. An idea for your #inktober project?

Drawing in grey ink and wash of people at the table, with cups, glasses and fruit bowl in foreground

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! Sketchbook tour of a sketchbook in black and white only, no color at all! Limiting my tools taught me so much about value, contrast, and texture. In today's sketchbook tour on YouTube, I share what I learned and why you might want to try it too. youtu.be/CYNmHw1CBQ4

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What I Learned Drawing Without Color

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Studio days with a friend means accountability + progress. She works on her project, I on mine. Coffee, tea, breaks, and before we know it, boxes are checked. I sketched this during breaks: lines first, details later, color in the last pause.

Sketchbook spread with drawing of woman sketching, surrounded by laptop, art supplies and books. Drawn with brushpen, painted with watercolors in a limited palette of blue and brown.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Happy to be home again. And to be reunited with the man who is always a willing subject to be sketched (even if he doesn’t know he’s being spied on while he’s deeply focused in a game) Also: a fresh, new sketchbook! Materials used: -Hahnemühle watercolor book, size A5 -Pentel pocket brush pen

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Funny how something so familiar can turn into a real challenge when you start drawing it. Great practice, and fun too. Soon I’ll trade this view for Spain, where I’ll be teaching another workshop! Take a workshop with me too! Check out koosjekoene.com/workshops

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Everyday things turn into patterns when you look again (and again)

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Great art exhibition in Museum Arnhem, coffee (in their fantastic sculpture garden), conversations, snacks and sketching with two dear friends. This sketchbook page is holding a precious memory of a special trip.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Today I had a coffee-and-sketchdate at a coffee shop with about 60 people! OK, it was on Zoom but it definitely felt like we all hung out and were about to order a pastry or cookie with our virtual cappuccinos! Join me in the next session: www.eventbrite.com/cc/online-wo...

Illustration of a pastry display at the counter òf a coffee shop, in ink and watercolor

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

September is #selfietember, the perfect excuse to practice self portraits. Drawing yourself is a fantastic way to improve observation skills, notice new details, and build confidence. It’s also fun to play with different views! It stretches your skills and keeps your sketchbook dynamic.

Three self portraits in the bathroom mirror, it includes clutter around the mirror, and also the drawing pad in hand is in view. Left drawing: wide view, middle drawing: medium frame, right drawing: close-up

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

Drawing in the late august sun, along with sketching friends, coffee and good conversation. Without knowing where or what I would be drawing later, I prepared the spread at home with Quinacridone gold watercolor wash, and outlined it with ink.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

I’m dog sitting this morning - great opportunity for cuddles and sketching!

Photo of sketchbook with drawings of a dog, in the background the dog is on the floor

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Lunch and sketch break Materials: -Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook, A4 -Sailor Fude fountain pen (55° nib) with Platinum Carbon Black ink -Faber-Castell watersoluble pencil, black #lifeisbetterwhenyoudrawit #everythingisinterestingwhenyoudrawit #drawingmeditation #sketchbook #urbansketch

Black and white drawing of people at a terrace under parasols

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Earlier this week, I spent an afternoon in Utrecht with my inspiring friend @ellenvesters (founder of @vensteracademy, new semester starting soon; you can still apply!). No plan but drawing. She suggested @theaterfestivaldeparade Great vibes, good talks, and sketching until it got too dark to see.

Sketchbook spread in brushpen and watercolor òf people at tables, trees in the background, and festival tents

Sketchbook spread in black line and grey wash of my friend Ellen drawing in the foreground, and people in the background. Text written in Dutch: I almost can’t see anything anymore.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! Drawing something tricky? Try focusing on the shapes around it. In this sketch I used negative space to draw a bicycle, and it totally changed the way I saw it. Materials: fineliner, watercolor, colored pencil. 👉 youtu.be/9oWot74Lrto

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How I Drew This Bike Without Drawing It

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Today’s color palette: green. I can’t believe how fast I am going through this sketchbook - just a few pages left and I still haven’t grabbed for my go-to watercolors. I better start getting back into it, otherwise I’ll be out of practice when teaching in Spain on the @_thebluewalk trip!

Drawing of people at a terrace and view into the street. Black ink, grey was, green accents. Text balloons with random things I overheard from the two men sitting behind me. It was like a theatre performance, those two.

Drawing of the View over a square, with a person with sunglasses in the foreground. A variety of materials is used, in all kinds of green.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

I went into town with just a few tools, so today’s page turned into a yellow/ochre study. And look at that… My coffee showed up in the same sunny yellow! Sketching in Amersfoort before heading to the museum with a friend felt extra golden.

Photo of sketchbook held up before a square. The square is drawn in the sketchbook in yellow monotones. A coffee cup in the foreground is also yellow.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Just a little virtual stroll at MontMartre in Paris, because I feel excited about the Paris Sketchbook workshop I will be teaching in October. You can still sign up: www.originalimpulse.com/paris-sketch...

Drawing of a view down the stairs at montmartre, Paris.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Seeing all the posts by people at the Urban Sketching Symposium gave me a little FOMO. A day in Rotterdam with my artsy friend Zeynep, with good talks, tasty food, and sketching together, cured me of it. What can you do this week to spark creative connections close to home?

Sketchbook spread showing a drawing in ink and a few colored bits done with markers, of my friend at the table on a terrace, and people in the background. Written text: lunch & sketch with Zeynep

Sketchbook spreads with four sketches of people on the train, done in ink and with pencil. Descriptive written text:
Staring out the window
Staring at the phone
Staring at someone else
Looking around her

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

If you’ve been seeing me posting my drawings here lately, you may have noticed that I’ enjoying watersoluble tools. I used to think I didn’t like watercolor pencils, but combined with other materials, and in a minimal palette, I actually love the versatility!

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! I let go of a sketchbook project I thought I had to finish. Turns out, closing the book can open new doors. Sometimes letting go is how you grow. Watch the video here: youtu.be/F3iSwuk5KuE

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I Didn’t Finish This Sketchbook

YouTube video by Koosje Koene | Draw Tip Tuesday

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Took a quick coffee break to sketch with just pen and watersoluble pencil. The figure’s a bit of a giant, but I love his posture. And that white space feels just right, it gives the drawing breathing space. Still, maybe I’ll add a date or street name later in the right hand side corner.

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Celebrating the weekend by hanging out with my drawing pals. Lots of chatting, laughing, and drawing together. Finally today the temperatures dropped from insanely hot to “should we sit inside or outside?”

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Feeling stuck with your sketchbook? On Patreon today: my go-to trick for starting when you’re blocked, examples from famous & modern artists, a 10-minute assignment, and daily prompts for the rest of August. Join me there👉 www.patreon.com/posts/136233...

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

These are the pages I filled during my live online Mini-Workshop yesterday. We explored using black and white only, and how taking out color changes how you take deliberate decisions in the process. Don’t miss next session, September 3! 👉 www.eventbrite.com/e/1451892532...

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

With a handful of tools, I tried capturing the landscape alongside the train tracks, where I took a Sunday Stroll The sketchbook is a Strathmore Mixed Media art journal 500 series. The tools I used are in the last photo. #lifeisbetterwhenyoudrawit

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Koosje Koene @koosjekoene.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Sketching in town. Materials used: -Strathmore Mixed Media art journal 500 series -Sailor Fude fountain pen (55° nib) with Platinum Carbon Black ink -Tombow ABT water-based marker -Neocolor II aquarelle crayon -Derwent Inktense colored pencils, green

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