Roccantica, Italy - September 2010.

Quick sketch (less than an hour) - watercolour and a little gouache.

(14,5 x 9 cm)

Ginni & Laura

Pencil sketch of Ginevra and Laura (Laura's in the stroller!).

It was very cold yesterday morning in Villa Sciarra, Rome.

Rainy day

watercolour on Fabriano Studio

Photoshop trick

I created more contrast with photoshop to add a more "animated-movie" atmosphere on this previously posted scene ...

Washington, CT

Quick watercolour sketch made in Washington, Connecticut, while visiting friends.

15 minutes. Arches paper - Travel book. 23x15cm.

Light and shadow.

From imagination.
Watercolour and gouche on Fabriano Studio.
25x19cm

Fallen tree

Quick sketch from imagination.

High contrast with drawing pen, a little like in comic books.

Pitt Artist Pen and watercolour.

21x17 cm on Daler Rowney drawing paper

Wood

Watercolour and gouache study after J. D. Harding
(the original is a pencil drawing)
27x18,5 cm on Fabriano watercolour studio, 300g/m2

A classic view

After a pencil drawing of J. D. Harding (1798-1863) from his book "On Drawing Trees and Nature - a Classic Victorian Manual", first published in 1846. I found this "must-have" in Amazon for a very cheap price (Dover publications, 2005).

Watercolour and gouache on Arches paper. 25x18 cm

Trees

Trees in the snow. Experimental watercolour from imagination.
(on Annigoni Disegno 250g/m2)

Deep forest.

Sketch from imagination.
Watercolour on brownish paper (Annigoni Disegno 250g/m2). A4

Waterfall, Monte Tancia, Sabina, Italy

This is one of my favourite spots to make a walk. Though I go there a lot I made this sketch from a foto in the studio. I think it shows, it's not very spontanious and looks a little fake. I tried to work with blu tints but it made it all too cold and I didn't really get the atmosphere that makes this such a wonderful place. I will try again!
Watercolour and gouache. 15x25 cm. 2 hours(+-)

Roccantica, Italy

Mountains, rocks and woods in Roccantica, beautiful nature just 60 km away from Rome.

Watercolor and white goauche on brown paper. 5 minutes. 12x8 cm.

Farfa river

Painted the same day as the previous Farfa-sketch but worked longer to make it (1,5 hour).
Watercolour on Khadi Paper.

Cloud studies

watercolor on brownish drawing paper (Annigoni - disegno 100% cotton - 250g/m2)

river Farfa

Uncompleted watercolor of a small river close to our home in Sabina, Italy. I've been studying a lot on british watercolors of the 1700-1800's. This is a really quick sketch but it shows the colors and the mood of that period in England. This sketch is bigger than my scanner (A4) so here is just a portion.

Little stream, Monte Tancia, Sabina, Italy

I am a graphic designer and illustrator (www.koenivens.com). In this blog I will put landscape watercolours, gouaches and drawings.

This gouache was made on location. It was done on a gray day last winter close to our house in the countryside near Rome. Some aditional details were done in the studio.