Painting the Secret World of Nature

Every now and again, I come across a book that I know will become an often used resource in helping to develop my artistic "chops." "Painting the Secret World of Nature" by John Agnew is just such a book.

Some of the painting subjects that are covered: Scales, Translucent Flesh, Bark, Stone, Fur, Feathers, Moss and Mold.

Agnew's explanations and examples hit upon some painting problems that I hadn't been able to solve to my satisfaction. Paint mixtures are even included in the descriptions. I see this book as a roadmap to helping me move forward on a number of subjects. Agnew's works are created using traditional mediums, but I can see the digital applications.

The book is only 125 pages, but it contains better information than some books twice the size. I'm looking forward to incorporating some of the techniques from this book into my own paintings.

These are some quick water droplets that I painted after a browsing a section of the book.