Virginia Hein & Gail Wong

Spotlight on Nature

Tips and Techniques for Drawing and Painting Nature on Location

$19.99

  • Published June 2022 by Quarry Books.

  • 112 pages.

  • Softcover edition in English.

  • Note: The first 100 copies sold include a custom-printed bookmark, signed by the authors.

Sketch landscapes on location with this inspiration-packed guide.

Watercolor paint set next to an open book, with four cards displaying various stages of tree illustrations in different shades of green and yellow on a wooden surface.

Landscapes Through the Seasons

Spotlight on Nature is an inspiration-packed guide to sketching on location and is one edition in the Urban Sketching Handbook Series, a collection of compact references on creative techniques and on-location tips and advice. This deceptively small book, co-written by passionate sketchers and instructors Gail Wong and Virginia Hein, shows approaches to landscapes through the seasons, featuring West Coast vistas ranging from pastural views to deserts and snowscapes. Spotlight on Nature includes a thoughtful list of challenges and prompts to encourage and inspire your independent explorations. This book is an excellent resource for aspiring and practiced artists and nature enthusiasts.

“ I consider drawing to be my first language, and I continue to find drawing a path of discovery and joy. “
—Virginia Hein, co-author of Spotlight on Nature
Two women smile for a selfie. One has long gray hair and glasses, wearing a blue top, while the other has medium-length dark hair, also in glasses, wearing a pink shirt. They are indoors, with soft lighting in the background.

About the Authors

Virginia Hein

Virginia Hein is an artist, author, and art instructor from Los Angeles, California. She began her teaching career at Otis College of Art and Design and currently teaches sketching workshops in LA and around the world. Virginia approaches each page of her sketchbook as an opportunity to experiment and looks forward to what she can learn from the page.

Learn more about Virginia’s work at vheinstudio.com.

Gail Wong

Gail Wong is a retired architect and lecturer from the University of Washington. She continues her professional journey as an architectural illustrator. Gail loves traveling and sketching trying to find the unique views inherent in her journeys.

Learn more about Gail’s work on Instagram.

A collage featuring four watercolor paintings and a person painting outdoors. The top left shows an artist with a straw hat using a watercolor palette. The top right depicts a tranquil street scene with greenery and architecture. The bottom left features a charming bridge over a canal with buildings and trees. The bottom right showcases a coastal boardwalk with palm trees and the ocean in the background.

Artist Goals for 2024

In celebration of the new year, we asked artists whose work we featured during the year to share artistic goals and intentions for the new year.

Read Gail’s Here!
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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