Craft Breathtaking Butterflies and Distinctive Bugs with This DIY Watercolor Guide
“Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities” by Nassybah Touriño (Page Street Publishing, Aug. 2025)
As a medium, watercolor’s clarity is beautiful, yet mastering it can be a challenge. It requires accuracy and purpose when layering. Regardless, Spanish artist Nassybah Touriño has a deep affection for watercolor—so much so that she has devoted an entire book to it.
Touriño’s Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities provides a whimsical beginner’s guide to watercolor painting, viewed through the perspective of vintage items, unusual insects, and various curiosities. The book comprises 36 distinct entries, each categorized into chapters like “Entomology Drawer” and “Insectarium.” Although organized by theme, each entry centers on a solitary subject and comes with detailed instructions on how to recreate it using watercolor. For instance, with the Emerald Birdwing Butterfly, Touriño suggests that readers play around with “crafting your own darker shades” instead of merely choosing black watercolor paint. With an understanding of color theory and effective mixing, aspiring artists can attain a deeper, more intricate hue, ideal for the black lines that adorn the butterfly’s otherwise green wings.
While some entries adhere more closely to specific color schemes, others introduce texture techniques. To replicate the Tiger Moth, Touriño recommends that readers “apply a clear water wash” over the fluffy sections.
“While still damp, take your medium brush loaded with a saturated value [of color], begin dabbing the tip of your brush into the water wash we applied, and allow the colors to merge,” Touriño describes. “Using the wet-on-wet method may reduce control, but the resulting texture is stunning.”
As indicated by its title, Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities primarily focuses on insects, butterflies, and moths. This somewhat atypical choice is what distinguishes the book, urging both novice and experienced watercolorists to create forms that aren’t often found in other artistic realms. Touriño poses the question: when will an artist next be challenged to depict a being with a sleek shell, impressive horns, and six slender legs—unless it’s a Stag or Hercules Beetle? It’s invigorating to see creatures that are commonly overlooked or disliked receive the recognition they deserve, particularly considering how fun and technically demanding they can be to illustrate.
“I truly believe that illustrating insects allows for close observation of the smallest features, and creating these exquisite beings pays them tribute,” Touriño expresses in the book’s introduction. “In an era dominated by screens and technology, we must remember the significance of biodiversity.”
Though likely not suited for the faint-hearted, Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities also features entries that are not exclusively insect-related. In the “Beautiful Oddities” chapter, Touriño provides guidance for objects such as vintage scissors, a cat skull, an old key, a feather, and a mushroom. However, the chapter does commence with a tarantula (arachnophobes beware).
Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities, released by Page Street, is available today and can be acquired via Bookshop, where an e-book edition is also offered.
With comprehensive, step-by-step guidance and visuals, Nassybah Touriño’s Watercolor Cabinet of Curiosities motivates readers to paint their own insect creations using watercolor.
Touriño has long held a fascination for bugs, butterflies, and moths, producing numerous watercolors that she showcases on Instagram.
Nassybah Touriño: Website | Instagram
Page Street Publishing: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met has granted permission to display photos by Page Street Publishing.
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