As its name implies, the Mustard Seed Garden-Orchids focuses on orchids, and is divided into two separate parts. The first part focuses on sketches of individual parts of the orchid flower, which will allow the artist to learn how to paint the smallest details of each of the parts that make up the orchid. The second portion of the book, however, features water-colored paintings of orchids.

This second section is great because it provides examples on not only how to draw the orchids, but also how to structure and color your paintings. Additionally, this section can be used for study and inspiration for years to come.

One of the plants known as the Four Gentlemen, the orchid is one of the most revered and widely used subjects of Chinese art. Known in Chinese as Jieziyuan Huazhuan, which translates to “Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden,” Jieziyuan was a province in eastern China at the time the book was first written, and it was also known as the Mustard Seed Garden. Today, the province is called Zhejiang Province.

The Mustard Seed Garden is a series of books that are considered as the most essential painting books for sumi-e and fineline beginners as well as experienced artists.