Bert Monroy's digital paintings are known for their photo-realism and natural details, such as dappled light filtering through tree leaves onto a polished desk or an ominous sky drenching Central Park with heavy rain.

In this excerpt from his book, see how Monroy adds brooding clouds and torrential rain to a digitally captured photograph through a liberal use of basic filters. Similar techniques can be used to add snow, fog, or other elements of nature to almost any scene. Here's how Bert does it.

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