19th Century German biologist Ernst Haeckl‘s “Kunstformen Der Natur” (The Artistic Forms of Nature) is a marvellous compendium of interpretations of natural forms and colours, specifically those of organic life. I flick through this book whenever I have the time. It’s one of those publications that’s just indispensable: the sheer man hours, concentration and patience on display on every page is captivating.
The above model is the result of using this Haeckl illustration as a “stencil” by way of an alpha to change surface relief.
A PDF of Kunstformen Der Natur can be downloaded from here.