I have this simple sentence: 私は絵を見るのが好きです (I like looking at picture).
I'm not very good at Japanese grammar so perhaps someone can tell me the meaning of のが and how it is used? Should it be read as two separate particles の and が or is it just one word のが? I'm also wondering why の is there at all, wouldn't it be grammatical correct just to write (...)見るが好きです without の?

の serves as a nominalizer, similar to こと. So, in 私は絵を見るのが好きです, 絵を見るの refers to the act of looking at pictures (as a noun phrase).

が is が, and の here is a nominalizer. It makes "私は絵を見る" into a noun phrase -- so, "looking at pictures".

Or something to that effect.

I see. Thanks for the clarifying explanations. It's actually surprisingly simple now.

I suggest Tae Kim's Guide in case you don't know it.

Heh, I now remember, I read Tae Kim's explanation of the use of の as a nominalizer a long time ago. Just forgot about it until now, where I encounted the particle used such a way.