1) Why choose digital painting over watercolor? What attracts you to digital painting?
Michael Maskarinec:
Please let me start by saying that I love all types of botanical painting and illustration. For me, it is a constant and consistent form of observation in an ever-changing world. My career is that of an art director/creative director for publishing and advertising. As computers became an invaluable tool in my profession, the delivery of images and how those images were made suddenly created new venues for artists. I was exploring the new software as a creative tool for work during the day, and experimenting at night with a new look for my botanical paintings. I was also trying to find a way to interest a younger audience, my peer group, in botanical art. This new, fresh looking, graphic approach seemed to help bridge that gap for me and a new audience. This also helped me gain many of my early commissions from Garden Design magazine and Rodale Press, whose art directors welcomed a new look at botanical images. For me, along with drawing and traditional painting, it is another tool that allows me experiment and create the art that I love, only it’s digital painting.
ArtPlantae Today 