ABOUT THE ART

This online portfolio encompasses Mark Astrella's endeavors as a fine artist, illustrator, graphic designer, cartoonist and lighting designer. Some of Astrella's illustrations have been published in children's books which have sold over one million copies worldwide. These paintings have inspired children to send him drawings of their own, to which he responds with words of encouragement. The original illustrations published in these books are available for purchase here. As copies of the books continue to sell, the value of these one-of-a-kind originals will increase. However, the most satisfied collectors love their art no matter who it's by, who collects it, or how famous the artist is.

TECHNIQUES
These are NOT photographs! Painted using acrylics, Astrella would often use an airbrush for backgrounds to create smooth, graduated transitions of color and subtle beams of light. Then he would add the details with small brushes and occasionally augmenting with pencil or colored inks. In some cases, he even used an Exacto knife to scrape paint away in order to reproduce the tiny hairs of animal fur.  (see the detail from "Meerkats" above left) 


Astrella applies this same technique to his latest work using digital tools in place of traditional paint. Embracing these new tools, he does NOT compromise his work by using shortcuts or Photoshop trickery. Sketching on paper, he scans it into the computer and lays in color using a digital brush. Every pixel is still painted by hand in the traditional sense right down to the facets of diamonds and rubies in jewelry.  (see the detail from "Farsha Faerie" above right)

 

STYLE
Astrella's art has been described as Hyperrealism where objects and scenes are meticulously detailed to create the illusion of reality, and yet it looks even better, as if it is some kind of enhanced reality. Astrella strives to create pieces that capture and emphasize "beauty"... of light, of form and of color, and he is obsessed with details, spending countless hours refining paintings in the attempt to create art that will exceed expectations, transcend the trends and exude an overall grace. 

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
Rather than outsourcing, Astrella produces his own Giclee prints in his Maui studio using high-quality Epson equipment. This ensures that each and every print will live up to his color standards. Collectors can contact Astrella directly and he is more than happy to describe how each piece was created from the materials and techniques used to the inspiration and the amount of time spent on it. Often, he writes this information on the backs of paintings and prints (usually accompanied by cartoon drawings). This serves better than a Certificate of Authenticity as it comes directly from the artist and not some commercial publishing company.