Hadden & Ev Illustrations is a design house that focuses on hand-painted illustrations that “epitomize you,” according to owner and designer, Hadden Bennett. The design house’s two areas of expertise are leather painting and watercolor. As a result, Bennett is able to take leather accessories like bags or shoes and hand-paint her personalized and unique illustrations onto the items, making customer’s accessories one-of-a-kind. “I love being able to take a leather piece you already have, like a bag, jacket or shoe, and bring life to it with a special hand-painted illustration,” said Bennett. She continued, “I have always thought of fashion as an art form, and I love that my illustrations can turn someone’s closet into a walking art gallery that carries meaning.” Hadden & Ev Illustrations offers custom fashion portraits, “bag portraits” and even fantasy fashion portraits when it comes to its watercolor paintings. Bennett explains that this immortalizes customers’ favorite pieces. 303 Magazine: What really inspired you to start illustrating, specifically on leather pieces like bags? Hadden Bennett: I have been painting since I was a young child and exploring new mediums and techniques over the years. When looking for business ideas, I loved how niche leather illustrations were and the fact that painting on clothing items and accessories offered the perfect fusion between fashion and art. 303: When and where did you discover that you had a passion for illustration? What do you think caused that to happen? HB: As long as I can remember, I have always been painting, drawing, creating. I developed most of my techniques during high school where I was art club president and in AP art. One of my favorite traditions growing up was making hand-made Christmas gifts for my friends and family that I would paint and draw myself. It’s something I still do and I think makes everything a bit more personal. Thankfully, my mother encouraged my creative side and helped me discover various art forms from a very young age. I thank her for my passions today and I approach painting as a meditative practice. 303: Take us through the process of painting on a bag. HB: Once a design concept with a client has been approved, I start by roughly sketching the design to size on paper and transferring that to a bag. Then, I will block everything out with white leather paint to act as a primer and follow by adding details usually with a pencil. Then, I take a picture or sketch exactly what I want the design to look like and use that as a reference to begin painting the design. Illustrations take multiple layers of paint and extreme attention to detail. Once everything is perfect, I seal it with a few coats of a clear protectant layer to help keep illustrations lasting for years to come. 303: How do you think your illustrations help your and other’s self-expression through fashion and art? HB: Our illustrations give the opportunity to elevate and personalize pieces people already love. Each piece is hand-painted and completely unique. Fashion and art are already expressive in nature and fusing them together I think creates something special and meaningful for our clients. When it comes to our custom illustrations, it is all about telling our client’s stories. 303: What have you found to be the most challenging part of doing this type of work? HB: The most challenging part of my business is working with personal leather items as a canvas. Painting on items like bags or shoes is extremely different than painting on a smooth flat surface like a canvas. Working with leather, there is almost no room for error when it comes to painting. I take all of my illustrations very seriously and enjoy the creative challenge that comes with making something that has never been made before. 303: And what is your favorite part of the process and this type of work/artform? HB: I simply love adding life to our client’s favorite pieces. I think of each illustration as telling a story of our clients. Each piece has meaning and significance and I love sharing that aspect with the world. 303: What do you see or hope for the future of Hadden & Ev Illustrations? HB: Looking into the future of Hadden & Ev Illustrations, my hope is that I can continue to create unique pieces that epitomize our clients and act as extensions of them. I would love to be able to expand my services and offer more ways to customize and even design my own bags and leather pieces. All photography by Eugene Sharapov. via https://303magazine.com/2019/11/hadden-bennett-illustrations/
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