Meet the Illustrator Behind Scarlet

Michael Bennett is a UK-based artist who has been inspired by Old Hollywood glamour. Using his talents, we asked Michael to create a version of our Scarlet pen for our launch. Please read more about Michael below and follow him on Instagram here!

Please tell me a little about your journey into being an artist full-time.
My love of art had always been suppressed in the background of my career in accountancy until brought to the fore in 2019 when I started attending a local art group. I was immediately reinvigorated and with my juices flowing I set up a home studio and started honing my style.

What inspires your work?
I have always been drawn to the elegance of the actresses from the golden age of film and this became my mantra. Capturing the pose, characteristics, and personality without the immediate recognition of facial features forms the basis of my paintings along with the splendour and attributes they possess, mounted, and framed in a way that complements thier style.

Have you used fountain pens in the past for your work?
Depending on the detail involved in my paintings I do sometimes tend to use a fountain pen on my work, however, I always use a fountain pen to fill out and sign the certificates of authenticity for each of my paintings.

How did you first hear about Esterbrook? Do you have a favorite pen of ours?
I first came across Esterbrook through Instagram, and have been wanting to purchase on of your pens for such a long time!

When Esterbrook reached out with this assignment, what was your process for creating the graphic? My process for creating the Scarlett O’Hara Graphic was the same as always. I normally start by lightly sketching out the person I want to paint along with the iconic outfit that they wear. I then start to paint the person with water colours using my unique technique to add depth and texture to the painting. Gone With the Wind is one of my favourite movies of all time, and Scarlett O'Hara is a classic beauty and incredible actress, so for me she was the perfect muse and gave me all the inspiration I needed for this piece.