So...I've come to a realization lately.
For 11 years now, I've been roleplaying in my chats and drawing my characters. A huge appeal of this for me was to not only interact in that world I was playing in, but the characters in that universe. As such...a lot of my art with canon characters can be viewed as being Mary Sue-ish. And you know what? I don't care anymore.
Seriously. People have a problem with Roxie coming between the Remy/Rogue crap that should have ended ten years ago? People can just close the freakin' window and move on. Because it brings me joy...it's the reason why I worked with drawing for so long so far; the ability to draw my creations...interacting with canon. If that means that in an RP, Remy got with Roxie, or Vulcan got with Siri...WTF-ever. I'm gonna draw it if I feel like it.
Once I finally obliterated that "OMG don't wanna get flamed!" thoughts...I was free to work on other "taboo" thoughts I had that I feel has held me back from drawing things for me. And thus we come to our real discussion.
I've been drawing porns. Yes. Hentai, pr0nz, whatever you wanna call it. I'm 26 years old. It seriously took me long enough, and I've seen 14 year olds draw things MUCH more raunchy and nasty than the stuff I've been doing. I haven't even drawn genitals yet...so, in actuality, my stuff is only IMPLIED porn. Like many things, I like to leave things to the imagination...to let the mind wander...not OMFGIHAVEWETPUSSYINMYFACE pictures. Because, my pictures are most of the time RP characters...and events that likely would have been shared between them.
I have to say, it's like a weight lifted off of my shoulders as an artist. I've always liked artistic nudes, I've always liked that romanticism style...silk sheets, taffeta ribbons and sheer curtains. To me...that's beautiful.
It's been a step by step process to get to this point(which, as said, has mostly been flashing boobies and implied tenticles. XD). And I haven't been happier.
In all honesty, porn, like art, is subjective. I find most of the stuff on Deviantart lacking in artistic taste and merit...to me, if it tells me a story...if something strikes me thinking...that's art to me, whether it's of two characters making out, or just a portrait...that's what I look for in art: Inspiration and EMOTION.
Sex, sensuality, lust, and true love. These have been emotions that I have HAD with my characters...partly with myself...but have never been able to convey before.
I think it has to do with my own maturity...in a way, my own relationship and how comfortable I am in my own sexuality/sensuality. If things don't work out in your head, how are you supposed to deal with it outwardly and release it?
So...what makes an artist actually comfortable doing pictures like this? I mean...I was once part of the Yaoi fandom. So the crazy boy on boy pictures on Deviantart don't really phase me more than the overexcessiveness of it, though I used to wonder how people have the guts to post it up without worrying about the backlash.
I sort of know now. While I likely won't be posting these pictures on Deviantart, since they've been drawn for myself and RP friends(Though, I'll post 'em up here under NSFW links if people REALLY wanna see them...), I can see the freedom that comes with being able to do it. It comes, again, to the "I don't care what other people think" mindset.
I also think an artist has to be comfortable with their own sexuality/sensuality to pass over this line. Goes for writers, too. Of course, never go outside your comfort zone unless you WANT to. But yeah...
Maybe this is a long worded way to explain my deviancy...Ali's been a bad and dirteh girl...
In any case...I'm loving it.
What are your views on "Sensual Art"? Do you think people who draw it are just sad fanboys/girls needing to get laid or are people comfortable with what they have?
Would you ever cross the line? :3
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I have a terrible time writing sex, so I know what you're saying here. I mean, it's only been recently that I've been comfortable enough to try writing it at all, and I can even look back on my poorly constructed scenes without intense embarrassment about the content (still embarrassed by my bad writing of course), but it is the hardest thing for me to write. Most of the time though, I'm not sure that the sex is necessary. The implication of sex is enough. Like you said, with leaving something to the imagination. But definitely writing is about evoking emotion too, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteokay. this is a long post to say "I totally agree with every point you made here"
Oh, natch! This has not just applied to drawings for me but my writing as well, in both RP and my "just for fun" writing. I'm seriously becoming more and more comfortable with the concepts of sexual situations, how they can actually move a story along without being shameless smut, and that it's perfectly fine to have a little self indulgence with it.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer, a role player, and a character creator, we put so much of ourselves into the characters we write. They virtually become a part of us, and we feel as they feel in the situations we put them in. It seems only natural that as we grow, so do they, and sensuality and sexuality is a huge part of life and our society; it would end up a part of theirs as well. While I definitely fangirl over a lot of it, if it's done, whether written fully or alluded to, it's not without a reason, either to further the characters or create the drama they must face to advance themselves.
I'm simply no longer afraid to push the taboo our society has put on the view of sex and sensual pictures and writing. I'm older now. I understand it, and don't see why I can't express that I understand it.