The new year is upon us and I’m already looking forward to drawing more NSFW art. I recently asked Twitter what kind of art they’d like me to draw more of next year. Here is one of the suggestions:
Hmmm like maybe a short comic or like a step by step kinda walk thru type thing. Like from idea-sketch-line-color choices-ect. I think it’d be cool to see how you work :3
— ✟𝓒𝓪𝓴𝓮✟ (@BondageCakes) December 18, 2022
I made a process sheet once; it’s included in my 2021 Art Collection pack, available on Gumroad. But it’s an abbreviated version, just screenshots and labels. I didn’t add any insight into the actual process.
So I thought, hey! This kind of thing is what blogs are perfect for! And so begins a 4-part series as I go through my next print from start to finish. This print isn’t porn since it’s going up on Redbubble, but the process is more or less the same, and I’m under NDA for my current naughty WIPs. ( •̀ ω < )
Forming NSFW Art Ideas
When it comes to NSFW art in general, and it’s not a commission, it’s almost always content I’m personally interested in. Either I’ve played the game, or I’m into the kink or niche I’m drawing. I don’t set out to follow trends, but I might have tried if I had more time. I’ve been missing out on a lot of anime, for example.
My absolute favorite thing to draw is pretty men. I also enjoy subverting typical depictions of them; if they’re usually drawn as a top, I’ll draw them as a bottom. If they’re a fandom favorite bottom, I’ll draw them as a top. Switch supremacy!!
After I finished the Zenos print, I knew the next one would be another Final Fantasy XIV NPC. I present to you Ser Aymeric de Borel, a blue-eyed knight with cute hair that I’ve wanted to draw for ages. If you’ve never played FFXIV, all you need to know is that he’s gorgeous, he adores you, and he has a big sword.
He also deserves to be spoiled, and what better way than to have a sexy date with lingerie as the snow falls outside? There’s wine involved at one point in the game, so wine is a fun nod to the canon.
Planning the Art
When I drew the Zenos print, my intent was to have some furniture reminiscent of his home nation. Did I nail it? Not really. But that idea lingered for this Aymeric print, and I decided to utilize some of the architecture seen in Aymeric’s home nation of Ishgard. Their architecture is European—I forget what century, but it’s the century where cathedrals started looking ridiculously detailed and rose windows showed up.
Unfortunately, my FFXIV subscription isn’t active, and I can’t log in to collect my own screenshots. (So sad 😭) This print is just a pin-up, so instead of bothering someone to take shots for me, I decided to look up real-life examples of similar architecture.
I came up with the idea of using a window for my primary light source and background element. I used several window styles shown in Ishgard as landmarks when searching for interior references. I highlighted the chosen shapes above.
Rough Idea Sketch
I’ll be honest…a lot of the time, I don’t draw thumbnails. My drawing professor is probably rolling in his grave right now. 😅 If you don’t know, thumbnails are very simple or rough sketches that are usually small, tiny even. The point is to focus on composition to work out the idea before you get too stuck on it.
I typically know what I’m aiming for enough to throw it on as a rough sketch. That does bite me in the ass sometimes, leaving me with a drawing that could have been composed better. It’s a bit of a juggling act to balance my energy for starting a drawing with needing to take my time to flesh an idea out.
For this print, I’m not sure how to compose it, but I won’t figure it out by doing thumbnails. I want to draw Aymeric leaning against the window sill with two glasses of wine. While it’d be nice if his long legs are in it, it’s more important to me to highlight the lingerie.
I also have to mind cropping for Redbubble. This will be in both portrait AND landscape formats, so the composition needs to be planned for both. I’m still learning how to “measure” my spare space for Redbubble. The legs will probably get cropped out for landscape merchandise.
For this print, I’ll compose the scene in Blender. This is similar to posing a real-life human and then taking photos, so it’s not a heinous crime. Sometimes, my brain can’t imagine objects in space well, so utilizing Blender helps me work things out! You’ll see more of this in the next post.
Research & References
I’ve done some research already but now’s the time for actual details. What does the window look like? What kind of lingerie is Aymeric wearing? What sort of décor is nearby?
I opted to keep extra objects to a minimum, because it’s very likely they’ll be cropped out anyway so I don’t want to waste time on them. The focus is Aymeric and the window, so I’ll put most my efforts there.
As this is destined for Redbubble, the print needs to be clean—no penis. (More sad 😭) We’re allowed to post lingerie themes if it’s marked as Mature, so that’s safe territory! I’ll add panties to fit the guidelines. And…if there’s enough demand, maybe I’ll show an uncensored version here…
Next Up: The Background
I start the background after deciding the focus of the art and obtaining initial references. I’ll find specific anatomy references later when I establish what pose and angle Aymeric will be in.
Sometimes I know what pose I’ll be drawing and the question is: what does the background look like at that angle? In those cases, I’ll draw a rough sketch or pose the model in Clip Studio Paint, then import that into Blender to use as a guide. I also have a humanoid model I can toss into the Blender scene for visual reference; you’ll see that in the next part.
My initial process does tend to vary based on the idea and what I’m doing. I like to think of myself as flexible or adaptable, but it could just be that I’m merely inconsistent. 😂 But generally, I pick a theme I’m interested in drawing and a character I want to draw, and then find inspiration or research to compose my idea. Then I refine the idea using sketches or I hop right into Blender.
Is there a piece of art you want to learn more about? Link it in the comments and I can go into detail about it!