Aster Sketches + Some Stray Thoughts
Added 2023-04-26 17:31:06 +0000 UTCSharing these two together is soooo uncanny because I recycled the expression from one to the other lol
I set out at the beginning of this week to unwind with a simple pornographic pin-up like I used to make back in the day, but something about them wasn't really sitting right no matter how much I fiddled or adjusted or perfected. I don't think it's that they're bad drawings by any means, but really that my heart just ain't in it right now.
One of the greatest gifts of working in comics is the space it gives to add meaningful context to something like sex, where you grow to care about why the sex is happening rather than just enjoying it at face value. Conversely, something about pin-up's like these starts to feel a little lacking. Maybe I'm ruminating a little too deeply on something that should be fun and carnal, but the fact that I'm ruminating at all speaks to a desire to want to say more. "This girl has her cock out at the gym" and "This same girl (with the same face lol) is fucking one of her yoga students" isn't scratching the itch right now. I want y'all to learn more about the two of them first so there can be some catharsis out of making them fuck each other.
The sketches are probably good, and I hope y'all can simply enjoy them for what they are, but I probably won't finish these as they are. Maybe they can server as a jumping point for a short comic in the future! But for now I'm going to hop back into A Show of the Ropes, because there's a fulfillment there that I'm having trouble finding elsewhere. Thanks for reading if you got this far. :)
Comments
As someone who routinely suffers from art block mainly because I know what it feels like to be deeply invested in a personally resonating piece, and can feel the rift when it’s not there, this is very relatable. The discipline to keep practicing and creating despite suboptimal resonance is so powerful, and I admire you for it!
WickedStar
2023-05-08 05:02:11 +0000 UTCIm really liking the new art of this new character (forgot their name) they’re super hot!
The Phantom of the Foxera
2023-04-29 04:07:51 +0000 UTCI said as much already, but Aster's hot. Knowing more about Aster is hotter. But yeah, sometimes it's just better to push your artwork in a direction you're feeling, so do that!
pj wolf
2023-04-27 04:46:54 +0000 UTCI really appreciate this perspective, and totally get it. As sexy as these one-offs is, there's a lot to be said for character building, flirtation & negotiation! Have you considered doing/commissioning fanfic of the Valley to expand it some outside of the rhythm of comics? I don't know how it would look but you do clearly have a lot of world to share~
puck goodfellow
2023-04-27 02:53:35 +0000 UTCI totally get your feeling. Honestly what really drew me to your work when I first saw it at FurCon years ago was the emotion behind it. There is, of course, a place for pure porn. Your stuff is sexy and beautiful. The initial piece of art that really captured my attention was the one where I think Red was getting rimmed and they were on top sitting up and they had this angelic expression on their face and there were gold accents and you could just see their sheer joy and bliss but it wasn’t just the sex, it was the emotional connection. I absolutely cannot remember the title of the piece and I regret not buying a print of it. I think it would have been at FC2015. There is so much real, emotional connection between the characters in your work. Consent, kink, enjoying life. I’m rambling but you get the idea. Your comics are a beautiful thing.
Nekona
2023-04-26 22:07:30 +0000 UTCBackground and context are generally always good things. I completely understand how making pinups may not be satisfying after creating characters with depth and actual stories. I think it's similar to why career models have a tendency to end up attemping a second career in Hollywood.
R.D. Callis
2023-04-26 22:04:26 +0000 UTCwell said. it's sentiments like this that make me deeply appreciate comics as an art form. and even just pairing a short story with a single image that might be considered a pinup on its own
glowpuppy
2023-04-26 19:32:58 +0000 UTCI agree wholeheartedly, while I enjoy a good naked pic, the context that a story gives to the fucking makes it sexier. So long as there's a good story:sex ratio!
Fukata
2023-04-26 19:28:16 +0000 UTCthat position in the second pinup is so creative and organic, it tells something of a story of these two to me even if it is "just" a pinup 🥹
klarstrup
2023-04-26 18:07:23 +0000 UTCi agree though honestly, nsfw content always feels just more satisfying to both make and consume when you have context and story its meaningful and you just feel more in regards to it random pinup type pictures are be fun to draw but they dont do much for me other than hey i drew that lol
RIBROT
2023-04-26 18:07:16 +0000 UTCI always love anything that involves some context, even if it's just a line or two of dialogue or even a sketched-out background to give an idea of location. You have SUCH fantastic characters, I love any opportunity we get to see what their lives are like, what their thoughts may be, what their interests are, and it's a great bonus when we see that during sexytimes cuz it really is hot to know stuff about the folks we're seeing fuck!
A.A. aka Double
2023-04-26 18:06:31 +0000 UTCI very much love the same. Being aroace, I always find I prefer seeing a couple with a connection rather than just boning for the sake of it. I think that’s why I love Crossing that Bridge so much!
Melissa Trott
2023-04-26 18:02:27 +0000 UTCI do agree with the feelings here, pinups do little to nothing for me, but comics can rock my world even If there's "less" showing
Diego P
2023-04-26 17:49:17 +0000 UTCHonestly that's valid. Don't try to push art in a particular direction if you're not feeling it. Perhaps more sketches with these characters, but in a more "visual storytelling" scene? I dunno, that might be a lot more work. But like, it might be good to look for ways to bring more context into your sketches, if you feel they are lacking in that regard.
Shallie Dragon
2023-04-26 17:41:40 +0000 UTCaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaster
Kassie
2023-04-26 17:32:56 +0000 UTC
