Blog Hop

My good friend Penny Hasler over at Naughty Little Writer invited me to join in on a 'blog hop', wherein bloggers in a particular genre - in this case, writers of spanking fiction - answer a series of questions. In my case, she thought it would be fun to include an artist in the mix.

Now, Penny being the sweetheart that she is, how could I say no?

I've learned that it's not usually a good idea to say no to Miss Hasler. She knows how to give a right proper scolding and is just as good at swinging paddles as she is at stopping them with her butt.

So here are the questions I'm to answer:

What are you currently working on?

I usually have a few pieces on the go, in various stages of completion. One is a color piece with a breakdown of how I develop an illustration from start to finish. That should be up soon. As well, there are a few rough sketches of caning scenes, and maybe a new babysitter illo (big surprise, huh?)

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

The only deliberate decision I made in approaching this genre is that I wanted my illustrations to read with an instant clarity - that is, bold shapes based on principles of visual dynamics I've picked up over the years. Thus I make only occasional use of backgrounds, which I find compete with the character shapes, and also swallow up a lot of valuable time! Beyond that, I don't make a conscious effort to make it look any different. In fact, I too often try to emulate styles of artists I admire - and usually fail. The way I naturally depict things usually just insists on asserting itself. Not a bad thing, really. What's the point in being a second-rate somebody else, anyway?

Why do you do this FM spanking art thing at all?

'Cause I like it. In the beginning, it was rather liberating to share my personal fantasies with the world. And I was delighted to find others who shared similar fancies. Now, coming up on three years later (!), that initial kick has diminished considerably, and it's about the art itself, constantly striving to improve.

How does your process work?

Usually, it begins with a scenario in my head, then a coffee and a flurry of  'stream of consciousness' sketches, most of which are unintelligible (except to me). The goal is to hit upon an angle or pose that captures the spirit of the scenario. If I don't succeed, I bank the sketches for a future try, or if I do, it's time to get serious about the final image. I used to draw everything on paper, but lately I've been experimenting more with digital 'pencils' in Photoshop, with varying success. The breakdown I mentioned above will explain the painting process in more detail.

I hope that answers your questions, Miss Hasler. Thanks for including me in this little cross-blog venture, even if I am not among the cadre of  literary kink-inkers.