FA+
Shop
Why Gen Does Not Draw Porn (Long, sorry)
15 years ago
tl;dr version: My art is a very personal part of who I am and every picture I draw contains a part of me, so drawing a character nude or having sex to me feels like I'm being photographed in the nude or having sex, something I'm not comfortable with at all.
I've been meaning to write this for awhile, but a recent discussion I caught elsewhere made me pull the old half written essay out and dust it off to finish it up.
One thing I'm known for, for good or for bad, is the fact that I don't draw porn. I don't draw bumps or distinct bulges through clothing. I draw 'Disney nudes' where fur and fluff cover up the genitals, and I won't draw characters having sex, even if they're cleverly positioned so that 'nothing is showing'.
People who are aware of this fact often ask me the same thing over and over again, “Do you get a lot of requests to draw porn?” The answer, much to people's surprise, is no. I went to five conventions this year, and during that time I only got one extremely polite query about it. I think folks assume I'm constantly bombarded with porn requests by 'fanboys', but that is not the case at all! Maybe I'm lucky in my caliber of fan. Maybe people just have an unfair opinion of the average furry fan, but the truth of the matter is that nobody has ever asked me to draw anything I didn't want to draw.
Of course the meat of the matter is why I don't draw it. The obvious answer many people assume is my religious background and leanings. But there are several Christian artists in the fandom who draw porn and nudes. To a certain extent my religious position has some influence, but not on a moral level precisely.
The truth is, I don't like drawing it and don't feel comfortable doing it, the end. That's all. End of line.
People who look at my art always make the same comment, they note how expressive it is. That's because I'm an emotional and expressive person. Human thoughts and feelings and how and why they feel what they do is something I really love to study and figure out. My art is very much an emotional investment, and part of my emotions and part of ME is in every drawing. I don't feel comfortable standing nude in front of strangers, so I don't feel comfortable drawing nudes. It's the same headspace for me and asking me to draw porn is like asking me to share that part of me to someone I've barely met and post it where strangers can look at it. I just can't do it.
When I explain that, I invariably get this question: Well, you must have drawn it PRIVATELY, right?
The answer is no, I haven't. There are no private pictures of naked Gen or naked anything anywhere that I've done. I haven't drawn porn for my own enjoyment because although I like the emotional impact that my artwork has and can feel it. Intimacy on that level is something that can't be contained in a static image. I suppose you might say that I'm more of a romance novel reader than a playboy subscriber. Drawings of nudes and sexual acts does nothing for me. I'd much rather see two characters hugging one another romantically than a gang bang scene. That's just how I'm wired.
Earlier I noted how people assume that most of the pressure to draw porn comes from fans. The truth is, I get most of my flak from other artists.
Most artists are sensitive people. They have to have an intimate understanding of a lot of compositional and emotional aspects of art to be able to produce it well. Many of them are also constantly bombarded with criticisms, often phrased in passive-aggressive snarks and backhanded compliments. It will often reach a point where you often assume that a lot of things people say or do around you exists for the sole purpose of making a statement against you. Honestly, I don't know how a lot of the more popular artists in the fandom manage it beyond locking themselves up in ivory towers or simply developing an extremely thick skin.
But I digress. Whenever I say “I don't draw porn” many of my fellow artists will take that to mean, “I don't approve of YOU drawing porn” and get very defensive around me. I try to explain my point using a broccoli analogy. I don't like broccoli. I get nauseated when I try to eat it. This does not mean that I think anyone who eats it and enjoys it is wrong or acting immorally. It simply means that broccoli isn't my thing. It takes awhile for people to understand this, and it probably doesn't help that we live in an ever growing society of narcissists who assume that every little thing is a statement for or against them personally.
I've been in furry fandom for over SIXTEEN YEARS. My first convention was ConFurence Five in 1994. Do you think that if I had a problem with porn that I'd still be around? Do you think that after sixteen years that I wouldn't have seen most of the freaky things there are in the fandom by now? Trust me, I'm very difficult to offend or squik at this point.
But at the same time whenever I look at porn my brain just studies the anatomy and muscle structure. Most of the time the expression drawn on character having sex is a Tex Avery tongue lolling out grin or a closed eye open mouthed gasp. I make absolutely no emotional connection to it at all, so I look at it with a sort of professional detachment. Appreciating the art for the talent that drew it and not really finding anything offensive, but it doesn't 'do' anything for me.
And I don't hold myself under any 'I'm so much better than you' banner because of the fact that I don't draw it. A lot of the people who draw it manage to make a good living for themselves with it, and that impresses the heck out of me. I don't think I'm better than people who enjoy porn either. I think there are dangers to it, and I say this as someone who watched several happy couples slowly grow distant and break up because they got so lost in the fantasy world that the real and physical relationship they had stagnated and starved. But I think that is also a symptom of a whole other issue with the person and the art itself isn't to blame.
So, to summarize: I don't draw porn. I don't get anything out of looking at it. But I'm okay if you do. All I ask is that you respect me for my stance and not try to 'convert' or 'fix' me. Sound good?
I've been meaning to write this for awhile, but a recent discussion I caught elsewhere made me pull the old half written essay out and dust it off to finish it up.
One thing I'm known for, for good or for bad, is the fact that I don't draw porn. I don't draw bumps or distinct bulges through clothing. I draw 'Disney nudes' where fur and fluff cover up the genitals, and I won't draw characters having sex, even if they're cleverly positioned so that 'nothing is showing'.
People who are aware of this fact often ask me the same thing over and over again, “Do you get a lot of requests to draw porn?” The answer, much to people's surprise, is no. I went to five conventions this year, and during that time I only got one extremely polite query about it. I think folks assume I'm constantly bombarded with porn requests by 'fanboys', but that is not the case at all! Maybe I'm lucky in my caliber of fan. Maybe people just have an unfair opinion of the average furry fan, but the truth of the matter is that nobody has ever asked me to draw anything I didn't want to draw.
Of course the meat of the matter is why I don't draw it. The obvious answer many people assume is my religious background and leanings. But there are several Christian artists in the fandom who draw porn and nudes. To a certain extent my religious position has some influence, but not on a moral level precisely.
The truth is, I don't like drawing it and don't feel comfortable doing it, the end. That's all. End of line.
People who look at my art always make the same comment, they note how expressive it is. That's because I'm an emotional and expressive person. Human thoughts and feelings and how and why they feel what they do is something I really love to study and figure out. My art is very much an emotional investment, and part of my emotions and part of ME is in every drawing. I don't feel comfortable standing nude in front of strangers, so I don't feel comfortable drawing nudes. It's the same headspace for me and asking me to draw porn is like asking me to share that part of me to someone I've barely met and post it where strangers can look at it. I just can't do it.
When I explain that, I invariably get this question: Well, you must have drawn it PRIVATELY, right?
The answer is no, I haven't. There are no private pictures of naked Gen or naked anything anywhere that I've done. I haven't drawn porn for my own enjoyment because although I like the emotional impact that my artwork has and can feel it. Intimacy on that level is something that can't be contained in a static image. I suppose you might say that I'm more of a romance novel reader than a playboy subscriber. Drawings of nudes and sexual acts does nothing for me. I'd much rather see two characters hugging one another romantically than a gang bang scene. That's just how I'm wired.
Earlier I noted how people assume that most of the pressure to draw porn comes from fans. The truth is, I get most of my flak from other artists.
Most artists are sensitive people. They have to have an intimate understanding of a lot of compositional and emotional aspects of art to be able to produce it well. Many of them are also constantly bombarded with criticisms, often phrased in passive-aggressive snarks and backhanded compliments. It will often reach a point where you often assume that a lot of things people say or do around you exists for the sole purpose of making a statement against you. Honestly, I don't know how a lot of the more popular artists in the fandom manage it beyond locking themselves up in ivory towers or simply developing an extremely thick skin.
But I digress. Whenever I say “I don't draw porn” many of my fellow artists will take that to mean, “I don't approve of YOU drawing porn” and get very defensive around me. I try to explain my point using a broccoli analogy. I don't like broccoli. I get nauseated when I try to eat it. This does not mean that I think anyone who eats it and enjoys it is wrong or acting immorally. It simply means that broccoli isn't my thing. It takes awhile for people to understand this, and it probably doesn't help that we live in an ever growing society of narcissists who assume that every little thing is a statement for or against them personally.
I've been in furry fandom for over SIXTEEN YEARS. My first convention was ConFurence Five in 1994. Do you think that if I had a problem with porn that I'd still be around? Do you think that after sixteen years that I wouldn't have seen most of the freaky things there are in the fandom by now? Trust me, I'm very difficult to offend or squik at this point.
But at the same time whenever I look at porn my brain just studies the anatomy and muscle structure. Most of the time the expression drawn on character having sex is a Tex Avery tongue lolling out grin or a closed eye open mouthed gasp. I make absolutely no emotional connection to it at all, so I look at it with a sort of professional detachment. Appreciating the art for the talent that drew it and not really finding anything offensive, but it doesn't 'do' anything for me.
And I don't hold myself under any 'I'm so much better than you' banner because of the fact that I don't draw it. A lot of the people who draw it manage to make a good living for themselves with it, and that impresses the heck out of me. I don't think I'm better than people who enjoy porn either. I think there are dangers to it, and I say this as someone who watched several happy couples slowly grow distant and break up because they got so lost in the fantasy world that the real and physical relationship they had stagnated and starved. But I think that is also a symptom of a whole other issue with the person and the art itself isn't to blame.
So, to summarize: I don't draw porn. I don't get anything out of looking at it. But I'm okay if you do. All I ask is that you respect me for my stance and not try to 'convert' or 'fix' me. Sound good?
I think it doesn't help that many furries have emotional issues, so folks kind of lump in with that camp just out of reflex.
But I understand what you're saying. :3
(I learned that it's actually related to my being a supertaster. I eat it and get a mouthful of BITTER)
I know, I tried it last summer, only to find it's a winter crop.
Well played, Gen.
Well played.
BTW, I'm reading your novel in little bits here and there when I have time. You paint such a rich and detailed world!
You just have folks who are attention seekers and want to make drama.
It is amazing how many think that porn is the main drive of this fandom (and for many it is... that's fine). I'll admit I've favored a few pieces of artwork that are (ahem) meant for grown-up's.
In fact when I have favored such artwork, I look at it from the point of creativity. Of course, one could make porn argument about Renaissance nudes found in sculpture and paintings.
I don't know you, but I am proud of your position on this topic; as an amateur artist myself (mostly, to be frank, in oils) we should never bend to pressure (peer or otherwise).
You also made a valid point concerning how some may use personal endeavors as a weapon against loved ones; That is very true, and it can occur with anyone in / out of the fandom. It makes one pause and ask, "If I ever father/mother children, would I want them to see this?"
Your comic is:
(1) CLEAN and refreshing!
(2) Has a "Yep! That's happened to me!" feeling about it/
(3) Is down right FUN!
As a fellow artist I salute your decision and I back it 100%!
Muddy
PS: If I'm ever blessed with an opportunity to meet you... I promise I shall never ask you the porn question
Good for you!
I haven't had any requests to draw porn myself, nor do I have any desire to draw it. However, I think because I'm still somewhat in the beginner stage of being an artist, I probably haven't been all that noticed/appealing to the porn-appreciating folks out there.
Regardless, I have a lot of respect for your ability to stand your ground on things that you simply don't want to do (i.e. coffee, alcohol, porn) without playing 'holier-than-thou'.
I have been following your art for fourteen years and have known you for 12 and not once have I ever even had the question of you drawing or not drawing p0rn in my mind. You draw what you draw and you are quite good at it and I love watching/reading it. I've worked with a fellow friend of ours Stephie Stone who also doesn't draw p0rn and she is quite good as well.
I have seen artists draw porn or nudes because it feels right, others I have seen get into it because they believe it sells more and there is more of a financial demand from the furry populace for it. The problem is if you draw it purely for financial reasons then can you really be proud or comfortable with the exercise?
I once had a writing professor who told me that if I want to write what I want I would never be successful, because the ONLY way to become so was write first what others wanted you to write until you made enough of a name for yourself and THEN you could write something for yourself. I have always called BS on this notion. While it may be easier I do not believe it is the only way.
You have always stayed true to yourself and that is one of the reasons I have always respected you.
Keep up the good fight!
BTW I don't like broccoli either!
Not that I could possibly be speaking from personal experience, of course...
That in the end is all that needs to be said, its cool and all that you go into detail, but of course this line alone is enough and people hopefully will respect that as people should respect that.
I always just looked at it this way, if you enjoy drawing nudes, erotica, and/or porn, then go for it, if you don't for whatever reason, then don't and go with that. It is up to the artist not the rest of us what works they wish to create.
But I digress. Whenever I say “I don't draw porn” many of my fellow artists will take that to mean, “I don't approve of YOU drawing porn” and get very defensive around me.
I never felt once that you were ever on my case or acted disapprovingly on any artwork that I have created involving nudity and/or sex. I am not surprised people react like this though, something about not wanting to be judged, or they feel shame and they are projecting that onto you. Whatever the reason, over-sensitivity is a hallmark of the people of this fandom, but really that can be applied to our society in general as a whole.
I am just stoked that you watch me at all. :)
Anyone, artist or otherwise, who sneers at artists for not doing porn, deserves a physical beating.
Anyone, artist or otherwise, who sneers at artists who DO draw porn, deserves a physical beating. *
Anyone, artist or otherwise, who sneers at fans for not liking porn, deserves a physical beating.
Anyone, artist or otherwise, who sneers at fans who DO like porn, deserves a physical beating. *
Really, it's just that simple. People need to learn to get over the urge to mind other people's business, and physical beatings teach "mind your own business" pretty darned well.
* Exemption granted for enjoying/drawing porn (child, snuff, etc.) that by any sane standard is harmful. Let the sneering commence. No exemption granted for claiming that ALL porn is harmful. Let the beatings commence. Yes, I am the sole determiner of what is and is not "sane/harmful"; didn't everyone get the memo? <-- my sneer face
Art is an extremely personal thing. If a topic comes along that doesn't feel right for us to do, then it's best left aside so we as creators can do what feels right and what we relate best to. You stand your ground, and that's great stuff.
seriously, though. I simply love you for this.
I agree entirely with your points in your essay and feel that your statements are well thought out. I, personally, enjoy your artwork because I like your style and your presentation of emotion, and one day I would love to commission a piece (partly because you don't draw nudes). There is, in my (not so) humble opinion, something really wrong with people who think that taste is grounds for a "problem".
Knowing that there's a cognitive bias and lizard-brain loss-protection psychology at work helps me to take that sort of thing a lot less personal now.
I cry narcissist a little too often, but honestly I can't really think of any other underlying cause beyond far too many people being utterly incapable of perceiving things from a viewpoint other than their own and taking any statement said around them as a statement directed to them in some capacity. A regular person sees their friend yawn and assumes the friend is tired. A narcissist sees their friend yawn and takes it as an accusation that they are boring.
It makes me think of a broader question, can escapism be harmful? I don't think so, at least not generally. Fantasy is not the problem, the danger lies in stereotyping or simply ignoring. It annoys me how there is a ton of comics and TV-series about a somewhat quirky middle class family, but almsot none whatsoever about being homeless. There are so many interesting stories you can tell about bums, and what aspects do most comcis or movies focus on? that they are crazy/drug addicted and somehow worth less as a human, it's disgusting. I guess I feel stronglt about that since I'm doing a comic about a homeless cat, mostly because I felt it was an area that haven't been sufficiently covered in comics.
I think there is a danger in NOT telling stories, stories fill an important function for us as a way to empatize with people, Stereotyping is dangerous. I don't see how, when the entire spectrum of human experiences are avaiable to you, creators still focus on the same old chliches over and over.
But this has nothing to do with anything, its just me musing.
I get exactly where you're coming from. All very good points!
<.<
Yet, the mind of a mad man is even worse. Take it from me, I should know, I'm COMPLETELY insane. Off the rocker, over the hill, teetered on the edge and then decided "Ah what the hell? You'll never know the truth until you've taken the plunge" Over the rainbow, Out the window and through the yard, Head over heels insane.
but all has to be balanced, without hate there would not be love,
and without dimwits, there are no geniuses
that is the sad truth.
alas we humans try to break the rules. bend them to our will. will we fail or triumph?
Your point is clear and I think most people respect that.
And for people who want to hurt your husband they will use anything against him. I seen it happened to my pastor some years back and he didn´t do anything wrong. He told some old crows to shud up because they had a feud with the kids in church.
Draw what you like and not what others think you have to like. Kudos ^^
I have the bodily shame of a naked mole rat. It's commonly known that I'm no stranger to clothing optional parties, figure modeling, and other such body-confident activities which a lot of people would balk at. I wonder how much that has influenced my own comfort--or maybe lack of discomfort--with nude, erotic, or sexual art? I wonder how much things like that are at play in such art for others? It's a darned interesting question!
Then again, I know a lot of people who seek to distance their real life selves from the fantasy of art. And I also know people who are into kinks solely as a fantasy that they would find absolutely morally abhorrent in reality. Sexuality is really a weird, complicated thing in human beings.
In any case, I will never understand what's so difficult to understand about "to each his own" in these situations. If someone needs you to do the same thing they're doing in order to find validation, that says an awful lot about their own insecurities.
It's clear from looking at your artwork that you enjoy what you do. Its that same sense of fun that made me watch you in the first place. (Though I somewhat suspect that I'm not alone there...)
Even though I'm known for mostly drawing nudes, I fully support you on this. I mean, why spoil things by drawing something you're not comfortable with?
Keep on drawing the things you like, Gen - which is exactly what the furs here enjoy about your work in the first place.
so, no nude Gen means no pinup Gen, too? I'm just asking, there were incidents where I missed the character owner's preferences when it comes to more 'free' depictions of a personal character. ^^
I find it interesting that there are always people who go like "Furry = Porn, period", and if you try to explain that porn ain't everything indeed, they bring down the "90% of content on fA is porn" hammer.
which is, in fact, not the truth, as many an admin has stated. it's merely a 65%...
many times I enjoy the remaining 35%. as you argumented so nice, most times there are the very same expressions,. also, there are only so many poses which can look interesting. over time it becomes... bland.
I don't often draw porn. most times it's through a customer, and usually it's centering more around one or another fetish than just the plain ol' exchange of bodily fluids. :P
If other artists/people don't like you because you don't draw porn, then that is their problem.
I am glad that you stick to your principles and don't bow with peer pressure. I think if you have been doing it for 16 years, they couldn't change you now, thank God. :)
Maybe you should print this out with a nice little border around it, laminate it, and hand it to people who decide you must be "fixed" so you won't have to explain it all the time. lol
u! *hugs*
For one thing, furry porn usually has relatively little to do with sex and/or sexuality and more to do with power and exploitation -- which is true of most pornography, in general. The one thing I noticed in most of the furry porn I've seen is that nobody in these drawings seems to be having any fun.
But my main gripe is that most of it is so wretchedly drawn. The worst art in any furry artshow is almost always in the "adult" section.
I think furries are honestly pretty polite as customers as far as porn, or even anything considered fetish or unusual. They're concerned about asking you for something you may not want to do, and usually they won't even ask- the porn artists are pretty easy to spot, and so they're the ones they go to.
Good on you.
As a writer, I have struggled with the idea of intimacy between characters. I quickly realized that I lost a lot of personal innocence when I write sex scenes, and that can actually damage my heart's ability to love and humanize with people.
Other artists guilting you? That's sad. I am really sorry to hear that. Honestly I have immense respect for clean artists, and while I do admire some very talented artists who draw adult stuff (My art settings are set to general only, I only like clean art) I always hold a bunch more respect for artists who keep it clean. So know that you at least, have my respect and admiration <3
1. OMG! I've been told that if I put smut in my books or at least on the cover, i'd sell more. Not happening. For starters, I'm not comfortable writing it and not only that, my MOM reads my books... I love how well you've put this. (As a side note, the publisher wouldn't publish them with that anyway. I like that publisher.)
2. You'd be perfect as an alpha reader of book 3 (third in series, first in chronology). You can see read the prelude on my page. If that looks like something you might enjoy, email me at chaaya dot chandra at outlook dot com. :) I can explain there why I'd really like you to read it.
3. My publisher's daughter is a super taster. He didn't know, but I learned about it from your comic, and he mentioned something about her, so I directed him to Little-Tales. :)
4. Your commission link doesn't work. :(
Love you. Keep being awesome.