I'm the same way.

There are exceptions here or there, but for the most part to be considered worth something in this fandom, you gotta draw porn. Male porn is best for that goal. Again, there are exceptions, but it's generally true.

Fortunately, I don't really care about being worth something in the fandom, so I'll continue my non-porny ways. :) It can be frustrating, but try not to let it get to you. The popularity wouldn't be worth doing things you don't want to do.

Also, I wouldn't wanna be submitting porn to here because I'd be totally creeped out by all the 'murrr!' and creepy RP comments and stuff. It makes me wince. That's just me though I guess. I just don't want to attract that kind of crowd to my work.

Awkward sniffing roleplay. FUCK that creeps me out.

Oh god, do I know it! I joined a forum for Texas furs about a year ago (at the time my BF had a job prospect in Austin, it didn't pan out) but I posted some of my pin-ups in their "Mature Art" section and was later IMd by a very creepy individual who was really, REALLY into transformation. I could practically feel the mouthbreathing on the back of my neck. *shudders*

Writing is much the same. My straight, non-naughty stuff is all but ignored, but post some generic piece of pr0n and watch everyone rush to read it.

Pfeh.

I agree with this. I dont even bother to post the things I write anymore because it's very rarely smutty and no one bothers to read it when it isnt.

There has been this recent feeling as if all artists are in some popularity contest against each other. So, many are bending over backwards and giving the so called fans whatever is they want to see to keep them happy and their viewership up. I've actually talked to some that say they do not even enjoy drawing as much smut s they do, but are afraid that if they draw something they like instead they wont get as many pageviews/watches/faves/comments.

It is really sad to see some artists toss away any sense of artistic integrity like that and even have their work suffer because they are not truely putting their heart into it.

On the flip side of things, there are some that do really enjoy drawing porn. I, personally, am just not the biggest fan of some of the more hardcore things and prefer more sensual and teasing pics.

Yep. I'd rather be ignored like I more or less am but not drawing things I don't want to than vice versa. I really just don't want to draw porn.

But man, you'd be surprised how far some people will go to HARASS you for not drawing it. People seem to think they'll be this special exception and I'll want to draw their raunchy crap because they're just that special, then they get offended when I remind them I don't do porn.

Even my friends are constantly telling me to draw porn. Even my BOYFRIEND tells me I 'need' to draw porn. Everyone really wants to see it from me (probably because I never have drawn it), and it's kind of creepy. I'm pretty sure the constant harassment about it is part of what keeps me from drawing it, albeit a small part.

I agree with you, I'm not against "Porn" per se, softcore and suggestive stuff is fine with me (although I'll probably never draw it) but it makes me slightly frustrated to see so many artists drawing so much hardcore stuff. I just think that it desensitizes people to the actual IRL sexual acts...kind of like when you do nothing but watch porn but are then sorely disappointed by the "real thing"? I don't know if that makes sense.

HOWEVER it seems that many furs don't have much experience with IRL stuff...maybe they just all need to get laid and get it out of their systems :P

I can't bring myself to draw yiff (though I did one, I will never post it for I am shamed). What if somewhere down the road, it gets dug up by an employer or something!? Internet detectives never miss that kind of thing!

"sushikitten why did you draw a fox performing oral sex on an inebriated whale"
"well sir, I got paid..."
"sushikitten i am sorry but this is disgusting"

EXACTLY

When I was at Gencon they had portfolio reviews, where you sign up for a time slot of, I dunno, 15 minutes and talk over your portfolio with an industry art director or something.

Can you imagine some of the artists on here going into one of those with their FA gallery?

I mean yeah a lot of these artists draw stuff other than fuzz pron but yeah. Some artists who are awesome at furry stuff can't draw humans for shiz.

I know, I saw one at Gencon *facepalm*

Pft. You're one of the best artists I know. I LOVE your stuff, and because you dont draw yiff, I can put it up as a desktop and not worry about who comes over and who can see it. It's gorgeous stuff. You have wonderful style. Yiff does not a good artist make.

Thanks so much :P I like sensual pics, and I like nudes (while nudes may not be entirely "work-safe" they're a heck of a lot more acceptable than, er, yeah. A lot of things I've seen)

It's my goal to be an illustrator, and I don't know of many books that call for fap material. They're out there, but yeah.

Oh definitely. Your nudes are -beautiful- and tasteful. Besides I love your style. It's not seen a lot.

I've never really gone beyond an "R" rating her, myself. Not much beyond.

I don't RP. I don't loan out my characters. I don't want to have even imaginary sex with someone just because they tossed me a couple bucks.

I think there is a degree of separation between your average furry and your average furry artist. For a furry, it's a lifestyle choice. For a furry artist, it's really more of a subject matter. It may relate to the lifestyle and, undoubtedly, some furry artists are, themselves, furries, but that doesn't mean, like in any subculture, that all conditions apply to all people in or around the community.

Oh and \"yiff\" is not all furry art just as portraits are not traditional media art.

Yes, this is true, and I am being a little sterotypical. I know a few furs who really aren't into all the yiff stuff. It's the ones who are who are louder about it :P

I just don't like people finding out I'm a fur, or a furry artist, and immediately associating me with these people...

It's an unfortunate thing, but there are stereotypes that go with every kind of person you can be. Sometimes you have to shrug off the ignorance of others and sometimes you have to beat that ignorance with an information stick.

Don't let some derelict be a reason to be discouraged. There are those that have as much tact as a thumbtack, which should not be a sole reason for anything. Do what you do that you find entertaining for yourself and fun, and forget about the idiocy of those that have no sense of respect.

Thanks Verm :P

I saw that kid again later in the week, he tried to talk to me but I brushed him off as politely as I could :P

My pleasure. I've learned at an early age (9) that just because things don't go the way you want it to shouldn't change your thoughts about things that you enjoy doing. That's like playing with your favorite toy and only stopping because someone makes lewd remarks about that toy and their thoughts about anyone that plays with it. No ones' thoughts should come before your own, especially if it's not going to benefit yourself on a personal and longevity level. If you really bend to someone else's whim, you might as well surrender your Freedom of Choice and become a Marionette. Nothing more than someone's play thing that works when given motion and can be just as easily taken advantage of or destroyed.

Don't be the puppet, be your own Puppeteer.

Buttraep! Hyper Herm! Cub Vore Scat!

I Kitty needs not these things.

I would RATHER look at pinups and erotica.
I Want Art, not 50 gallons of Spoooge

I want to see LOVE in the eyes of two holding hands.
I want tender caring kisses
I want Cuddles
I want some one to hold me tight at night and tell me that it's going to be alright in the morning!

um, oops... yeah.

I meant in the pictures, yeah, that's what I meant.

I want art that moves me.

if I wanted anal tentical raep hyper vore scat... I'd read hustler trash-magazine.

playboy(or playgirl) centerfolds, 40's pinup's, and the like.

I wantz my artz

I AGREE WITH THIS POST

Tasteful erotica, subtle prons....that sort of thing = OK by sushi-k

I am NOT judging furs/artists that do pron/hyper/herm or other stuff.

if it's well done, that's nice.

but I like artwork

heck, I've even +fav'd pron that was REALLY well done.

That really disgusts me, what that kid said to you. I am also not a porn artist and refuse to do any pornographic artwork for others, so omg that makes me mad that some furries value porn over art. You're one of my favorite artists and it pisses me off that people here can't appreciate you as well. Please know that there are some of us in this community who care about your artwork.

Thanks Ru ;) That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

I have the same thing. I got to the point where I made a seperate account for my Pin-ups. I prefer clean art.
But because of that I have.. like .2 watchers XD

I draw pin-ups or something like that every once in a while... but its not mainly what I aim for.
I really don't care if I get any watches at all. :P I just draw whatever I want, if they like it great!
If they don't who cares!
But yeah its pretty retarded that they said that to you. :\
And your art is AMAZING/AWESOME! so you shouldn't care either.
You are one of my favorite artist on here!

Totally understand what you mean.

people who want to see your art only for the porn are just perv. i think hey dont mind if it is well done. being porn, i think even a ms paint pic would make them happy. you have to pay attention on the people who really are interested in your art. also as i always says, this site is not only for porn its for anthro art. and i prefer a sexy adn teaser pic you know. and i know you make some really sensual pic.

I understand your frustration, but I don't really care if I'm popular or not, so it doesn't get to me too much. :)

Porn is a way to get popular but it's not the only way. I've drawn maybe a dozen pieces that are really in that territory, over the course of two decades of involvement in the fandom. Some artists who I like to look at draw lots of raunchy stuff; some don't.

I really have not identified myself as 'a furry' for at least half of that time. I like drawing animal-head people but I draw them for myself and my friends, not for J. Random Fan.

I guess I can't really blame you.

But I want you to know something.

Their are FURRIES, and then there are FUR-FAGS.

Furry: A person who enjoys the fandom, shares in it and is proud of it.

Fur-Fag: A person who is only in the fandom to get off, not giving a crap about the artist or other members. ONLY WANTS PORN AND DRAMA. Fur-fags have no respect for others and no life. (And no, the term "fur-fag" has nothing to do with a person's sexuality that's a common misconception and I had this confirmed by a real "b-tard")

You're art is wonderful and you are a true furry. Don't let the fur-fags cause you to abandon the REAL furries.


Note: In case you happen to go through my gallery, I draw porn because I LIKE to, but I draw what I want, not what people want to see. >>;

"At AC I was hanging out with some kid who asked to see my FA gallery, and he was super disappointed. "Where's the porn?" he asked."

Who?

While he didnt say "where's the porn" he said something along the lines of "don't you have anything....like....mature? You know" *giggle* *mouthbreathes*

Me: Um no, just pinups

Him: *super disappointed* Ohhhh....okay...?


His actual name I sent in a note, just in case you wanna check him out.

I've shared my thoughts on this already.

But, yeah. I think I've drawn...two pieces of porn? And I didn't feel right about them, in the end--even though I drew them as a sort of 'thank you' to a friend for all the pieces she's done for ME.

In the end, you draw what YOU wanna draw, not what the shit-spewing masses want you to do. They want porn? Tell'em to draw it themselves.

i would laughed and said whatever

it up to you what to draw

Honestly, most of my watched list does not draw porn, and if they do, it's not that I fap and or/yiff off to it. I enjoy erotica pics too. Some of my favorite artists do not post porn (coffinberry, silverone, miyabita_cheetah to name a few).
So don't feel like it's hopeless, there are people on this site that do not care only about porn.

well uuuuhhhhhhhh i like drawing porn, but as people have told me over and over again, it's not typical 'fandom' porn. In that, its not usually super graphic/crazy closeups/super polished idealistic figures blahblah. And i'm punished for it - with lack of viewership.

the only reason i'd want to be popular is the possibility of getting moar commissions, which would allow me to stand clear of a "real job" for as long as possible =3

But i don't really care that much. Also, the best "furry artist" is like being the smarted retarded person. HAVE HIGHER GOALS.

The most awesome "furry" artists aren't exclusively furry; neither is it just "porn" they're drawing, rather, it's exploration of sexuality/sensuality, which is fascinating and still very much a topic in popular culture.

also, shut up you rock hard <3

I feel the same sometimes, and I've been becoming more distant from the community because of it. A lot of art communities have felt less...'art' oriented, and more like social networking sites & popularity contests.
As an artist, I would love to be able to make a decent amount of money off of my art [who wouldn't?], but in this fandom it almost seems like the only way to do that is to completely sell out and draw blatant porn.
Personally, I like pin-ups, erotica, tasteful stuff, but it seems so rare in comparison.
I struggle sometimes with the idea; should I continue to do what I enjoy, and hope that there is an audience out there that will enjoy it? Or should I just get over myself, draw some porn, and make some money?
On one hand, I could use the money, but I feel like I would always think less of myself for abandoning my 'integrity' for something so petty...

I've seen so many artists fall into that, after seeming to have been against it for a long time. Of course they make money, but the art has no soul.

I have nothing against people who draw porn & enjoy it, or whathaveyou, but it just doesn't sit right with me when I see someone do it simply for popularity.

This is really disjointed, so I apologize for that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that its a conflict many people in this fandom face. I've decided that money & popularity isn't important enough to me to sell my soul - so to speak - for it.

I'm just gonna keep doing what I like, and hope it works out for me. :]

Personally, the weird stuff is the quickest way to turn me OFF of an artist. ;p

I wantonly upload entirly nonsexual images of humans. Am I the biggest furry pervert of all, or what?

There are 617 people aside from myself who enjoy your porn-less work, and those are just the ones who are registered on the site.

Personally, popularity isn't one of my goals (and with it usually comes all sorts of drama anyways) so I'm just happy to know there's an audience for my work at all. So long as you enjoy drawing anthro art, keep at it. No one has to draw porn to develop a fanbase. :3

I'm sorry you had to hear such a discouraging comment, though. It's bad enough when you have to read negative comments, I can't imagine having to hear one. :/

Some people's art doesn't translate well into porn. I think my style is one such example.

I've tried drawing porn, but it's uncomfortable for me to look at later and I don't think it's appealing to the eye. Just not something I'd ever waht to show off and I'm not comfortable with the idea of drawing something explict for anyone other then myself. (If I was to ever make another attempt, no one here would ever know, it would be a treat for my boyfriend and no one else.)

Shit like that's private to me.

I don't care about being popular, I just am happy people like my style. I'm happy enough with those few that appriciate what I do.

Maybe one day I'll do something erotic for someone... but only if it really really speaks to me.

I sympathize... Its SO hard to get attention if your not drawing soulvore or inflation or some weird thing... If I draw sex, in the furry term, its got to have a huge dong, huge chest or maybe even some herms. Ech. I say no. I like to draw my version of sexy stuff, And thats pretty normal. If you look in my galler you can see I've experimented with it but its not really more than pinups.

Furriness has been linked to sexuality since its inception, when one of the first promoters of anthropomorphic entertainment decided to market it to a demographic he was already very well connected to and comfortable working with... the clubgoing gay population of San Francisco and the bay area.

I can sympathize, and I've always hated the fact that people felt the need to think of anthropomorphism as an automatically-porny, automatically-ultrakinky thing... but as my few pieces of writing I've put up are mostly smuttish, I'm afraid I feel bound a bit to respond. >_< Eh, at least I'm not in denial about the fact that it's all inherently absurd.

It's obvious (from just the topmost art in your gallery here) that you are a very skilled artist who would be able to find a niche in any sort of genre art field. You've chosen to participate in the "furry" community. Now you are discovering that not every furry fan (or the art they <favorite>) is delightful. Furry fandom is not an ideal community. You've discovered that there are parts you may not want to embrace.

It happens. You can see in these comments that there are other artists here who pick and choose who and what bits of furry fandom they want to associate with.

There were artists that liked to draw anthro-critters before there was a furry fandom. Furry fandom accumulated around them. The artists may have been surprised to find out all those furry fans were fans of "furry" rather than fans of furry art.... Artists doing fur-art don't always have the same needs that furry fans do. (I think that there is more and more overlap as time goes on)

I've read other comments elsewhere: Furry fans can always find some furry stories and images in mainstream media. They can't get furry exotic sex there. Furry fans who want yiffy images will favorite & pay for yiffart from furry artists, because they can't easily get it elsewhere. Now that is considered the norm for the furry fan community.

Buttraep! Hyper! Herm! Cub! Vore! Scat! TAUR?!?!?!?!

But seriously you are a talented and original legit artist with an education in art. So why should you do something that you consider icky. If someone MS paints a renomon getting it on with a picachu and it gets more faves big freaking deal. What type of furson prefers that over your stuff, mouthbreathers thats who. Just look at the response you got, over 35 comments in way under a day. People are watching you they just aren't lighting up your shout page because they aren't internet addicted perverts who only express their personalities with the anonymous power of the internet.

Yes lame as it is it's the truth porn = popular but this is the internet after all. Just don't distance yourself to far from the furs or I'll get sad, just take a break or something. Truth is I took two years off when I was 22-24 when I got back the entire thing had exploded don't quit now just think of this fandumb in 2010.

I'll be honest. Some times I won't watch someone if they draw just pin-ups and no porn. But thats because regular pin-ups are a boring tease. When an artist draws a variety of different subjects (Creature designs, environments, conceptual work, etc.) or draws pin-ups in a way that it's interesting (your style for example, which is quite unique) then they're worth watching.

Just plain Jane pinups are like hinting to possible porn, but when you mix it up with unique coloring, textures, and other stylizing, it's not just a pin-up, it's a piece of art that speaks to the viewer.

If you're looking for a community that has NO idiots in it, good luck. :)

Personally I haven't posted smut in a long time and I still have an audience, FWIW! Not that I'm cool or sucessful!

Oh thank GOD, someone who feels as alienated as me when it comes to EVERYONE expecting you to draw the most scummy shit, and being disappointed that you don't do that kind of work. It's really depressing, especially seeing other artists turn to it so young for the attention and money. Unfortunately, FA is a furry fap fest, and from everything I've so far understood cons are so people with fucked up fetishes can meet and have promiscuous sex. I know that's not always the case, but it's hard to avoid your opinion and appreciation of "furries" dropping pretty sharply. For example, I'm sure I never needed some psycho from VCL trying to talk me into drawing female ejaculation horse furry porn every time I logged on to AIM, when I was around 13. This fandom has a tendency of tainting everything it touches. However, I absolutely LOVE your work, and I would encourage you to keep doing your pin-ups and softer stuff- honestly if I had enough money I'd already have commissioned you by now. Don't give up on your art, and don't let this little slice of internet "fandumb" get you down. You rock.

I'm quite comfortable drawing porn, even some of the weirder stuff, but it certainly doesn't make up the majority of my gallery. I like suggestive and erotic pieces more, because frankly they're easier to draw. I've never been out to become 'popular' by drawing adult stuff. It just doesn't bother me. o.o Honestly, some of my most popular pieces have been the absolutely LEAST sexual things I've drawn: kid pics. Y'know. Sugary-cute stuff. I'm not the least bit embarrassed by the fact that I'm willing to draw adult work, but I've noticed sales trends over the years. General rated and mild erotica sell better for me in art shows. I get more private commissions for porn.

I refuse to draw porn D:<

I too refuse to draw hardcore porn, even though I have before.... Pinups are <3

Now if someone said that to me, I would be beating them to a pulp X3

Violence may not be the answer, but sometimes, depending on the situation, it's my answer ; _ ;

I think your art is fantastic, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be watching you. You have a unique style, and I love unique. :3

"Bloomin' Penis!"

EXACTLY!

I'm not very familiar with the subtle workings of the fandom. I've been doing comics and art for years and drawing anthros has always been at least a part of it. When I started to explore the furry work online I was really shocked by how much of it was overtly porn.

Recently I posted one image that was hardcore. I drew it one night out of the blue and posted it up. But I took it back down a day later. I was experimenting. I wanted to see if that was something I was interested exploring. Turns out it isn't.

I do have a 5 page erotic comic in my FA gallery but it's quite softcore.

I'm like you. I don't have a problem with other folks doing it, and I enjoy looking at some of it. But I'm not really interested in doing it myself. I prefer a good Heavy Metal style where nudity is common and not always in the service of sexual titillation.

You have beautiful art, BTW. "Cliodhna" is breathtaking!