Questions from a new NSFW Artist :)

[stellatae]

Hi everyone!

I want to start this by mentioning it's my first time posting here so if I mess up somehow I apologize!

I am a brand new digital artist who has just started a little over 2 months ago and I can see myself improving. I started with SFW works, and still do them, but I've fallen in love with NSFW (/Fetish) works in general and I really enjoy bringing some new art to places.

One of my biggest issues is that I use reference photos to help with portions, as I struggle on my own, but I can't see to find anything anywhere. I use to help just with the structure of the body, like how someone is standing, and all that. I have a few specific questions but also some general ones. I have ADHD and have a hard time sitting and watching hour-long videos even though I very much want to.


The Specific Questions

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)
• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)
• What website do you post your art on?
• What website do you use for commissions?
• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

General Questions

• How did you learn to draw Anthro/Furry art? (I would love to but I'm unsure how to learn)
• How does one make artist friends? (I'm so socially awkward)

I know I have more but the second I got ready to write this I forgot everything omg! Thank you to anyone who answers

Some of my (SFW) Art :3 (some of my nsfw is uploaded on my fur affinity account with the same username!)

 

[Faustus]

I'll do my best to answer those questions, but keep in mind that I'm not the best artist on FA, and some of my answers may be subjective. Anyway:

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)

I don't know of one specifically made for this purpose, but one option would be to use Blender (a 3D rendering app) and its cloth deformation tools to simulate it using a free 3D model from somewhere like TurboSquid. This would require a fair amount of knowledge of how to use a 3D app and you'd need to learn how to best use the cloth simulation and character posing tools, but I honestly can't think of an alternative that would work better, either free OR paid! It might be easier and more useful to look for artist's references on the subject. I bet there's a lot of tutorials around showing how to draw the way that clothes hang.

• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)

Your Google-fu must be weak if you can't find porn on the Internet! Honestly, it's not difficult to find sites with dirty videos that you can screenshot or freeze-frame, even ones that don't require membership or money. For more Furry-specific fetishes like Macro, Vore and Inflation, I'd suggest just browsing through Fur Affinity's gallery site with the NSFW filter turned off.

• What website do you post your art on?

Mostly www.furaffinity.net - here's my little gallery, for what it's worth:

Userpage of Doktor_Zeus -- Fur Affinity [dot] net

Fur Affinity | For all things fluff, scaled, and feathered!

www.furaffinity.net

Sometimes I also use DeviantArt, but I've gone cold on that place.

• What website do you use for commissions?

I've only ever tried to do commissions once or twice and had no takers. I don't think I can charge enough to make it worth my while, while at the same time charging a low enough price to attract customers. It's a crowded market and only a handful of the most popular artists benefit. Being willing to draw fetish art will be a big benefit to you though. Most of the commissions that don't immediately go to a well-known artist feature content that many such artists would not be willing to draw.

• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

Badly. Sorry, can't help with that one. The only tip I can give is start by sketching the character naked and add the clothes afterward.

• How did you learn to draw Anthro/Furry art? (I would love to but I'm unsure how to learn)

I started by copying other people's reference pictures, then moved onto trying to do them in different poses, then finally characters of my own. I often use reference pictures of real animals rather than anthropomorphic ones. I don't know if that's any help to you.

• How does one make artist friends? (I'm so socially awkward)

You're probably in the right kind of place for that. A good Discord forum might be another option, since Discord is more about instantaneous conversation you'll get more of a feeling of camaraderie. The trick is finding the right one. I've tried a few Furry social platforms and so far they either dwindle away over time, or are full of people who only care about selling their own art and not about what others are making. If you DO find a good one, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[Faustus]

Oh, I forgot to say, welcome!

 

[Judge Spear]

So, first things first...

One of my biggest issues is that I use reference photos to help with portions

Drop this mindset.
One of your biggest advantages is that you use photo reference. I will, until the day I am buried and into the afterlife, tell every new artist to not even question the use of reference and to not stop using it.

It is not cheating.
It is not to be ashamed of.
It is not a crutch.
It does not stifle learning.

It IS learning. And as you get better you should and will use more of it. Professionals will all tell you the same thing. If you don't feel like using it from time to time, sure. But it should be a *reflex* to reach for reference when drawing. You are correct 100% of the time to use reference for any and every situation and do not ever in your life second guess your abilities because you have. Anyone who tells you otherwise is demonstrably, objectively wrong. Tell them Judge Spear on forums.furaffinty.net will gladly tell them directly they are wrong.

Use reference.

The Specific Questions

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)
• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)
• What website do you post your art on?
• What website do you use for commissions?
• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

General Questions

• How did you learn to draw Anthro/Furry art? (I would love to but I'm unsure how to learn)
• How does one make artist friends? (I'm so socially awkward)

I know I have more but the second I got ready to write this I forgot everything omg! Thank you to anyone who answers

Some of my (SFW) Art :3 (some of my nsfw is uploaded on my fur affinity account with the same username!)

1) You don't really need a poser program for clothing. And if there is one, if it's any good it's probably expensive because being able to dynamically simulate that sort of thing accurately would not be an easy process to code. There's a reason clothing ruffles are often their own baked in textures or hard modeled into clothes. If you need something, you're better off looking at other 3D animators online and taking screenshots of their work. Like Serge3dx (NSFW). Alternatively you would just be better off the old fashion way and pull up photo reference or looking at art of professionals. Marble sculptures are extremely good to learn really advanced drapery skills and there's plenty of stock photo reference that focus on this. All of this is what I do or have done and I'm generally considered by my peers and followers to be at least above average with clothing.

Spoiler: Examples

Clothing physics really comes down to understanding where there is tension in the cloth and how gravity is pulling them down in relation to how form fitting they are. Be mindful of the thickness of the fabric. Larger, fewer, bulkier creases denotes thicker clothes. Finer, more repeating folds mean thinner fabric. Just study it a bit and it's one of those things that gets waaay less intimidating really quick. As for details (zippers, buttons, seams, stitching, belt loops, cuffs, pockets, etc) that's just going to come from paying attention and mileage. I don't really do anything special to learn. It really was just understanding general drapery to an extent.

2) I don't know what fetishes you're into (and I don't want to) so I don't know about NSFW reference hubs that would be useful for you specifically. There's very few reference emporiums beyond nudity of generic skinny models in artsy poses. Just watch your favorite porn and take screenshots to build up a library. That's one of the best ways to learn a lot of anatomy. But be mindful about the camera tricks a lot of it does. I like drawing very vanilla pinups of women so I pull from Instagram girls that suit my taste.

3) Aside from FA, Itaku has a very good commission layout. https://itaku.ee/home

4) You can learn anthro work by pulling from people you like, shows you grew up on, games you play. Take favored elements from those and build foundational skills by drawing real things as well.

This isn't my main schtick but I was pulling from mid 90's Disney for a bit.

Spoiler: Example

There's a nostalgic seduction to the way cartoon women of the 80's and 90's were presented that I've always loved. I took preexisting skills and tried to build on them with what I liked from the exaggerated design philosophies of that era. And it doesn't hurt to study the actual animal when you need help diversifying your shapes.

And making art friends? Just the same way you make any friends. It's no different.

Lastly, some advice that will sound unintuitive, but I need you to burn into the back of your mind.
Do not focus on the metrics. The numbers are worthless. A fleeting dopamine burst. You are not a YouTuber making the ill advised decision of making that your primary and sole source of income.

Be consistent and get good at a niche that YOU enjoy. This will ensure a following and you don't need to focus on it *any* further than that.

 

[kokamugithu]

The Specific Questions

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)

i dont have any specific program, for that i bought a cloth and set it to form any shape i want..i rarely did this tho..

• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)

you know...that website kids shouldnt come in, just watch it and paused on desired pose they did..

• What website do you post your art on?

currently mostly only on deviantart, newgrounds and lately furaffinity..

• What website do you use for commissions?

deviantart..

• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

idk if there is a short answer to this...but i think people explained it better than i do..

i cant answer the general question cause i have no fren ;'(

you might benefit from bridgman series that has been posted lately by Mr. Marshall Vandruff. sir is way too kind, making it free on youtube. sir is one of the leading art teacher in the world, have portfolio of guiding students from all over the world, many of them are renowned art directors and senior artists. his class is designed to be easy to digest, even for novice artist.he is very welcoming, and gives more than we expected..i couldnt endorse him enough...i am one that benefited from his class although because of social anxiety i havent directly interacted with him...sir is too kind, i couldnt repeat this enough..

 

[stellatae]

I'll do my best to answer those questions, but keep in mind that I'm not the best artist on FA, and some of my answers may be subjective. Anyway:

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)

I don't know of one specifically made for this purpose, but one option would be to use Blender (a 3D rendering app) and its cloth deformation tools to simulate it using a free 3D model from somewhere like TurboSquid. This would require a fair amount of knowledge of how to use a 3D app and you'd need to learn how to best use the cloth simulation and character posing tools, but I honestly can't think of an alternative that would work better, either free OR paid! It might be easier and more useful to look for artist's references on the subject. I bet there's a lot of tutorials around showing how to draw the way that clothes hang.

• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)

Your Google-fu must be weak if you can't find porn on the Internet! Honestly, it's not difficult to find sites with dirty videos that you can screenshot or freeze-frame, even ones that don't require membership or money. For more Furry-specific fetishes like Macro, Vore and Inflation, I'd suggest just browsing through Fur Affinity's gallery site with the NSFW filter turned off.

• What website do you post your art on?

Mostly www.furaffinity.net - here's my little gallery, for what it's worth:

Userpage of Doktor_Zeus -- Fur Affinity [dot] net

Fur Affinity | For all things fluff, scaled, and feathered!

www.furaffinity.net

Sometimes I also use DeviantArt, but I've gone cold on that place.

• What website do you use for commissions?

I've only ever tried to do commissions once or twice and had no takers. I don't think I can charge enough to make it worth my while, while at the same time charging a low enough price to attract customers. It's a crowded market and only a handful of the most popular artists benefit. Being willing to draw fetish art will be a big benefit to you though. Most of the commissions that don't immediately go to a well-known artist feature content that many such artists would not be willing to draw.

• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

Badly. Sorry, can't help with that one. The only tip I can give is start by sketching the character naked and add the clothes afterward.

• How did you learn to draw Anthro/Furry art? (I would love to but I'm unsure how to learn)

I started by copying other people's reference pictures, then moved onto trying to do them in different poses, then finally characters of my own. I often use reference pictures of real animals rather than anthropomorphic ones. I don't know if that's any help to you.

• How does one make artist friends? (I'm so socially awkward)

You're probably in the right kind of place for that. A good Discord forum might be another option, since Discord is more about instantaneous conversation you'll get more of a feeling of camaraderie. The trick is finding the right one. I've tried a few Furry social platforms and so far they either dwindle away over time, or are full of people who only care about selling their own art and not about what others are making. If you DO find a good one, I'd like to hear about it.

Everyone was so nice in their replies it has made my day so much. I did manage to google fairly well but I questioned screenshotting like is this a thing others do so thank you for affirming that I'm not weird or cheating or something by doing that.

I peaked at your art and oh my gosh, you are fantastic, I am amazed holy!

This made me giggle a bit. My friend asked me why so much NSFW and my first thought was "I hate drawing clothes"

And if I do, I'll let you know, because frick. I've had a hard time finding people just to chat with, and talk about random life things and art things. I'd love to throw questions as people I talk to but only my best friend draws and she does all SFW. So, thank you again so much, for taking the time to reply and for answering all my questions piece by piece. If you're looking for a friend, I'm always open ^>^

 

[stellatae]

So, first things first...



Drop this mindset.
One of your biggest advantages is that you use photo reference. I will, until the day I am buried and into the afterlife, tell every new artist to not even question the use of reference and to not stop using it.

It is not cheating.
It is not to be ashamed of.
It is not a crutch.
It does not stifle learning.

It IS learning. And as you get better you should and will use more of it. Professionals will all tell you the same thing. If you don't feel like using it from time to time, sure. But it should be a *reflex* to reach for reference when drawing. You are correct 100% of the time to use reference for any and every situation and do not ever in your life second guess your abilities because you have. Anyone who tells you otherwise is demonstrably, objectively wrong. Tell them Judge Spear on forums.furaffinty.net will gladly tell them directly they are wrong.

Use reference.



1) You don't really need a poser program for clothing. And if there is one, if it's any good it's probably expensive because being able to dynamically simulate that sort of thing accurately would not be an easy process to code. There's a reason clothing ruffles are often their own baked in textures or hard modeled into clothes. If you need something, you're better off looking at other 3D animators online and taking screenshots of their work. Like Serge3dx (NSFW). Alternatively you would just be better off the old fashion way and pull up photo reference or looking at art of professionals. Marble sculptures are extremely good to learn really advanced drapery skills and there's plenty of stock photo reference that focus on this. All of this is what I do or have done and I'm generally considered by my peers and followers to be at least above average with clothing.

Spoiler: Examples

Clothing physics really comes down to understanding where there is tension in the cloth and how gravity is pulling them down in relation to how form fitting they are. Be mindful of the thickness of the fabric. Larger, fewer, bulkier creases denotes thicker clothes. Finer, more repeating folds mean thinner fabric. Just study it a bit and it's one of those things that gets waaay less intimidating really quick. As for details (zippers, buttons, seams, stitching, belt loops, cuffs, pockets, etc) that's just going to come from paying attention and mileage. I don't really do anything special to learn. It really was just understanding general drapery to an extent.

2) I don't know what fetishes you're into (and I don't want to) so I don't know about NSFW reference hubs that would be useful for you specifically. There's very few reference emporiums beyond nudity of generic skinny models in artsy poses. Just watch your favorite porn and take screenshots to build up a library. That's one of the best ways to learn a lot of anatomy. But be mindful about the camera tricks a lot of it does. I like drawing very vanilla pinups of women so I pull from Instagram girls that suit my taste.

3) Aside from FA, Itaku has a very good commission layout. https://itaku.ee/home

4) You can learn anthro work by pulling from people you like, shows you grew up on, games you play. Take favored elements from those and build foundational skills by drawing real things as well.

This isn't my main schtick but I was pulling from mid 90's Disney for a bit.

Spoiler: Example

View attachment 129850View attachment 129852

There's a nostalgic seduction to the way cartoon women of the 80's and 90's were presented that I've always loved. I took preexisting skills and tried to build on them with what I liked from the exaggerated design philosophies of that era. And it doesn't hurt to study the actual animal when you need help diversifying your shapes.

And making art friends? Just the same way you make any friends. It's no different.

Lastly, some advice that will sound unintuitive, but I need you to burn into the back of your mind.
Do not focus on the metrics. The numbers are worthless. A fleeting dopamine burst. You are not a YouTuber making the ill advised decision of making that your primary and sole source of income.

Be consistent and get good at a niche that YOU enjoy. This will ensure a following and you don't need to focus on it *any* further than that.

I'm planning on reading through and responding to your response more in-depth. I had to say something before all that. The amount of happiness I got from the drop that mindset and the affirmations. I legit almost started crying (good crying) and I just keep scrolling up and re-reading it. I'm going to fully read your response now but seriously, from someone who stresses and judges herself so much, thank you.

 

[Faustus]

If you're looking for a friend, I'm always open ^>^

Can't ever have too many friends. If you need someone to chat to about life or art and you'd prefer to do so in private, feel free to direct message me. I might not reply so quickly though, as I'm probably in a different time zone to you.

 

[ConorHyena]

Hey!

I'm in a bit of the same shoes as you are (having just started out with digital art a few months back) and I'm also currently working more on NSFW materials (one of the main motivator to start drawing was to draw my own smut I will admit). Website wise I use FA like most people (there's not much of my art on there yet, mainly work I commissioned from other artists)

Using references is good and should always be done. If you can't find certain things on either FA or the porn world or need a specific pose - photograph yourself. I have done this in the past and it helps loads.

as others have offered, if you want to talk art or stuff you can always send me a message (either on here or on discord/telegram) I'm glad to help.

 

[Adonisin]

Hiya! I see you've already gotten some answers so far but as a fellow artist with SEVERE ADHD-PI I wanted to offer some advice!

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)

Unironically the best reference for this would be draping any piece of clothing or cloth you have over a chair, ledge, handle, anything to see how it hangs. Try to pay attention to where the folds occur and the main point or points that the folds originate from. It's not as fun as having a program, but it's the only thing that helped me understand clothing folds.

• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)

People have stated the stuff from Google, but there's also p*rnpics.com (replace the * with o). Has tons of stuff and it's categorized.

• What website do you post your art on?

Mainly Reddit and Furaffinity, those are the two places I've found the most traction and success. Reddit is nice because it's easier for new people to discover your stuff.

• What website do you use for commissions?

Reddit and Furaffinity again. I believe I've taken most of my commissions in the past from Reddit, actually.

• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

Going back to my response to the first question: set up fabric and look at where the folds are (aka where is gravity having the most effect, where is the fabric pooling, where are the deepest shadows, etc). Pinterest also can be a great place to find clothing references.

Also! For body proportions I HIGHLY recommend you look up Sycra's Easy Anatomy. He has a video for it but you can also find the reference sheet on Google. Changed my life in terms of understanding anatomy because it's simplified just enough that you have all the info you need to get started without feeling overwhelmed. Game changer for my adhd brain lol.

 

[LameFox]

If you're finding refs to be a hindrance you might be using them a bit too literally. I always find refs whenever I draw something but I'm not looking for things that necessarily depict exactly what I'm drawing, they're just to help me figure out how it would work. So for instance I might do a bunch of loose thumbnail sketches of a character doing something, pick one I like and then get refs to help refine the pose and anatomy... but they're not really doing the same thing, or I'd never get anything done. It'll just be something like 'what muscles are visible when an arm is held up like this' or something. Same deal with materials. So I wouldn't use a program for something so specific as how clothes work because that can be pieced together from other sources.

Also relevant when it comes to learning to draw anthros I guess. You have no choice really but to combine separate references for human and animal anatomy.

 

[stellatae]

Hiya! I see you've already gotten some answers so far but as a fellow artist with SEVERE ADHD-PI I wanted to offer some advice!

• Is there a free program that shows you how clothing would act? (ex. if pulled, pinned, etc.)

Unironically the best reference for this would be draping any piece of clothing or cloth you have over a chair, ledge, handle, anything to see how it hangs. Try to pay attention to where the folds occur and the main point or points that the folds originate from. It's not as fun as having a program, but it's the only thing that helped me understand clothing folds.

• Is there a website that has NSFW reference photos? (bonus; what about specific fetish ones?)

People have stated the stuff from Google, but there's also p*rnpics.com (replace the * with o). Has tons of stuff and it's categorized.

• What website do you post your art on?

Mainly Reddit and Furaffinity, those are the two places I've found the most traction and success. Reddit is nice because it's easier for new people to discover your stuff.

• What website do you use for commissions?

Reddit and Furaffinity again. I believe I've taken most of my commissions in the past from Reddit, actually.

• How do you draw clothes and do you have any tips? (I feel like I've managed it ONCE and not again lol)

Going back to my response to the first question: set up fabric and look at where the folds are (aka where is gravity having the most effect, where is the fabric pooling, where are the deepest shadows, etc). Pinterest also can be a great place to find clothing references.

Also! For body proportions I HIGHLY recommend you look up Sycra's Easy Anatomy. He has a video for it but you can also find the reference sheet on Google. Changed my life in terms of understanding anatomy because it's simplified just enough that you have all the info you need to get started without feeling overwhelmed. Game changer for my adhd brain lol.

Everyone has been so fantastic and kind in answering! Thank you so much! Can I bother you what sub's you went to post about your commissions?

 

[neriirazor]

How did you learn to draw Anthro/Furry art?

you learn by seeing what others do and study, but also
this is a link to a book on drawing furries if you find it useful c:

EPUB VIEWER

zlibraries.com

also, welcome <3

 

[kokamugithu]

you learn by seeing what others do and study, but also
this is a link to a book on drawing furries if you find it useful c:

EPUB VIEWER

zlibraries.com

also, welcome <3

thank you so much! i need this!