A great part of this community was always devoted to gentle BDSM art and its wonderful artists. Since Tumblr became a holy place (yes, I'm still mad about it), it's hard to find a place with lots of beautiful pieces depicting lovely interactions in the gentle BDSM realm. Sure, Twitter is there, but the algorithm and search bar make it very hard for you to find stuff on your own, unless you know the artist you're looking for. With this in mind, one of our core goals with this website is to collect samples of gentle BDSM art and showcase a number of artist that produce it. And, if possible, have a word with them to better understand their craft!
That brings us to today's interview, with an artist that I truly adore and have known since I joined the community: Soushiyo!
Soushiyo is a queer American adult/erotic comic artist and illustrator who mainly creates kinky, feel-good art. He makes the romcom webcomic FAMILIAR, a contemporary story about work-life balance, magic spells, and BDSM. You can primarily find him on Twitter but you'll see his art everywhere within the community (hopefully always crediting him for his amazing work).
We had a few questions for him regarding his craft and below you'll find the answers to those, and hopefully go check out his art if you're not acquainted with it yet :3
1) How did you start drawing gentle BDSM?
Honestly I was trying to find a niche that was both interesting and meaningful to me, and I felt like "wholesome" kink and soft domination was a good fit. Create the content you want to see in the world and all that.
2) What body part or object is most interesting to you, to study for your art?
I do a lot of studies on the torso. I think it's a part of the body that is really interesting and elegant.
3) What is your preferred color palette, when you work in color?
Pinks, peaches, magentas, and reds are my comfort zone. I appreciate most colors but I'm most likely to produce casual work in a palette I'm very familiar with because it eliminates a lot of guesswork and tweaking.
4) Do you usually spend hours sketching before doing the line work, or do you like going forward with just minimal preparation?
My general timeline pieces don't get a whole lot of time because it's free content that I need to stay on schedule with, so it's more about getting it out there. Sometimes I'll go back to old pieces and touch them up later. But for commissions and Familiar, my webcomic, I spend a lot more time in prep -- looking at reference photos, mocking up interiors, thumbnailing, etc. 5) Is there something that inspires you while making your art?
Other artists! There are so many talented people out there creating a diverse array of really cool stuff. 6) Which software and hardware (i.e. a drawing tablet) do you use to produce your art?
I use a Huion Kamvas with a Surface Book and a Nintendo Switch joycon for hotkeying. I do most of my post (if applicable) in Photoshop on a desktop machine.
7) Tell us a bit more about your kinky webcomic, "Familiar"! What is it about, where can we read it, when did you start making it?
Familiar is an ongoing webcomic that I started publishing in 2019 (two year anniversary is coming up in September!). It's about an editor who works at a spellbook publishing company and accidentally summons a familiar who helps her get her life back on track using BDSM philosophies. It tackles a lot of contemporary issues like work-life balance, self care, personal boundaries, and so on, and centers on the use of consensual power exchange and other BDSM practices as tools for empowerment and change.
8) What do you enjoy the most about gentle BDSM?
I think there are a lot of ways that BDSM can be explored in storytelling, and to me the soft side of it is examining the function of trust. Trust is so intimate and appealing, and I want to help pave the way for more narrative content that emphasizes the importance of trust and communication in sex and relationships. 9) What were the most positive interactions you have had with the gentle BDSM community?
The support I've received for Familiar has been SO encouraging -- and for my artwork in general, as well. Frankly, knowing that what I'm doing matters means a lot to me! 10) If someone wants to support your work financially or commission you, how can they do it?
I open commissions somewhat infrequently, but always on the first of the month - I will tweet about it in the week prior with news and updates. The best way to support me financially right now, though, is through Patreon -- it's Familiar-centric, but the reliable income is extremely important when I'm deciding whether I can afford to take the time to draw something (whether that's Familiar or misc illustrations). I also have a tip-jar on Gumroad if you'd like to contribute something on a one-off basis. Thank you!
To know more about Soushiyo and see more of his artwork:
You can also check out our art gallery to see some beautiful pieces made by him.
The Gentle Dungeon team would like to thank Soushiyo for granting us the opportunity to interview him and share his work with all of you!
If you are an artist that depicts gentle BDSM content, contact us to know how to get your art displayed here. :3
See you all in the next one! ^_^ - Yersi