Hi, I'm RJ (Male, 29 years old, engaged to the amazing @barbatusart). I make a lot of art based on BG3 and (most recently) KCD2 that range across many genres - but I'm probably mainly known for the humorous comics and spicy stuff. You will also often see my character DU drow (explanation for the name in the FAQ) included in it! He's the big, scarred up gray fella.
I occasionally venture into delicate topics when discussing character lore and history, though I try to always be sensitive regarding the same.
TWITCH WHERE I STREAM SOMETIMES: twitch.tv/meanboss14
PSA: I get a lot of asks and unfortunately cannot answer them all 😔
Anyway, here's the guy of the hour:
🚨FAQ BELOW🚨
Q: Does your Durge have a name?
A: Nope! I named him "drow" when I played the game because I didn't feel like thinking up anything special. His lack of a name has become part of the character's lore and you will find him to always be tagged with "DU drow", or referred to as The Drow or just Drow.
Q: Can I draw/write something with one of your characters, a scene from your story, or any of your characters interacting with mine/other characters? And can it be NSFW in nature?
A: YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN, AND I'LL BE DELIGHTED TO SEE IT IF YOU CARE TO SHARE. I'm equally fine with NSFW as long as everyone involved (in the art and otherwise) is an adult.
Q: Where can I read your BG3 fan-fiction? And what is it about?
A: Right here! The main plot follows DU Drow, Astarion, and Shadowheart on a new adventure that fractures into a couple of different directions, but mainly focuses on the aftermath of the spawn that Astarion has released and the personal development of the main cast, alongside a number of original characters that get involved in the narrative. My goal was to create a kind of "DLC" experience, so you can expect a lot of themes that parallel the main game.
Q: What drawing software/tablet/brushes do you use?
A: I draw on a Wacom Cintiq 22, using Clip Studio Pro. I switch around brushes quite often but most of what I use comes from the True Grit packs and the DAUB super-bundle.
Q: Have you gone to art school or taken a class/course?
A: No and no, I've just been drawing for a long time.
Q: Are you American/British?
A: Neither! English is my second language.
Q: Why do you hate x character?
A: I have never said that I hate any characters, but I have described why my character(s) may not get along with them or even deeply dislike them. Those are two very different things.
So, I’m currently working on a BG3 fic and wanted to ask your permission to borrow DU Drow a little for it? I’m not planning on making my work public at the moment (since I recently had to private everything due of toxic fandom) but I also felt a little weird including him without asking you first. And if I change my mind and ever make the fic public, I’ll definitely link it for you. Ps.I absolute love your art.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Literally unless you are claiming to be me OR claiming to have created him OR profiting off of his design (not something I'm automatically against, but I would like to be involved if that were to be the case) my automatic answer to this kind of stuff is always a resounding yes!
So I sent an ask to @meanbossart asking how DU Drow would react to someone crocheting him something. Expanding on that, I think Zephyr would be good at making one size of a sweater, and struggle to change sizes (like me), and she uses Drow as a mannequin. The ones that don’t fit him go to the others in the party. Astarion has three.
I've been a straight man my whole life. Your art makes me question myself.
I will take that as a compliment!
But I will also take it as an opportunity to share that I am a gay man who is not only engaged to a very typically "masc" guy, but who also has had no interest in interacting with a woman in a sexual or romantic context since the hormonal mayhem of teenhood ceased. Yet, I really enjoy drawing them in erotically charged scenarios (see: my two M/F nsfw comics).
i am deeply curious as to what du drow's turn offs are. like obvs gnarly feet are one, but what broader traits, physically and especially personality/vibes wise make someone an instant pass for him?
I recently came across an ask that you answered about Hans and Henry’s relationship, more specifically, where you imagined it going. I recently had a break-up, and it really struck me as comforting for you to say in that post that relationships have a sort of inevitable end, and that finding their finitude to make them worthless to be a grim outlook; it’s what I’ve been thinking myself, and it sort of feels like someone telling me that I’m on the right track.
I know you likely didn’t imagine saying that as a means of comforting someone, but thank you. I think it’s really indicative of how beautifully impactful even things as silly as a headcanon, or a simple discussion of fiction can be. Thank you for the art you make, and the words you share.
I'm sorry to hear about your breakup, but I'm glad that my perspective was reassuring to you! Honestly, while it may not have been my specific goal to preach or comfort anyone, I am always hopeful that my ideas will at least get someone to introspect about the topics discussed more deeply than they maybe had before, even if to ultimately disagree with me.
The slight persistence with which I explained my opinion in that particular post as was, in fact, a soft response to a rare few comments I saw/received pertaining that particular pairing; ones that dictated that anything but a life-long, modern-standard of romance and commitment was unacceptable for them, to the point where my slightly more "relaxed" definition of their relationship was interpreted as me minimizing it's impact - an outlook that can in fact express itself IRL and make navigating relationships more distressing than it has to be. So, in a way, I guess that I did have a goal to reach out to someone!
hello, im the arabella and pregnancy kink anon. i do want to apologize if my previous ask sounded like i had interest in your kinks or private life - i dont and the questions were not made with that purpose. it was made with the intention to know more of the drow character and why he has those kinks specifically. regardless, i do see how those questions would make someone uncorfortable, so im sorry about them.
Hi! I haven’t gotten to that question yet, but I just wanted you to know that that post wasn't about you.
It is usually safe for anyone to assume that when I make a post like that, it is because there have been *several* instances of the thing happening by that point, so unless your message/interaction very explicitly fits the description, the post will be in reference to a general issue rather than 1 specific incident or person.
Me creating explicit art and discussing fictional character's sexualities,
=/=
Me welcoming questions or comments about any aspects of my intimate life or sexual proclivities.
I love your compositions so much! Composition is my weakest point as an artist, I’m curious if you have any tips/recommendations/things you do/exercises? I want to learn from people who are doing it well!
Fortunately, composition is technically VERY simple! The hard thing about it is training your brain to actually stick to the "rules" that are, in retrospect, obvious.
These are the pillars of composition to me:
-Have your focus be the center of the frame.
-Lead the eye from the focus to secondary details through the use of color and positioning.
-Everything else in the picture simply does not matter that much.
Common mistakes:
-Overdetailing everything regardless of the plane it's on or position in the frame.
-Nailing the composition, but picking light that shifts the focus away from the subject unintentionally.
-Awkward cut-offs at the edges.
Here are some of my pieces and how I applied that theory to them - I'm not saying they're to be upheld as perfect examples of composition! Rather I just want to show my thinking in practice:
(Notice that despite being in the background and having way less detail, Astarion is still the focus point due to his color palette!)
(feat. Devlin by @ejoym)
Like I said, it's mostly about changing the way that you THINK while drawing and holding back from overdoing things when there is no need to. It's a skill you develop by being present while you practice, and doing a little bit of planning before even touching pen-to-paper. In time, it becomes second-nature.
This should go without saying, also, but rules are made to be broken! There are instances where doing the opposite of everything I just said can be VERY effective, but it takes understanding the base theory of such things first to apply these exceptions correctly.
