Guest Artist Of The Month...Body Lounger

I think his very original work is fun, masculine and downright raunchy with just the perfect amount of humor.
This month, I decided too do sumthin' a little different and contacted BL asking him for a brief interview which he graciously accepted too do:

Bio:

I'm 35 years old. I've been creating art for most of those years. But I didn't discover that I could make a career out art until I went back to school in 2004. Since then I've been working in the TV and film industry. I wish I would have found out my place in this industry sooner. I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

I didn't conceive of BodyLounger.blogspot.com until the begin of this year, 2011. Prior to this I did a lot of experimenting with gay erotica. I finally decided to share my work with the www instead of just taking up space on my hard drive. And the result is what you see today.

1. How did you first get interested in art, both erotic and otherwise?


I'm pretty sure I was born with crayons in my hand. I was always very inventive with a big imagination. Creating stuff was always fun, and still is.

I came across erotic art on the internet a few years ago. That is what probably sparked the idea that I could make images like that too. It was right around the time I was learning all these new digital tools.


2. Can you tell me what interest you artistically, both erotic/non-erotic?


I think fantasy art is intriguing. Dungeons and Dragons. Animation art. Comic book art. Yeah, I can be a geek.

With erotica I like it raw. I like lots of detail, I want to see all the naughty parts. On the flip side, soft and sensual is appealing.

And I like muscle. I case you haven't noticed.

3. How and why did you get into CG?


I think CG was more of a by product of working in the industry. I studied visual arts and classical animation. But getting a job in those areas these days isn't easy. Almost everything is done on the computer now, save, doing concept art work. Even that is done digitally most of the time. My skills with 3D CG was mostly self taught and learned on the job.


4. Tell me about your creative process and the tools and media you use to create with:


My creative process starts with references and being observant. Almost anything can trigger an idea. Sometimes I don't have an idea to start from, so, I might open up Zbrush and just start posing out one of my models. I have a small library of models that I can change up and alter however I want.

Most if not all of what you see on my blog was created using Autodesk Maya, Zbrush, Photoshop and sometimes Adobe After Effects, And a bit of Realflow, a liquids simulation program (You can guess what I might use this for.) Maya for creating base mesh models and rendering. Zbrush for detailing, texturing, and creating maps to be used in Maya, also for rendering depending on how lazy I am. Rendering with Maya requires a lot of setup. Photoshop for texture tweeking and post work. After Effects for compositing animation.


5. What if any artist have influenced you, both growing up and now?

I've always liked fantasy art. To name a couple artist: Boris Vallejo and the late Keith Parkinson. Not really erotic art. Although, Boris' work can be very provocative, straight erotica (depending on your definition of erotica.), suggestive girl on girl action... eew! His subjects usually wear very little clothing. He often works from live models.


6. Where do you see or want too be artistically 5 to 10 years from now?

I've always found these types of questions hard to answer. In terms of my career, I'd like to be involved in higher profile projects where the time budget is bigger and I could concentrate on quality as opposed quantity.

With erotica, I see myself creating some pretty neat stuff because of the advancements in technology. Difficult tasks are becoming easier and easier to perform.


7. What part of your work process is the most fun for you?


The most fun has to be the detailing part. This is when the image starts to come together, and usually the deciding factor of whether or not I abandon the piece. (I don't often give up a piece of work, but sometimes it's just crap and rather than dwell on it, I either start over or move on to something new. I try not to move backwards as much as possible, though). I can test the textures and create shaders, adjust lighting. I like picking out camera angles.


8. I've asked a lot of artist this question, because it seems predominate in gay art:
Your figures have extremely large *equipment*, are you a size queen or more like
many gay artist who just find exaggerated male proportions more visually dramatic
and erotic?


No, I'm not a size queen in real life. Although, it's nice to have something to hold on to. I think what makes exaggerated features appealing to artists and their audience is the fantasy. “ Hmm, I wonder what it would be like to be with someone that huge.” Or, “I wonder what it would be like to be that huge” Maybe it's playing with the idea of something that you can never have.


9. Tom of Finland once explained that he always new if the piece he was working on was
working, because he would get a hardon.
I for one, usually do a pic because the idea of the image in my head gets me horny.
How do you gauge the "IT" factor when you work?


Hah, I think I would have to agree with you and Tom. But since starting my blog I consider the audience a lot more. What would they like to see based on past reactions?


10. This is a question I ask all gay erotic artist, so fess up: Have you ever jacked off to your own work?


I could very easily lie and say, no.

But I have once.

It wasn't intentional.

It just happened...

I don't think it's something that would happen again, though. Usually, things just get way too technical for me to get stimulated in that way.

Have you?

What's really hot, though, is knowing that someone out there might be jerking off to my work. I'm similar in bed. I really get off from knowing my partner is turned on from something I'm doing.


11. One of the things that really caught my attention on your blog was a short animation, do you
ever intend to do more in the future?


Animation is a lot work. In film the standard is 24 frames per second, 25 in Europe. That means you have to create 24 images to make up one second of motion. That being said, the actual animation my not take that long to create. But rendering out the images is very time consuming. If one image takes 20 minutes to render... multiply that by 24 frames a second.

To answer your question, yes, I probably will make more animation, compromising image quality, though.

12. Finally, what, if anything, do you want people to know about you and your art?


I'm probably not your typical nerd/geek. I like to stay physically active. I workout four times a week and I worship the sun. I work two jobs but somehow I manage to make time for my personal art and pumping iron. I have older siblings who were fitness freaks. I dated a personal trainer for a few years, so I know my way around the gym. Fitness is a big part of my life.

I really enjoy learning and improving my artistic skills and techniques. With the crazy advancements of technology, the way I think about my art is changing day by day. The future of BodyLounger is uncertain but hot and bright.

Thanx BL for this little glimpse into your life and work.
I look forward to seeing what ya cum up with next!

Ulf