Hey Subbers and followers :) Today it's been around 10 years since I created Agnesa (my oldest 'active' character) and show some bits of the early days. Moreover, I've come to some interesting findings when I delved back in my art from 10+ years back. I want to talk about it!

The above shows the early works of Agnesa in 2015. The first picture is her first-ever art!

Agnesa was (and still is) a witch OC I created back in April 2015. She was (and still is) skilled in fire/acidic magic and hails from a tribe from deep in the woods. She was a werecat too in the early days, but not anymore. Once intended to be a 'sona' she quickly became a character of her own with a story of her own that I never finished. I view her more as a 'childhood friend' I wish I had. If that makes sense.

When I started my NSFW art career, she didn't have much of an established story other than being sought after by a guild named 'the Witch Hunters' for doing crimes. Maybe you remember if you've been familiar with my stuff for many years! She travelled to a metropolitan city, Ironford, to pursue a career as a witch/alchemist and use her esoteric arcane knowledge to stand out in her career.

The City of Ironford still exists in my OC setting. Instead of the Witch Hunters, it's Baron Donovan and the Union whose draconian laws against mages of all kinds affect her. BD aims to monopolize the art of magic through artificial means and with his technology. Facing the oppression, Agnesa had no choice but to hide underground among a group of vigilantes called 'The Dragon's Talon'. They dub Baron Donovan's leather-clad gas mask henchmen as 'Witch Hunters' funnily enough. When tensions arose among the DT, Agnesa fled the rebel group. After that, she found a new place in a community that aligned with her values, beliefs and shared identity in perseverance.

Aside from the things mentioned prior, Agnesa is born the oldest child and daughter, with three younger brothers. In her childhood, she was often expected to be a secondary parent and housekeeper which she rightfully despised. Like Lune and Fay, she ran away from home. Her parents do not approve of her leaving their lands. This is an understatement as her tribe holds a high regard for their magic, deeming it sacred. They possibly shunned her entirely, but she doesn't care. Slay!

Agnesa is artistic, whimsical, and impulsive at times, with a strong internal moral compass. She knows most herbs, mushrooms and plants by name. She knows alchemical recipes for many ailments and uses her fire/acidic magic to brew rare and unique concoctions. She has a disdain for Baron Donovan and technology, deeming it an affront to the world and the natural order. She will become very judgemental, even hostile to anyone speaking positively about it. When I mentioned her strong moral compass, I should add that this is mostly to make HERSELF feel superior rather than doing what's best for the world. That's where her fatal flaw comes in.

Agnesa uses a magic wand and her whims for spellcasting and alchemy. She speaks with a slight Scottish accent. Her favourite dishes are mushroom stew and sauerkraut. She also loves apples and all kinds of tea. Cats seem to be especially drawn to her for some reason. Maybe because she's a witch.

When I delved into my old art, I found something interesting. Muted color palettes. Intuitive colouring and shading methods. Wait.... Have I come full circle? MAYBE. Over the years (2017-2021) I used more vibrant colors and cell-shading (which I hated). Now my style evolved BUT I see some similarities in my art style from ~10 years ago. I think I know why.

Back in 2015, the internet was different. It was my final year in High School. We didn't enter the cursed timeline we're in right now because the timeline wasn't split yet. I was drawing my OCs and started out drawing porn (some things just stay the same hah).

Looking back, there's such a charm and a sense of authenticity that I find hard to find in my subsequent works up until 2022. I was 16-17 years old, too young to establish a presence and career off NSFW. There was no reason to think about money or engagement because I was 'too young'. I only had a Deviantart with SFW and some nudity.

Now I feel more authentic as is my style, what I like to draw, and my mindset too. I just like to indulge in my OC world and draw hot people having sex. I like my muted palettes and my rendering style that's just mostly based on vibes. Just like back then. But the internet and artistic landscape have changed a lot over the years. Especially with the rise of AI, platforms being hostile towards NSFW artists and all the layoffs professional artists face. Being an artist online is way harder than it was all those years ago. I guess these times it's more important than ever to not let go of your authenticity. The child-like joy I feel drawing my blorbos and writing their story is how I cope with this bleak world.

Maybe I'll share some of my older works later! There's a lot of analog stuff too that I keep around. Plenty of NSFW stuff too ❤️