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An Interview with Anew, Artist of Embarrassed, Naked Cuties
By Kasaix • 6 years ago

 

(Karen and June's windy upskirt)

 

Kasaix: Please allow me to introduce a really talented artist with a knack for drawing cute girls in precarious situations: Anew, the ENF artist. I've been a fan of yours for a while, so it's a great pleasure to interview you. How are you doing today?


Anew: You flatter me far too much. I'm doing quite well though today. How about you?


Kasaix: I'm doing fine, psyched you said yes to an interview. Like I said, I've been your fan for a while, so I'm kind of starstruck.

Tell us a bit about your artwork. The primary theme is cute girls caught nude or very nearly nude in public. It's initialed as ENF, and the meaning there escapes me.


Anew: ENF stands for "Embarrassed Naked Female". It's been a theme I've been into for many years. It is a very common thing I include in a lot of my artwork, girls who are undressed in some way, and blushing due to it. Though I also dabble in a few other things, like public nudity like you mentioned, or also things like exhibitionism and yuri.


Kasaix: Ticked a lot of my fetish boxes right there, even ones I didn't know I had until I saw your art.


I noticed that, despite the perceived danger by the girls, they're never in any real danger. Is that correct?


Anew: There's a lot of different tastes and levels that people go to when it comes to ENF stories and such. Some people like a lot of embarrassment and even humiliation. Others are softer and just like quick little moments.

I myself do try to keep the stories and situations "fun" for the most part. I avoid the heavily negative emotions that could lead to them crying or fearing for their well-being. I also avoid things like the girls having to worry if they'll end up in jail or anything. I still obviously allow for embarrassment and worry. The girls I draw are often shy, and want to avoid being seen, at least seen by too many people. Some of the perks to the genre is the type of tension these scenarios can create after all.


Kasaix: Ah, that's quite interesting! I've noticed that, despite the fear and anxiety, the girls never just break down and cry. I've always appreciated that.


When did you first get into art? Have you had formal training at school, or did you just doodle your way to mastery?


Anew: Well, I guess like a lot of kids, I had some classes up through high-school. I had the basic like introduction to art in sophmore year if I recall (this is back in 2006). This was nothing super formal or serious. I'd doodle on paper when bored in classes, but it was far from proper practice or artistic learning.

Just a little more than a decade ago though I did get more seriously into an art, spriting. Pixel art and such was something I enjoyed doing. I did that for years and years. It was never anything lewd though back then.

Then, almost exactly 3 years ago now, I decided I wanted to do more with art. I'd been into ENF as I said for many years, and I had so many ideas bubbling in my head I wanted to see visualize. Sadly, you have to be pretty lucky to get the images you're craving or want to see happen by chance (or have deep pockets and know who to pay). So, I had to try it, I had to try seriously drawing so I could bring my visions and ideas to life. From there, my learning was never formal. I would look at tutorials online and just practice. That's how I've gotten to where I am.


Kasaix: That's rather inspiring, you wanted to see something happen and made it happen yourself through great effort. As someone who can't even properly draw stick figures, I admire that.


What sort of art programs do you use?


Anew: Currently my program of choice is PaintTool SAI. Then, if I need to put things together as a gif or want to sprite, I use GraphicsGale.


Kasaix: Ah, interesting. I'll have to look those up.


Where do you find the inspiration for your images and full comics? It's never just X girl loses clothes and makes a mad dash for home, there's an actual plot with interesting, unique characters for fans to see and enjoy.


Anew: My ideas come from a lot of areas. Sadly I can't claim much personal eye-witness accounts of ENF (besides a brief look at a girl's panties when her friend flipped her skirt up in 8th grade). A big way I absorbed ENF content through the years is that I've read a lot of stories. Of course I also have looked at a lot of the other great ecchi and hentai that revolves around the themes I like as well.

From there, I suppose a lot of my ideas just come from brainstorming and my head. Sometimes I'm driving to work and I run some ideas through there. Other times I could just be talking to people online about the themes, and I may ramble and stumble on ideas. Other times, for example a lot of my random one-offs, I take requests in the streams I host. So I'll end up with a lot of different characters or scenarios that way.

In general it is hard to source any one inspiration or muse for this sort of thing. It really is just a matter of ideas getting stored in my brain and sort of just bubbling out at times. For longer things like my series I do take time to stop and think through the steps. What's good build up or what's a good tease. I think about where my characters are, and what they're learning or still getting past. Where there comfort zones and what they allow and where I want them to be a few stories down the road.

Kasaix: As a writer myself, I can confirm that the hardest part of getting creative is actually finding good ideas.


What's your favorite image or comic, and why?


Anew: That's pretty impossible to choose I'd have to say. There's so many images that are out there that I've loved or adored. I feel if I say and dug through all the stuff I have saved, it would take awhile to even go through them all, and I'd have dozens and dozens of pictures I'd probably end up sharing. Comics are a bit more slim pickings. So many seem to go too hardcore eventually, so it's hard to love them entirely sometimes.

I can say my favorite kinds of images definitely have a softness to them, sometimes in style and sometimes to just general feel. So much of what I like in an image depends on things like the expression and the context you can tell from just looking at it. Obviously my art I try to mirror my tastes with as best I can, though obviously my lack of skills makes it so I'm not quite where I want to be or creating things still.


Of my own creations... I think the one I am most proud of is my body paint image.

 

 

Of my one offs, it's probably one of the ones I put the most time into. I specifically was trying to push myself, and pulled out all the stops for it. It also is a theme I really wanted to tackle.

 

For comics, it's tough to say. I only have a handful. June's Morning Out, Karen's Haircut, and my current running project of Karen's Late Night Snack I've enjoyed. Late Night Snack I'm especially happy with just because I do feel the art is a bit more stepped up beyond the prior stories. Yet all three I'm just happy with how the stories are panning out for them, and I'm so excited to continue with Karen and June's adventures from there.


Kasaix: I can tell you put a lot of work in the bodypaint picture, the details are all there. I've also enjoyed those comics as well. Terrific work on them all.


Have the stories panned out as you originally planned, or did you have to change any details as you progressed?


Anew: There have been many changes actually. For example, if June was going to 'enjoy herself' in the later part of Morning Out wasn't really decided until I actually got them into the stairwell. I kept bouncing back between the idea of maybe having her wait till she got into her apartment again, or if I should have her give in there.

How the characters evolve and aspects to their personality pop up as I go. Things like Karen's love of dinosaurs I hinted at early on, but I didn't really flesh out until recently. Whereas other things, like Aria owning a cat was a more recent decision that I sort of just came to.

Another example is that while working on Morning Out, I was originally going to do a different Karen story after. Said story is what's going to be her NEXT adventure, as I ended up wanting to do this Late Night Snack story instead first. So sometimes changes are just a matter of schedule.

Another example of changed plans is style. I am hoping to try doing a black and white or some sort of monochrome style for one of my stories. I feel I take too long to complete stories, so the hope is that I can speed up my output if I get rid of coloring. Originally, this most recent Karen story was maybe going to be the test dummy. But for one reason or another, I couldn't help but go with full color. June is up next, and perhaps she'll be the guinea pig.

In general for plans, I feel I have an idea for the next 2-3 Karen stories, and the next 1 to 2 June stories, and with more light story plans for far future adventures in my head. When they come about, or how similar they are then is sort of up to fate though.


Kasaix: I see, that's really interesting! Sometimes the stories themselves tell you, the writer or artist, what's going to happen, and that can be quite fun.


What would be your dream project, something you feel could be your masterpiece?


Anew: I think my goals and wishes for the future is more or less what I'm doing, but just better. I want to see Karen go on and on, and be some huge great tale expressed with great art that just really scratches that itch for so many people that are like me. I want to be happy and proud with it. I really do think all I really want to work on is both skill and speed at this point.

As a spriter, it can probably be guessed that I'm into video games as well, so I won't lie, I have had interest and ideas for how I'd like to see and ENF game done. Something like adventure game meets visual novel. Sadly such a project would require a team of people, and as a spriter, I've been part of or have watched many game ideas start, but never go anywhere. So I don't know how likely it is to see something like my dream-ENF-game come to fruition.


Kasaix: That's quite inspiring, and I wish you all the best in achieving those goals. As for the ENF game, I won't lie, I would play that. That sounds like a lot of fun. If any flash game designers are reading, hit Anew up for this.

Let's wrap this up. Do you have any final words to the readers and fans of your embarrassed naked females?


Anew: Hmm, I don't want to be too corny, but I guess I would like to say that people should try to pursue their desires. Everyone has slightly different tastes, and there's audiences for a lot of stuff. It takes hard work to grow an art, but I think more people are capable of it than they think. And I'd also like to thank those who are into the genre. It's not the most popular, but those who are a part of the community of ENF fans... thank you for being a part of it and letting it grow!


Kasaix: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me, it's been an absolute pleasure.


Anew: No, thank you. It's incredibly flattering you would show such interest in me, much less think other people would also! ^/////^


Kasaix: Hahah! Your Picarto and Hentai Foundry fan numbers would suggest that I'm not the only one who enjoys your work.


Anew: True, and my Tumblr, Pixiv, and DeviantArt numbers aren't too shabby either, it's just hard to believe sometimes >////>


Kasaix: Hey, I didn't know I would be into it either until I read June's Morning Out. I'm guessing other people were already a fan or awakened to a new fetish. You're a gateway artist.


Anew: Again, you flatter me ^////^



Once again, I would like to humbly thank Anew sitting with me for this interview. If you would like to follow Anew’s work, he’s available on the following sites:


Picarto          Hentai Foundry

Pixiv               Tumblr