Author and Artist Interviews 2009: littleblackbow
Members,
After many day of plying her with chocolate and roses, the next in the 2009 Author and Artist Interviews is littleblackbow.
Interview with littleblackbow
November, 2009
“Is this entirely necessary?” WhiteCotton asked, raising an eyebrow.
“He’s late,” atypicalsnowman answered, “And we were bored. We’ll stop as soon as he gets here.”
“Should we really be doing this without the textbook?” Torina asked, looking around the lab as if hoping the directions would miraculously be there this time.
“Do you honestly think this recipe is in a kids’ textbook?” thesewarmstars responded as she held onto the wooden rod with both hands, straining to stir the thick mixture.
“Oh, give me that,” snow snapped. “You’re doing it wrong.”
Thesewarmstars leaned away from her. “I’m doing it fine!”
“No, you need to stir faster. Let me do it!”
“I can do it! I’m perfectly capable of stirring all by myself!”
“Um, guys?” Torina took a step back. “Is it supposed to be smoking like that?” she asked, but neither of them heard her over their bickering.
“If that explodes,” WhiteCotton announced, “do not expect me to mourn for you.” “Damn it, we agreed I would stir!”
Atypicalsnowman waved her hand through the air impatiently. “That was before you started fucking it all up!”
“Guys, seriously…”
WhiteCotton scowled. “You’ll be covered in it and make a very bad impression on our guest. Must you be so juvenile?”
“She started it!” snow yelled, elbowing thesewarmstars in the side.
“Did not!”
Torina’s eyes went wide. “You’re going to knock it…! Oh, there it goes.”
All four watched in horror as the cauldron tipped and spilled its contents across the previously meticulous workbench, instruments melting and ingredients sizzling as it went.
“Oh, fuck,” thesewarmstars said.
“Yeah,” snow agreed.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. “What is going on in here?” Severus asked, surveying the scene with a stony expression.
Thesewarmstars slowly inched toward the circle of chairs where WhiteCotton sat while Torina and snow scrambled to clean up the mess.
“Who is responsible for ruining my laboratory?” Severus growled.
“Sexy when he’s angry,” WhiteCotton murmured.
“Well, there are two Gryffindors here,” thesewarmstars pointed out, settling next to her fellow Slytherin.
Stepping toward his ruined workbench, Severus scowled. “I might have known. You do realize littleblackbow will be here any moment?”
“We didn’t mean to!” Torina insisted.
“It was her fault!” snow accused, pointing at thesewarmstars.
Severus, however, was more focused on the sludge spreading over the workbench. His eyes widened and he looked up in disbelief. “Were you dunderheads trying to brew a personal lubricant?!”
Just then, the door creaked open, and all eyes turned toward littleblackbow...
Questions
1. How did you start drawing fanart?
Long ago, and not so far away, one of my parents decided it was a good idea to put a crayon in my hand. Crayons led to pencils, then pens, and eventually I found myself drawing Tom Baker as the Doctor on my 7th grade trapper keeper. The rest is history.
2. But why slash?
Because no women get sexually hurt in it, and I am a strong supporter of GLBT rights, as well. I came into Slash from yaoi manga.
3. Is Harry Potter your first fandom or did you wet your feet in another?
I've been in many fandoms. Doctor Who was probably the first, certainly not the only one before the HP books came out.
4. Which character do you enjoy drawing the most?
Sirius Black… and Gilderoy Lockhart. It's really a toss-up.
5. What is it about Severus *sighs* you find sexy?
The fact that he isn't sexy. That he's got crooked teeth, stained fingers, greasy hair, and an ugly nose. He's terrifying, and fits into the description of the stereotypical witch hag which seemed really interesting to me.
6. Of your own work, which is your favourite?
That depends on what Ferris Bueller had for lunch today. Seriously, I work in so many different styles, it's hard to choose. Video: "Through the Snowflakes", Watercolor: "Heat" (my RS games one from last year), Pencil portraits: Gilderoy and Draco. Porny: either "Puppy Love" or the predatory Sirius Black.
7. Which one do you think is your most underappreciated work?
Gilderoy and Draco. Definitely. There are people who refuse to look at it because it has Gilderoy in it. And it's just art.
8. Do you have a favourite piece drawn by another artist, perhaps one that drew you into the fandom or which you tell yourself you actually did draw in another life?
Nothing that brought me into the fandom, but I do have a favorite. I wish I could find it. It was a portrayal of the malfoy family by xbloodsugarx. She really does have a fantastic way of seeing things.
9. Is there a genre/pairing/kink you would like to draw, but seem unable to do to your satisfaction?
Not really. Most of the pairings and genres I'm interested in come to me eventually. It's always a matter of time and work. You don't get good at something by just wanting to do it.
10. Do you ever feel the need to experiment, to try your hand at death!art or extreme BDSM perhaps?
No. I experiment enough.
11. Tell us the plot of up to 5 pieces you'd love to draw but haven't yet and why.
I can't really do this. If I'm going to do something, I just do it. If I don't, it's because I've mulled it over and have decided not to, or I'm still working on it in the back of my mind. And in either of those cases, it's just a matter of me figuring it out.
Now, as far as music videos go, I work in a specific way. The way I start is by hearing a song, and the video playing out in my mind. In other words, as I hear the lyrics, a story forms and sometimes it turns into something unique and special, and sometimes I need to mull it over for a while. Some of the songs that I can see bits of video to are: "Rivers of Ice" by Simple Minds, "Plainsong" by The Cure, "Have a Little Faith in Me" by Delbert McClinton, "No Surrender" by Bruce Springsteen, "Any Other World" by Mika, "Grapefruit Moon" by Tom Waits…
… and I'm sure many, many more.
12. Is there a piece you almost didn't draw, but which you are now pleased you did?
13. How important to you is your drawing? For example would you sell your first born for it?
I would not sell my first born for it. I don't think many people realize how much of a sacrifice I make on a daily basis to keep drawing. I don't watch TV. I don't go out. I'm single and will probably never have another significant other in my life. I spend most of my time at home drawing because it's what I do and who I am.
14. Do you have a pet beta, one who you always turn to first and who is collared and tied to your desk?
No, I have pet tetras, danios, cories, and platys. I do have a friend that I go to when I need help with art, but for the most part, it's just for audience and to get a general opinion.
15. Do you have any bullet-proof kinks and squicks, ones that would even tempt you to read Severus and Colin Creevey?
I think Severus and Colin has potential. I do not have any bulletproof kinks. I do have a few squicks that I can't read. Bondage, BDSM, OOCness (which includes bondage and bdsm with anyone but Umbridge, Bellatrix, and death eaters).
16. Which character(s) do you think you are most like?
Lupin
17. What character do you struggle with most when drawing?
I don't know. I think I could draw any of them.
18. What's the most challenging thing about the process of drawing fanart?
Originality. Thinking of something that hasn't been done or seen before. Trying to find a way of approaching a problem without repeating yourself.
19. At which point does your personal ‘canon’ deviate from book canon? And which of your art tells what really happened?
I don't understand this. I don't have a personal canon, other than in the Allieverse videos. And as far as I'm concerned, the only thing that is different from book canon in that is the epilogue is completely torn out and shredded. Otherwise, I don't mind canon.
20. When you began to draw sexy scenes, did you rely on what you had already read in fanfiction or kidnap and interrogate a gay acquaintance?
Nope. I look on xtube for reference photos.
21. Of your favourite pieces, which do you consider to be your best and why? Go on, don’t be modest!
I don't know which one is my best. I know which is the most successful, but I don't think it's my best work. If you're asking which one I like the best? That's hard to say. I think it's my latest one. Snape's Inner Monologue. I really do love that piece, but it was pretty much ignored by everyone.
22. Do you set specific characters always to be a friend or an enemy to your heroes?
No. Other than Sirius and Remus always being friends.
23. What is the most valuable piece of advice you've ever received about drawing (fanart or otherwise)?
Carry a sketchbook everywhere you go, and draw from life. Also, as far as fanart is concerned, draw based on the books, not the movies. It really does help you get a better understanding of the character. I always read JKR's physical description of the characters before I decide how I want them to look.
24. Are you hurt by bad reviews or criticism?
Not if it's constructive. And there's nothing worse than being completely off the radar. Bad reviews are at least reviews, and people will click on the links to see for themselves. But to have no comments and no views is a much harsher reality for artists.
25. If your Severus *sighs* were to play a musical instrument, what would it be?
Banjo.
26. Would you consider drawing professionally? Or do you?
I do.
27. How has your involvement changed over the years, and where do you see yourself fandom-wise in 5 years?
I think fandom is shrinking to a (finally) healthy level. It had to happen eventually, and I think it's high time for HP fandom to do it. As far as where I will be, I have no clue. I might not be alive in five years, so I couldn't say.
28. What is your most prized fandom memento/collectable?
A TARDIS pencil case signed by Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Anthonly Ainley and Louise Jameson
29. You have embraced canon Severus *sighs*, but where does he deviate from JKR’s model and where does he align?
I like JKR's Severus. I try to make my own as close to him as possible (not sure if that's what you're going for).
30. You don’t seem to have a OTP where Severus *sighs* is concerned, but do you have a fondness for a particular lover for him over the others?
I love, love, love, love Severus/Lockhart. I really do think they're perfectly suited to each other, and if they went to school together, I'm sure that they would have had some sort of understanding. Possibly even love. I'm also a fan of Snape/Sirius and Snape/Neville.
31. What is your favourite medium?
Brush and ink or watercolor.
On behalf of Severus Sighs, we would very much like to thank littleblackbow for taking part in this interview.
The Webmistresses
Enjoy the darkness and sweet sensual pleasure that is Severus *sighs*
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