Tickle Artists #102: Interview with DST1278

1) Do you want to tell us something about yourself and your art?

Gladly! I’m DST1278, I specialize in digital art and feet focused work, especially tickling. I’ve been drawing since early 2021, when things were still pretty quiet due to the pandemic. At that point I had colored some sketches for fun from other artists, and had even commissioned some of them.

Since I had so many ideas but not enough cash to go around, I thought, why not take a crack at it myself? I progressed fairly quickly thanks to some help and feedback from friends and fellow artists, but I still have a ways to go.

2) What techniques do you use to draw? Do you have a favorite artist that inspires you?

I can’t say I have a particularly unique or noticeable technique. I enjoy trying to make things as close to their respective universe as possible to really immerse myself in the final product, not just with the art style but the general picture, like adding props, scenery, or story elements specific to a character and their world. I also favor an up close POV because it makes the viewer feel as though they are actually right in front of the ticklee and are the ones dishing out the tickling.

Aside from that, I particularly favor tactile drawing on tablets, which feels much more accessible for me since I’ve always been sloppy with a pencil, something that has long deterred me from the craft until recently. I use computer software as well, especially for bigger works and experimentation.

As for any artist that provided inspiration, I would say that DarkspeedXZ and DazidentEvil were huge starting up. I even had the pleasure of commissioning the former before his most recent retirement, something I never thought I’d be able to do, and I’m glad to have gotten the mementos. As of now, both remain as inspiration, as well as other close artist friends who push me forward

3) How much was the passion for drawing born in you? And the one for the tickle?

Browsing through others’ galleries while exploring my interests really inspired me to get into it as well. The ability to draw who you want, when you want, and how you want is a major perk. So of course eventually it came to that previously mentioned point during the pandemic that I finally decided to take the leap. Finally being able to make your very own work as you want is a satisfying feeling, even more so when others enjoy the work you do. That helps keep me motivated, moreso when it’s good friends who have helped me get to this point.

4) What are the tickling scenarios that you prefer to draw?

A peek in my gallery will tell you most everything. Some will call me basic, lazy, unimaginative, whatever you want, but it’s clear that I love the good old stocks setup. It’s simple, but it’s a staple in the community for a reason. What’s more is that with a bit of imagination, you could create several stories or scenarios with that base setup. An interrogation, a bet, a prison hold, a kinky night of fun, really anything you can imagine.

Think of it as a plate of rice. Simple and boring, but with a few toppings and spices, you create something satisfying from a very basic staple dish. Mix it up the next time and you have something essentially the same and yet entirely new.

5) What are the aspects of tickling that you intend to represent with your art? Example: the laughing, the wriggling, the relationship between tickler and ticklee?

The expression of the character adds a lot to the feel of a piece, especially if it plays into their character. Maybe a nervous wreck putting on a defiant facade, a cocky hardhead about to find out how woefully they overestimated themselves, a flirtatious damsel inviting the imminent tickling, a hardened character visibly shaken at the thought, the list goes on. I also love incorporating in-universe items and characters when I get the chance, whether it’s full on or implied. It adds on to the pic as belonging to a said environment, giving you the feeling of the situation actually happening in their world.

6) Online there are countless photos and videos of tickling sessions. In your opinion, what do illustrations offer more than images of real life?

There are some things you can’t pull off in real life, no matter how much you try! You might find the right person, give me a great cosplay and find a great setting, but if you want them to say, be tickled by mad vines or angry spirits, you’re out of luck there. With illustrations, that limit is broken and anything you can imagine can happen. That’s what makes this medium so appealing to so many, and I can personally say it to be very true.

7) In your opinion, what makes tickling so interesting for fans of this phenomenon?

In my opinion, people love that personal interaction. It can come off as intimate or purely playful depending on how the person wants the situation to feel. The increasing presence of tickling and feet in mainstream media over the past decade also helps the interest grow and in the case of artists, gives us ideas for future pics when we see the official works.

8) What are your works of which you are most proud?

It’s hard to say! I have so many that I enjoy a lot, but if I had to pick a few, I’d say these are some of my faves

You’ll notice that most of these are characters who are canonically barefoot. To me, characters like that (or at least very often like Lucy Heartfilia or Ranma) are just begging for a (not so) quick tickle session.

That said, some of the best pics are the ones you do for yourself, which is the case for the Hestia one, one of my favorite tickle characters. OC pictures always rank highly too… Like I said, it’s hard to just pick a few faves!

9) Do you have any particular artistic goals for the future?

The grind will keep going, trying new poses and angles, exploring original characters in a deeper sense, and perhaps even a dip into basic animation/gifs. I’d like to try to do the latter soon because I love the idea of bringing my pictures to life. Again, a big thing for me is the sense of actually being there as the action unfolds, so seeing some actual movement will bring my pics to a new level.

10) Do you think AIs will end up enriching or impoverishing the art of tickling representations?

AI is a tool, just like a hammer or a knife. How you use them will determine your intentions. Unfortunately, because of how misused or even weaponized it can be, AI gets a bad reputation. It’s no substitute for an actual artist, and this goes for all kinds of specialists in any field. Despite that, many major organizations are eagerly champing at the bit to implement this technology, and the morality of it is blurred because of the desire to create en masse without the need of seasoned workers. This goes for artists too, as many depend on their work as a major or even main source of income.

But again, it all depends on how you use it. I for one never plan to implement it into my own work, but I can see how someone can use it to better visualize an idea in their head for a particular scenario they may have trouble conveying. However, it’s important that an artist still do the work, and use that inspiration, not the actual prompt output, to create something original. In the end, they are still responsible for their own work

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