Tickle Artists #15: Interview with TicklishPhyllis

Contents

1 1) Do you want to tell us something about yourself and your art?
2 2) What techniques do you use to draw? Do you have a favorite artist that inspires you?
3 3) What are the tickling scenarios you prefer to draw?
4 4) What are the aspects of tickling that you intend to represent with your art?
5 5) Online there are countless photos and videos of tickle sessions. In your opinion what do illustrations offer more than images of real scenes?
6 6) In your opinion, what makes tickling so interesting for fans of this phenomenon?
7 7) What are your works of which you are most proud of?
8 8) Do you have any particular artistic goals for the future?
9 9) Do you think AIs will end up enriching or impoverishing the art of tickling representation?

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

My name is Phyllis and I’m a young woman from Scandinavia. Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved to be creative. Drawing, painting, pottery, anything I could use to get thoughts out of my head.

I’ve had a tickling fetish since I can remember, with a strong focus on upper body stuff. When I hit my early 20s I really started exploring my kinks and I found that I loved fetish art the most. Unfortunately there was a shortage, in my opinion, of tickle art with the upper body as the main focus. I was introduced to the world of digital art and I quickly after began to share my work online to fill the lack of upperbody tickle art. It’s a way for me to explore and express my fantasies, but also create that for others.

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

For tickle art I use different digital brushes to create smooth skin and textured surroundings. If a pose is very specific then I usually take a picture of myself in said pose and use that as a reference. My favorite artists are IreenHorrors and AbigailLarson. I like their more muted and dark colors, which I have interpreted into both kinky and non-kinky art since I was a teenager.

3) What are the tickling scenarios you prefer to draw?

Those with a story that aren’t just a woman in stocks. Something I haven’t really seen tickle art of before. I like when there is something that makes it a little different, whether it’s some special kind of bondage or a less popular scenario. I like to think out of the box and have people say “how do you come up with this?”

4) What are the aspects of tickling that you intend to represent with your art?

I like the darker scenarios and the ones that should stay a fantasy.

The last few years I have experimented with making more realistic bodies, a little chubby, more natural looking breasts that drop a bit. I think it’s important that there is tickle art that represents everyone and not just skinny people with large silicone breasts, but some regular body types.

5) Online there are countless photos and videos of tickle sessions. In your opinion what do illustrations offer more than images of real scenes?

The obvious answer to me is that it can do what reality can’t. Fantasy and magical aspects. Those settings with tentacles, plants, monsters, magic etc that just aren’t possible to film unless you add a bunch of CGI on top.

But I can also draw characters in horrifying scenarios, extreme bondage, kidnapping and non-consensual situations, make them fear for their life etc without hurting the safety of the model. I have drawn several horror pieces, one example is a collaboration I did with a writer: Jigsaw Tickle Trap, where the victims are put through extreme physical stress and it shouldn’t be carried out by a real person or model.

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

I’m going to speak about what I have heard people who enjoy my art tell me, so I’ll be focusing on what people find interesting in the type of tickling I portray. It’s the vulnerability and helplessness, the victim/person being tickled not being in control. The struggle. Maybe the hint of humiliation. It’s about not being able to stop the tickling and therefore having to suffer with no choice.

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

These are a few of the first drawings that come to mind. I’m very harsh on myself and when I look back at previous art I’ve created, I tend to focus on the mistakes or what I think I should have done differently. I’m trying to be less hard on myself.

But the thing I’ve created that I’m the most proud of is my picrew. So many people send me the pictures they created with it and told me how much they enjoy it, which makes me incredibly happy. I had to create over 2000 different pieces for it.

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

I just recently began studying Software at the University and I’m hoping to one day mix the two and create some tickle games, apps etc. I enjoyed creating a Picrew and making something that my followers could interact with. I want to do more similar things, maybe another picrew.

I have been writing a few stories myself, that I would love to find the courage to publish along with some illustrations for them. My first language isn’t English and I’m not that confident in my writing style.

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

I think we are going to see an increasing amount of tickle art in the near future because of it. I already see a huge exponential raise in fantasy art as people can easily create drawings of characters, buildings and worlds. As AIs improve and get more stable in terms of creating fingers etc, then I think more people will start to use them for tickle art. It will be quantity instead of quality.