With my art I try to show the love, sensuality and passion between two men, a captured moment in time, however fleeting. But in that moment, for as long as it lasts, it is all-consuming. And I love drawing eye contact - that moment where you only exist for each other. It's just that moment, however long it lasts, where you wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than with the person you are with. I do try to embrace different body types in my work, but it's more about the passion and a captured moment. And the emotion that such a moment provokes. It's not about me!
NIKITA RYAN
I'm always thinking sensually and creatively! The curse of having an overactive imagination, and I also write gay erotic novels, so my brain is always going there. So for painting and drawing I just like some quiet background noise that isn't distracting, strangely enough like golf on television, to calm me.
I've embraced a subject that provokes strong responses in people and it's not something I really talk about in day to day life, unless I'm with certain people. But the main struggle I have is censorship and the narrow-mindedness of things like Instagram, which makes it hard to show the work that I would like to do freely. My subject has always been the eroticism and sensuality between two (or more!) men, but it is getting increasingly harder to show this.
Do whatever makes you happy rather than trying to emulate other artists. Your style is yours, so own it and realise that there is a place for everyone. What some people like, others won't, art is subjective after all, and most importantly, have fun! If you aren't enjoying what you are doing then there is no point.
I use either pencil, or a combination of watercolour paint and pencil.
