Waldo Part 1, Interview from Wellred Weekly

Spanking ArtSpanking Artist Interview
Written By Miss Gin

Spanking Artist: Waldo

Wellred Weekly explores the spanking art of Waldo

The following interview is from The Library of Spanking Fiction: Wellred Weekly, Volume 1, Number 9: July 22, 2012 and was actually conducted in Waldo’s primary language, which is French. A big thank you to LaPetitePeche for translating both our original questions and the subsequent responses.

How long have you been drawing spanking art?

I have always loved this subject, but in 1989 I was hired by a Belgian editor who published several magazines specializing in spanking and S&M in general, with the titles Whip and SM Love. I have also drawn for three other reviews, two of which were gay: Amigo and Boys, and one magazine of general eroticism entitled Révélation. I worked for about 10 years for these magazines, doing about 15 to 25 drawings per month in total.

Illustrations below from Amigo.

Where can your spanking art be seen?

The magazines referred to above stopped appearing in 2000, but my work can also be seen on numerous sites and blogs on the internet, as well as on my personal blog.

I have published a collection of original work on spanking and bondage, that can be bought at the bookstore La Musardine.

I also have exhibitions and sales of original work through my agent, Fabrizio Obertelli in Paris.

What inspires you to draw?

As I’ve said, I don’t draw only for pleasure, but in order to make a living as well. The fact that I’ve often (although not always) enjoyed the creative process is another matter – good luck, no doubt! I have drawn some S&M scenes for my own private pleasure, but not very often. I produce so much professional erotic work, that for my own pleasure I mostly like to draw pictures without arses, or even individuals! For example, in the drawings of my “city landscapes” period, you won’t see a single human being!

Where do you get your ideas from?

My drawings illustrate novels or short stories with three to five images each. When I began working for my editor, it was as a typical traditional illustrator: they gave me the text, and I supplied the appropriate drawings. But, after a while, my boss suggested a different approach – I would supply the drawings, and he would create a story around them. Since he wrote so much, he was often short of ideas, so it was a big help to him that I could inspire the story based on my drawings. Naturally, without a written scenario, I had to invent something which was coherent, with characters that evolved in a particular context and setting, so that there was a continuity of logic in the scenes I presented. This was a lot more work for me (although not better paid!), but I had the pleasure of complete artistic freedom, which I really enjoyed.

How the ideas came to me, I can’t really say, but I never had any problems coming up with them. Sometimes it may have been that I would see the photo of a young girl, with a crumpled skirt, and I would perhaps find the particular position of the girl, or the folds in the fabric, interesting to draw, and a little story would begin to develop. But most of the time, I’d be sketching on paper, and things would just develop from there.

Are there other artists that interest or inspire you?

I love the illustrators from the 1930’s, like Carlo, Topfer, and Louis Malteste. They illustrated lots of spanking novels, although I wasn’t particularly inspired by their technique. Of modern illustrators, I really like Sardax and Brian Tarsis.

Illustrations below by Carlo, Louis Malteste, Topfer, Sardax, Brian Tarsis and Sardax again.

Do you have a particular technique or way that you go about drawing?

I use all techniques and mediums, but for my illustrating work I particularly like using felt markers, which give real definition, and much more rapidly than with watercolours or ink. I can create effects with felt markers that are really not possible with these other mediums. However, when I’m drawing for my own pleasure I mostly use watercolours. I would like to try using acrylics some time, but I must first study how to use them.

Do you prefer to draw in colour or black and white/greyscale?

It depends on the subject matter, but generally, I like colour. And a spanking without the colour red is a little bit sad, isn’t it? I have, however, drawn an entire work entitled The Ivory Mistress in different shades of grey, which suited the atmosphere I wanted to create for that story.

Is there a target audience that you specifically aim at?

Not really, but in order to appreciate my erotic drawings you’d need to be a fan of the whip, and straps. Having said that (and thanks to the internet giving my drawings such extensive distribution throughout the world), the audiences who appreciate my work are generally very much into spanking/S&M, and if I create new images – not just drawings, but photographic collages as well – it is always for this same audience, who like what I like.

Does your artwork represent your own spanking preferences?

I suppose you are asking me if I practise spanking as well? Well yes, of course! I don’t believe one could create such a large quantity of images without liking the subject matter. Moreover, Brian Tarsis practises spanking as well, and I have seen a video clip where he gives a little blonde (woman) a very long spanking. He performs as well as he draws!

Do you produce artwork which is not related to spanking as well?

Yes, under different names, I paint and draw non-erotic landscapes, portraits, etc.

Do you draw just for personal pleasure, or for profit?

Both. Most of the images you’ll see on the internet are illustrations that I’ve done for money, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy creating them! Now, I draw much less, and if I do, it is only for pleasure.

Have you considered using your artwork in spanking publications/books?

I don’t remember. There are a few scenes of spanking/S&M in my cartoon, The Ivory Mistress, but it is not the principal subject. I created some photographic illustrations, a long time ago, for two different erotic books. However, most of my spanking drawings are from the two magazines Whip and SM Love.

Do you have any plans for future artwork?

I’m writing a novel for the publishers Editions de la Musardine – on our favourite subject, of course! I don’t yet know if I am going to add some drawings.

Explore more in Waldo Part 2, Nature Scenes.

Miss Gin
Previous

Waldo Part 2, Nature Scenes
Next

Martin van Maële, La Maison de la Verveine