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This weeks community interview comes to us from Llivia, a creator who came over from the Elder Scrolls community who is a purist at heart when it comes to using mods or tools to take shots. Enjoy and feel free to comment below. NOTE: Her images below are NSFW.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out to me for an interview. I can't tell you how much this means, especially being a content creator in niche gaming spaces for a little less than a decade now. This is truly the first time anyone has asked me about myself and my content, and for that I am immensely grateful.

My content creation background begins with the Elder Scrolls series. I have always been a massive medieval history nerd, and gravitated toward The Elder Scrolls after it was purchased for me at a very young age. As I grew up, I was on and off with the series, though it did drive me to study medieval literature as an academic profession. While I was working toward my degree in literature, my university required that I also add on a complimentary writing program, as well. I had always been interested in creative writing, so I decided that studying and honing that particular craft in a collegiate setting might be pretty fun.

After graduating, I took my fields of study into the gaming world, as I have been an avid gamer nearly my entire life. I started delving into roleplaying across various Elder Scrolls outlets; forums, websites, and even the Elder Scrolls MMORPG. It was there that I started to make a name for myself, sharing my characters and stories with those that I roleplayed with, as well as the few people who followed me on Twitter. I began posting pictures and scattered pieces of writing on the aforementioned site, and quickly gained a comfortable following. It wasn’t until I focused on becoming more active in the Elder Scrolls community that I really started to blow up.

During this time, I started to focus more on posting screenshots of my character and the things she got up to. I also started an Elder Scrolls podcast, called the “Quill and Vial”, with a very dear friend of mine named Cynical Alchemist. I had certainly found my love of interacting with people who enjoyed the same games I did, all while they engaged with the various things I posted.

Maybe it was the decade of immersion that finally drew me away from the Elder Scrolls, or maybe it was just needing to do something news. Either way, I made the decision to completely shift the content that I was posting, and began the era I am currently in today.

I think it began when I actually picked up Cyberpunk 2077. I didn’t love the game at first, but as I began to consume more pieces of cyberpunk media (like William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy, and returning to a love I’ve always had of Blade Runner), I really started to feel at home with the genre. This newfound love brought me back to Cyberpunk 2077, and the rest is currently unfolding on all of my social medias. What’s more, I also started to create Destiny 2 content, and felt that game’s genre fit rather nicely into a sort of cyberpunk/solarpunk aesthetic, as well.

What is your current job that pays the bills?
I currently work a 9-5 in a government-adjacent field.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
The art of screenarchery, as it's called in Elder Scrolls spaces, really takes a lot of practice. You really have to hone your craft by doing, as well as trying to emulate the shots of other creators you enjoy. Of course you don’t want to copy them, but understanding how they’re composing their shots really helps. I have no shame in admitting that the further down you go in my Twitter timeline, the worse and worse my shots will become. I think it’s good to embrace your evolution as a creator.

What drew you to Cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
Blade Runner. I had always loved the first movie, and really fell in love with the second that came out. It drove me to read the expanded universe comics, and it introduced me to other pieces of cyberpunk literature. I’m currently working on my second read through of Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy.

Do you have a favorite cyberpunk setting aside from 2077? If so, why do you like it so much?
To be honest, I feel that ALL cyberpunk settings are similar, if not THE same, as one another. At least in my limited exploration of the genre. Each new work seems to iterate on the next, creating this grand lexicon of settings, characters, and timelines.

What message, to you, does the cyberpunk genre imply or relay as a viewer, fan?
I plan to explore this idea more in a future article, but, to me, the cyberpunk genre implies this idea of absurdism. In a literary context, absurdism is a sort of foil to nihilism, where the latter believes that life is futile, so it is not worth living (this is a very watered down definition, so don’t skewer me). Absurdism is the idea that life is futile, so why not just live it?! This is very much what is exemplified in the cyberpunk genre, to me: this idea that the world is going to shit, everything is fucked, so why not try and make your way through all of this shitstained fuckery?

What photo/GFX tools that are not in 2077 would you like to see in the sequel Project Orion?
I play completely and utterly vanilla, so I’m not super well versed in what tools are out there. I take pride in that fact; being entirely vanilla with the content I create.

What keeps driving you to keep making 2077 content?
Honestly, the promise of more cyberpunk genre things to come. Whether it be more games and media from CDPR, or new shows coming out in the Blade Runner universe, I want to dedicate all of my efforts toward creating more cyberpunk content. I have so many ideas and so much excitement about the future of this genre, and I can’t want to be on the forefront of whatever comes next. I also want to start getting into Cyberpunk RED, the TTRPG. Maybe I’ll have an opportunity to participate in a game here, soon.

What about the 2077 characters specifically got your interest? All time favorite NPC in 2077 and why?
The characters in Cyberpunk are so real, it’s uncanny at times. I love the voice acting, the detail in each character’s model, as well as the stories told through their quests.

My favorite character, though, has got to be Johnny Silverhand. On my second (and definitive) play through, I really developed a soft spot for the guy. We get to see his full story in the game (whether it’s true or not), and the camaraderie he and V have by the end of the campaign really feels good.

What tools do you use to make your art? How long does it take to go from idea to posting a picture?
Like I said before, I take pride in the fact that I use nothing but the vanilla game for my shots. They may not be as flashy or crisp as some of the other amazing creators out there, but they have a charm to them… Or, that’s what I like to think.

How long have you been doing this art form?
Jeez, probably about 5 years now? I didn’t start posting screenshots right away, as my content creation roots were firmly planted in writing. However, I’ve come to really enjoy telling a story through a more visual medium.

What are your thoughts about AI art, cyberpunk or otherwise? Is it really 'art' in your view or just several 'stolen' images mushed together? What is your take?
AI art steals art, at least at this point in time. I don’t think I have an authority to speak on the nuances of this particular topic, but my feeling is this: If my work is thrown into some meat-grinder (aka AI software) that spit out a conglomerate of somewhat discernible meat, then I’d be pretty upset.

What attracted you to doing the spicy side of digital art?
I have always enjoyed more erotic forms of expression. My writing, for example, oftentimes dipped into more sexual themes and ideas. I feel that the exemplification of the human body can elicit interest and enjoyment, while also sort of being on the bleeding edge of taboo.

I've seen a lot of memes from artists that imply if you do vanilla art you will hardly get any notice, but if you do spicy art you'll get tons of attention. Do you feel those memes are accurate for better or worse? What are your thoughts on that?
Well, as both a vanilla and spicy artist, myself, I can tell you that it honestly depends. I’ve seen my followers ebb and flow as I post content, though if that’s because of the content that I post is hard to tell. With the way things are right now on Twitter, it’s really hard to be a content creator out there. Though, I will say, posting spicy content in the past has definitely gotten me attention.

Fav couple (not necessarily official couple) you have done or would like to do spicy art for and why?
My V and Blue Moon. I love Blue Moon so much, and we don’t get nearly enough time with her. I wish that we could have explored a relationship with her, and, of course, been able to see a few spicy scenes with her.

I have noticed on the Twitter and art sites a large amount of “futa" (female characters given male sex organs) or artists who do ‘standard’ versions and 'futa' versions of their female characters. I really didn't realize that was a thing, or how big it was until I dug into it. What's your thoughts on that whole subject matter and why do you think it has the following it does?
Honestly, I believe that all bodies, no matter what equipment they might be born with or get added later, are valid. If people are into this sort of content, so long as it’s not depicting anything illegal, then there’s no harm in consuming/creating it.

Do you think these are skills you'd like to make a career of on some level or you prefer it as a hobby, why?
As sad as this might sound, I’ve become resolute in the fact that why I do online is 100% a hobby. I’ve been trying for years to break into the video game industry with my variety of skills and offerings, but have constantly been passed by. I’m comfortable where I am with my career now, though, and it allows me to create to my heart’s content.

And my most controversial question... Which of the following labels would you assign to whom (one each)? ;)
Marry, BFF, FWB(friend with benefits), Casual Friend, Indifferent, Hate, Kill

Evelyn: Hate
Goro: Kill
Johnny: Casual Friend
Judy: Indifferent
Kerry: BFF
Panam: FWB
River: Marry
 
And finally what are the socials people can find you, and do you do commissions? Any final words to the readers? Thank you for your time!
Thank you so much for your time, and for your interest in interviewing me! I can’t tell you how much this means to me, and I am so appreciative of this little spotlight. You can find me @ Llivia1990 pretty much everywhere on the internet, but I’ll provide a list of my socials down below.

➳ Buy me a coffee!
http://buymeacoffee.com/Llivia1990

➳ Subscribe to my YouTube channel!
http://YouTube.com/Llivia1990

➳ Follow me on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/Llivia1990

➳ Follow me on Reddit!
https://reddit.com/u/Llivia1990

➳ Want to work with me?
Llivia@1990.email


(Image by Neon Jess)