I normally don't post non-anthro stuff to this gallery, but I was really proud of how this came out.

I have been practicing clothing and decided to try out what I'd learned on a dress that I completely made up. The lady quickly followed. But that was not enough. You see, I have also been studying male Hanfu, and so, I decided to be equal opportunity, and draw a beautiful male in a Hanfu-inspired outfit adjacent to her. And I guess he's an elf, too.

Indeed, this was heavily inspired by this particular jewel I have been aware of for some time:

64.media.tumblr.com/95f04ad5e7…

All I can say is, Holy Crap, Dude! How did you get to gorgeous?

This also is a nice time to segue into something that has been on my chest for quite some time.

Some of you might know this, and others probably don't. But I am a guy who prefers wearing skirts, dresses, robes, and anything else but the cage that is pants (though, I still do own them). Indeed, I own a couple of Hanfus, including one a friend was kind enough to make for free for my wedding! And yes, I did say dresses. But just because I prefer to wear dresses doesn't mean I don't want it to look good. More on that in a second.

And no, I am not fabulous like that supreme specimen above. Nonetheless, I believe that for all of our privileges in society, we males get the short shrift when it comes to gender expression, especially when it comes to fashion choices.

Now, I could talk your ear off about this, because like every other example of gender policing, the idea that my own preference should be limited by my sex is simply offensive to me (and doubly offensive, when you suggest that my sexuality, or sexual identity have anything to do with this preference). You might as well be telling me that, because I am male, I am expected to eat Steak every day and nothing else (or if I prefer salad to steak, I must be gay, trans or a pervert). Come on, people!

Anyway, because of this, the idea of male beauty (and beauty in general) has come to dominate much of my recent work (which is funny, when you look at where I came from: superheroes). Indeed, I have spent a considerable amount of time figuring out how to adorn the male body (including my own 270lb ass) in pantsless clothing without looking crazy. And I pretty much had to do this all on my own. And boy did I have some misfires (and still do, when it comes to color theory). But I am happy to say, after all that, that I am comfortable enough that I wear my ensembles to work. (One thing that works very well for me , because I am tall, is maxi skirts, which I can get pretty cheaply at Burlington).

So, it should not be surprising that I have been interested in drawing males in skirts, or even dresses to show that it can be done, it can be attractive, and perhaps, most importantly, it can be as casual as we prefer. Unfortunately, when it comes to dresses, though, the idea of a man in a dress is so foreign, it is impossible to find a dress that really looks good on the male body. And this is why I have taken much interest in the Hanfu, and other unbifurcated garments from other cultures, like the dhoti (though, the Hanfu is by far my favorite).

Anyway, the result of this drawing was a welcome surprise, and my practice drawing fabric (and hands!) is definitely paying off.

I plan on coloring this in, and maybe even shading it.

Thanks for reading!