Luly Yang, a high fashion designer, once said that “accessories are like the finishing strokes of the painter’s brush. They highlight, define, and complete her masterpiece.” She’s referring to last minute touches like bracelets or earrings, small touches of color or sparkle to tie an outfit together. But here in the 3DX world, an artist’s masterpieces are the bodies of his or her characters. So what role do accessories have?
With clothing not being a main focus, accessories and props actually take on a bigger role. The definition of accessory is, “a thing that can be added to something else to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive”. Without clothing, we’re relying on accessories and props to make a character more interesting, like when we talked about settings.
Accessories aren’t just that finishing touch like Yang implies. They can be essential. Everything should have a purpose in a planned and created set. Taking the time to make it or include an item means the characters should be using it. Even if its purpose is to make them prettier. It’s a waste of time for both artist and viewer if an object is there for no reason. This concept is also known Chekhov’s gun, referring to a quote from famous playwright Anton Chekhov. Accessories can also highlight talent and detail for an artist. Sex toys and other interactive items can act in a supporting role for the set. Few things are hotter than a girl and her dildo, left alone for a few very loud hours.
Sorting Your Accessories
That definition qualifies a lot of things as an accessory. In this article, we’ll focus on common things in sets that can make things better, prettier, or more interesting. Jewelry is the most obvious thing on this list. Tiny, easy to render, and shiny, it catches the eye and is easy to add. And it should be. Adding random shiny things might become awkward. Make sure it’s situational, like an anklet if she’s barefoot or a ring if we’re very close to her hands in the image. Jewelry can also add to the tone and feel of a piece.
In my article on composition, I talked about how the things we add and chose not to add bring tightness and meaning to a piece. A Gothic choker on a vampire queen or a veil on an Indian Princess are examples. They add something to the regal feeling of the center pieces by adding a little something to suggest who they are. If these pieces are ornate and detailed, it conveys more than one thing.
Tattoos are becoming a more common and accepted thing all around the world. Not only are they more common to have, they’re more common to see in 3DX. Tattoos add a layer tattoos add a layer of story and character. In a situation where settings and outfits can help tell a story, tattoos can too. A flirty lower back tattoo or an innocent sleeve of flowers can imply a sweet girl with a dirty side or a dirty girl with beautiful taste. Tattoos are kind of a permanent accessory for a character. They should be shown off and used because they will easily stand out and attract attention.
Sex toys are an active kind of accessory. They don’t sit there and make something else noticeable and pretty. Whether as a main focus or as something one character uses on another, sex toys are exciting and require motions and poses specific to using them. Though a dildo has the same movements as normal sex, a character climaxing from a vibrator is more likely to squirm or shake with desire. It’s important to think about how a sex toy can best show off your characters and what they’re capable of.
Erotic Accessories
Sometimes a girl in lingerie is sexier than a naked one with the powers of suggestion. Accessories used in a situation of suggestion or as trademarks are often more powerful than their counterparts.
These accessories have a detailed and erotic purpose. Haneto, our recent artist of the month, does a great job with lacework. Lace is a with fancy and expensive thing and it plays into our fascination of those things when we see them on people we crave in a sexual way. It’s delicate and suggestive, hiding just enough. Franus wrote a great article on the power of suggestion in 3DX and I think erotic accessories are the key to doing that.
Weapons are also a suggestive and erotic accessory. Swords have long been said to be a phallic symbol, thrusting long, sharpened metal into tender breaking flesh. It’s only logical that one of the sexiest ways to present a sword is in the hand of a commanding woman. Referring back to Chekhov’s gun, everything in a piece should mean something, convey a point, or make something better. Weapons convey that a woman is not without her own defenses, but within those defenses is still someone very feminine and desirable.
What can Accessories highlight for you?
It’s easy to decide what you need from an accessory first, before deciding to use one. Do you need something for a few scenes or something for the whole set? Maybe you need bracelets or anklets like Tara’s to add a focus to your piece or a vibrator would liven up the plot? A secret tattoo from a character would add a new element to her personality. Don’t overuse them, but with the right control, they can add the right amount of detail to a set or image. Accessories are like a woman’s exclamation point, one is enough to turn a whispered wow into an impressed wow!
Featured Image: Candied Christmas, DB-Spencer
DB Spencer
January 17, 2017Love the premise of this article!
I definitely look at accessories and props as characters in their own right. 😀
For example, in the “Candied Christmas” series, the candy cane was a very important character. Shifting around and in or out, to express not only what could seem like its mood, but also to enhance the expression of Noelle’s mood in ways body language couldn’t. 😀
Bianca Rose
January 18, 2017That candy cane expresses an awful lot! I loved that holiday series, the banner for this article is also my computer background 😀 I really like the whip in Squarepeg3D’s Broken Things 2 also, that’s a great example. Thanks for reading!!
ProfDet529
January 11, 2017One of my favorite erotic compositions is where you take a character and strip them down as far as possible WITHOUT making the outfit impractical (social mores and weather notwithstanding). Take Lara Croft and remove the tank top, the shorts, and the underwear but leave the holsters, boots, and backpack. Take Tracer and get rid of everything but the harness, shoes, goggles, and vambraces. Take your standard fantasy witch or mage and lose the robes, just the robes. You make the accessories a major focus of the piece and highlight the power of the subject. Even while being severely exposed for all the world to see, they are still fully capable of ending you. I’ve always called it being ‘Functionally Nude.’ There’s probably a better term for it, but that’s all I’ve got.
ProfDet529
January 11, 2017Here’s a good visual example. Compare this (http://mutanobr.deviantart.com/art/Tracer-Clothed-620157065) fanart of Tracer to this (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Tracer-Naked-620854578) fanart of Tracer. That’s Functional Nudity.
Bianca Rose
January 18, 2017That’s a really great point and something I didn’t touch on here! I think the Dossier series has quite a few of these. Cortana, from the same series, is also an interesting play on accessories. She is a computer, so she has microchips running all through her (she’s a real favorite of mine) but she’s completely naked. Not sure if it’s functional nudity, but its definitely an example of using an old concept and making it new. Thanks for reading!!