Artist Interview - Yeougui

Hello and welcome back to Sheepish Dreams, giving you a daily dose of NSFW art inspiration! Today, we're introducing a brand-new feature to the blog: an interview with an incredible NSFW artist who inspires us with their art and attitude.

Today, we're talking career path, OC creation, consent for BDSM illustrations, and more with South Korean-born NSFW artist, Yeogui. Let's dive in!

Q. Firstly, thank you so much for agreeing to speak with us here on Sheepish Dreams! Tell our readers a little about yourself and what programs you use for illustration.

A: Hi everyone! I'm Yeougui, originally from South Korea and now living in Europe. My name was supposed to mean "fox ears," but the correct spelling for that would have been "Yeougwi," which felt a bit clunky. As many Koreans have kindly (and repeatedly) pointed out, Yeougui actually sounds more like "grilled fox," so at this point I've fully committed to owning that identity.

My drawing setup is split between mobile work and home work.

On the go, especially at conventions, I use an iPad Pro 13 (M4). At my desk, I work on a MacBook Pro (M4 Max) connected to an XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2, which gives me plenty of room to stay in flow for long sessions.

For software, I use Clip Studio Paint EX on both devices. When it comes to rendering and exporting different versions, I switch over to Adobe Photoshop because I prefer the way automations can be set up there.

Q. When did you start drawing, and what inspired you to take it up?

A: I've been drawing ever since I was a kid and just never stopped. During my late teens and early twenties, I got deeply into design and fashion, which is why I initially pursued a career in that direction. It didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't what I actually wanted to do, and the experience burned me out pretty hard. That pushed me back toward drawing, which ended up being the thing I genuinely enjoy and can stick with long-term.

Q. Why did you choose to draw NSFW — was it something you always wanted to do, or did it happen along the way?

A: I've always had a big interest in kink, even though I'm not really a sexual person myself. For me, it's more of an aesthetic and curiosity-driven interest than something I personally act on. Getting into drawing hentai honestly started as a "for shits and giggles" moment. I made my first piece in early 2018, and almost immediately, people started asking for commissions. That unexpected interest motivated me to keep going, and it quickly turned into something I genuinely enjoyed creating.

Q. We recently featured this incredible illustration (above) of your OC, Yuki. Talk us through your OC collection and how the lore & cast came to be.

A: I'm really glad you liked that Yuki piece enough to feature it. My OC collection didn't start as a grand plan. It grew bit by bit, each character arriving because the world they belonged to needed them.

The earliest ideas were Haneul and Tokki. I barely drew them at the time, but they set the tone for what eventually became the Dungeon's universe: quirky, intense, slightly chaotic characters who feel like they've always been there. Tokki in particular somehow ended up with a cult following, which I love, even if their role in the story is small for now.

When I stepped away from fan art, the world finally started to form properly. Cal, Lav, Doggy, and Wolf showed up in quick succession. Cal and Lav were born after I asked my Discord mods what kind of characters they wanted to see, and they unanimously went with dragon girls. Wolf was created to fit the more intense, hardcore side of my artwork. Yobi appeared around the same time. She originally started as a self-insert called "Yeou" (fox), but I didn't really vibe with having a self-insert, so she developed into her own character pretty quickly.

Eliza was created for my head mod and co-admin on Discord, who has helped me a lot with development and consulting. To balance her out, I designed Erys as her counterpart.

Bia came about because I wanted a human character outside the Dungeon setting, something a little less fantastical for certain illustrations.

The characters most people recognize first are Mephi and Yuki. Mephi, the exiled succubus queen, is dramatic, smug, and unlucky in the best possible way. Her friend Dami is a normal university girl who accidentally became friends with a powerful succubus without knowing. Yuki, on the other hand, is my chaotic maid girlfailure. She's paired with Yuan and Mugi, and their dynamic is leading into a much larger story-driven project that I'm excited to tackle next.

Nyx is one of the newer faces. She belongs to a DnD-inspired side story I've been developing for convention releases. She isn't tied tightly into the main universe yet, but she's already become a fan favorite among people who follow my work in person.

Altogether, the cast feels like a giant, messy found family that keeps expanding on its own. I just follow along and build the world as the characters decide to take up space in it.

Q. You know we already love your artwork, but we want your own thoughts on a few pieces. Let's start with this piece of Bia (above) – do you jump in and figure it out later, or do you plan things out ahead of time?

A: I usually jump straight in and figure things out as I go. Most of my pieces start with a loose idea and then develop naturally on the canvas. This one was a bit different. It was created for an art rally at Dokomi 2025. For anyone who hasn't been to one, an art rally is a collection event at conventions where visitors pick up a specific print from each participating artist to earn a final reward. It is a nice way to introduce your community to other artists and the other way around.

The theme for this rally was "Bunny Girls," but I wanted to do more than just draw a costume. I wanted the illustration to feel like a glimpse into a story. Since Bia is an obsessive stalker-type yandere, the scene naturally shifted into something more intimate and unsettling. The idea of her quietly overpowering her photographer fit her personality perfectly, and the image grew from that single moment.

Q. This amazing milking piece (above) really stood out to us. A lot of your artwork features heavy BDSM elements; is that something you've leaned into over time, or is it a kink you've always enjoyed?

A: I've always been fascinated by BDSM, but more from an artistic perspective than a sexual one. I love body art, and there's something really compelling about placing a character in an unusual or abstract situation and seeing how their form reacts to it. That's also why machines show up so often in my work. The contrast between a fragile organic body and a cold, unyielding device is visually interesting to me, and exploring that tension has become one of my favorite themes.

Q. Your artwork prominently features "I Consent!" with each post, and you also sell acrylic charms with the phrase (above). What's the story behind this, and how does it relate to your BDSM content? 

A: I'm honestly amused by how these stickers became a small trademark, and it has been fun seeing other artists adopt their own versions. The short answer is simple: consent matters, especially when you work with heavy themes.

The longer answer is that the adult art scene has been dealing with increasing scrutiny. Many artists have lost accounts because of vague or inconsistently enforced content rules. My themes can look intense at first glance, and I'm aware that they involve tears, marks, and situations that should never be attempted in real life without proper safety and experience. Because a lot of platforms and payment services no longer draw a clear line between fictional scenarios and real-world harm, I added the "I Consent!" stickers to make my intent unmistakable. They signal that the characters are participating willingly within the context of the story.

Interestingly, this didn't actually help with moderation at all.

Several platforms have told me that a character explicitly stating consent does not make an image "consensual" by their definitions. So the stickers don't protect against policy issues.

What they do accomplish is something more community-focused: they help identify my work at a glance, and they reinforce the idea that even rough or extreme scenarios can be framed as mutually enjoyable within fiction. They've become a fun visual marker rather than a shield against rules.

Q. Talk us through your recent experience at KAIDAN 2025. What was it like attending a convention and having your own booth? 

A: It was actually my first time at KAIDAN, which is a niche adults-only horror convention in Mainz, Germany. The event was a great experience, and I got to meet a lot of people from my community. It's always fun when someone walks past my booth and says, "Hey, I know your art," or even "You're my favorite artist to goon to!" Moments like that are surreal in the best way, because they pull my otherwise anonymous online presence into the real world.

Selling there also felt very different from mainstream conventions. The audience already comes in expecting darker, more adult themes, so there's no need to "warm them up" or play it safe. People were openly excited about the rougher side of my portfolio, which made the conversations surprisingly relaxed and genuine.

The convention itself was incredibly well done. I've never been to another event that committed to its atmosphere so fully. They had Silent Hill-style background music, low and moody lighting, horror-themed cosplays everywhere, and at the end, there was a "Yokai Parade" where cosplayers walked through the halls in a genuinely eerie procession. It was amazingly executed. If you ever get the chance, I really recommend going at least once.

Q. Many NSFW artists have struggled with finding ground given the changing rules of social media and payment processors. Is this something that worries you, and how have you managed to keep your shop and your brand going despite these changes?

A: It does worry me. What's happening to NSFW artists isn't an accident or a misunderstanding, it's a structural issue driven by a small number of corporations whose policies shape the entire online ecosystem. When payment processors tighten their rules, platforms fall in line immediately, often without explaining what changed or why. The result is a landscape where creators can be fully compliant one day and banned the next, not because their work changed, but because the rules did.

The core problem is the way fictional adult content is being treated as if it were a real-world safety issue. That's not a defensible position, and it collapses the distinction between imagination and harm. When platforms erase nuance like that, they don't just restrict explicit art, they set a precedent that any uncomfortable theme can be removed without justification. That's a threat to creative expression in general, not just NSFW work.

As a professional artist, I can't rely on optimism or wishful thinking. My livelihood depends on stability, so I operate with the assumption that policies can shift at any time. I read every TOS update, adapt immediately, and avoid putting myself in situations where a single moderator's interpretation could cost me my income.

Private platforms are not like public institutions, where you might be able to argue or appeal. They are businesses, and they can remove you instantly with no obligation to explain anything. Following the rules is not optional. It's the only way to survive long-term.

That's also why my shop is completely safe-for-work. It's not about distancing myself from adult content; it's about removing unnecessary risk. Payment processors have the power to shut down an entire business over a single flagged item. By keeping my store clean, I protect my customers, maintain stable revenue, and separate my artistic freedom from the systems most likely to punish it.

The broader point is simple: fictional adult art is not a public safety issue, and treating it like one is intellectually lazy and artistically damaging. Until the industry acknowledges that distinction, creators have to defend their own stability while continuing to make the work they believe in.

Q. Obviously, we became fans of your work through Yuki, but is there a particular OC you enjoy drawing more than the others?

 A: My heart will always belong to Mephi. She's my absolute favorite to draw. There's something about her mix of arrogance, charm, and vulnerability that never gets old for me. Even though Yuki is the one who blew up the most, I'd love to see Mephi rise back to that level of popularity someday.

Q. And lastly, as we're heading into 2026, what are your goals for next year as an artist?

A:  Oh my god, it really is already late November. I have no idea where the year went. My next convention is in four months, and I'm already panicking a little.

Breakdown aside, I do have clear goals for 2026.

I want to experiment with a few new product lines, and I'm hoping to finally start working on my first, more story-driven manga. Without spoiling too much: There's a high chance Yuki may be involved.

And of course, the usual goal never changes: keep studying, keep improving, and keep pushing myself artistically.

We want to thank Yeougui for their generous time and in-depth answers to all our burning questions! You can support Yeougui's website and shop here, and follow Yeougui on social media here.

Thanks for checking in on these Sheepish Dreams! Your support keeps this project going and funds my artwork, too, which you can always commission using the links in the menu.

May all your dreams come true~
~Miyu 💗