Artist Interview - Mystra77

Hello and welcome back to Sheepish Dreams, giving you a dose of NSFW art inspiration! Today, we're continuing our interview series, where we talk with an incredible NSFW artist who inspires us with their art and attitude.

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing the fantastic Mystra77!

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: Hello and thank you so much for having me! I'm Mystra77, an ecchi/erotic artist from Spain. I love making art in general, but I specialize in illustration and digital art.

I'm currently using Clip Studio Paint for almost all my pieces, but I sometimes try other software, like Paint Tool SAI 2, which I like a lot too.

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

A: I have watched anime since I was very young. I grew up in the 90s, and all kinds of anime shows were airing on TV in my country. Card Captor Sakura, Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon were my obsessions at the time, and heavily influenced me in those early stages. I continued drawing in my teens and early adulthood, but it wasn't until I hit my late 20s that I decided to take art seriously.

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

A: My art was quite suggestive, or at least in the "sexy" side of things, from the start. Erotica always had some kind of mystery for me, a beauty, and a way to express myself through art. It was also a theme I enjoyed seeing in other people's pieces, so I naturally leaned towards NSFW with time. However, if you're asking when I decided to dedicate myself to try doing it for a living, it was because someone dear to me took the initiative and uploaded a NSFW piece I made on the net without telling me, then showed me the positive feedback they got from it. That encouraged me to try, and here I am now! 

Q. We absolutely love your artwork—you're a true inspiration to us! You cover a wide variety of properties, from Atelier Ryza to Arknights and even Delicious in Dungeon. How do you decide what to work on, and where do you find inspiration for each piece and pose?

A: I've loved anime and video games since forever, and in a huge range of genres and themes. When I'm not drawing, I'm either playing or watching something, so I always have things I want to draw. It's true that I prioritize recent releases or trends because it's an easier way to be found by new people, but I try to balance it with some classics, personal interests and OC art. I guess that wide variety comes from my never-ending list of interests, haha. For poses however, if I don't have a clear idea from the start, I make a lot of small gesture drawings while I think of the character's personality and other traits. Also I always try to introduce unique elements for those who love those characters, as a way to further enjoy the original material.

Q. Some of your pieces—particularly speaking to this Makima commission—showcase an incredible mastery of diffused lighting and shadow. Is that something you've deliberately studied, and how do you prepare or reference for such lighting-intensive work?

A: Thank you so much! I'm truly glad you think so. Unless I'm doodling for fun, I always take my time to look for proper references. Those can be for a whole lot of different things, from poses to lighting, to colour palettes or even facial expressions. Especially when it's work, I want to do the best work I can, and being thorough with details like those is my way of guaranteeing it. You can't skip studying though! But I use every piece I make to learn something, or to refresh my knowledge at least. I firmly believe that as long as you push it further every time, you'll keep improving.

Q: As an educational blog for NSFW artists, we'd be remiss not to mention your Patreon and Ko-Fi. As you near 100,000 followers on Twitter (a huge milestone, congratulations!), how have you navigated the shifting NSFW rules for social media and monetized platforms?

A: Thank you! And well, it's definitely an interesting topic to cover indeed. I started this journey in 2018, and sadly, things were much easier at that time, at least in my opinion.

[In 2018] NSFW wasn't as punished as it is today; Tumblr still allowed it, Twitter wasn't as punishing with their shadowbans, and dedicated reposters with huge accounts scouted NSFW art to retweet every day.

Patreon and Deviantart had their rules, sometimes a bit undefined and confusing, but they existed. We saw how the whole internet changed gradually to a more "SFW" place, so I had to change my approach; From posting uncensored art on socials to leaving the most explicit pieces just for Patreon. It was a big deal for me, because I wasn't as big when the change happened, and it limited my way to find new followers and clients. However, it is not impossible to start as an NSFW artist today since I've seen many flourishing even in the current state of things, but it is much harder than it used to be.

Q: Following on from the last question, many NSFW artists hope to find a financial supplement with subscriptions and commissions. What advice would you give others wanting to monetize their content?

A: I would recommend starting with commissions for monetization. Commissioners are a great way to make yourself known in certain communities, and will speak highly of you if you do a good job. They are also likely to come back to you, so building a client portfolio is a good way to achieve regular income. I'll focus on growing while sharing those pieces and some personal work, and I'd just try Patreon when you have enough community around you. I would also like to mention that Patreon income depends a lot on how you do in socials, since new patrons will come when a post reaches new people, and it is very hit-or-miss nowadays.  

Q: Hindsight's 20/20, and we're sure you've learned plenty in your art journey! What advice would you give yourself (or a new NSFW artist) just getting into NSFW art? Are there things you'd do differently?

A: I think every artist's art journey is very personal and dependent on many things, and what works for some could not work for others, but if I had to give some advice it would be: Don't obsess too much with perfection, you can learn new things with quicker pieces too. Don't obsess too much with numbers, they are not a measure of quality. Try to spend some time researching topics you think you need to improve on, no matter if they are art-related or ways to post on socials, it all helps. Don't be afraid to experiment, sometimes you'll find real value there,  developing new skills or meeting new people. And lastly, keep yourself healthy; Exercise is important because you'll be in the same position for many hours and your body needs it. 

Q: Is there a particular piece that really calls to you, that is one of your favorite you've worked on? Your Hooters Lucina and Bunny-girl Lusamine will always be among our faves from you—but can you choose a favorite child?

A: If I'm completely honest, my perfectionism tends to choose the latest couple of illustrations I've just worked on because I tend to see flaws in older pieces, but I indeed have some that match the description. I could name this Nessa, this Dehya, and this Zelda with her chuchu. Bunny Lusamine is also one of my favourites as well! However, this changes a lot depending on the day.

Q: And lastly, as we're now into 2026, what are your New Year’s Resolutions for this year as an artist?

A: I want to better balance my work and personal pieces. It is common that we artists think about work all the time, especially now that socials and AI technology are putting us in a very complicated scenario, but finding joy in art and still investing in ourselves is necessary too. Art is marvelous because it is ever-changing and ever-growing, and sometimes creating without any pressure is what we need to realize where to go next.

We want to thank Mystra77 for their generous time and in-depth answers to all our burning questions! You can find and support them via their Carrd, subscribe to their Patreon, or follow them on Twitter/X.

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 💗