Thoughts on the Female Nipple? [NSFW thread]

[Aspie_Gamer]

Hello Tappies

Toad-Sta-Ovn here. Some of you probably know me as the Life of an Aspie guy and while that will always be true, I'm putting LoaA on...well not an actual hiatus as work on it will still be done, but for the time being, its on "hiatus" for lack of a better term while I get some other things in my life both artistic and not artistic all sorted out.

In the meantime, I've uploaded a side series to pacify my subs for now. That's not why this thread has the words "female nipple" in its title however.

I'm thinking of launching a raunchy rom com gag manga called "Tiny Terror" soon so I can not only bring in extra ad revenue, but maybe get more exposure as an artist to boot. Long story short, the comic will begin with a muscular tall tall guy (about 6'4) waking up in bed with his latest conquest a short 4'11 petite young woman (the aforementioned Tiny Terror) who'll make his social life a living hell because of how obsessed she is with him and his type (I should also note that small petite women aren't really his type. At least women who may as well be midgets because of his height) Anyway, when the short girl wakes ups, you the viewer/reader will see her small melons nipples and all because I feel that women have every right to not be shamed for being bare chested.

EDIT: To expand upon what I previously typed, fanservice/nudity probably isn't going to be the main focus of Tiny Terror. Also, with the context I provided above, its probable that some people will perceive the petite womans small boobs as sexual even though she isn't actually doing anything sexual per se. Still, I agree with the first person who responded to me @zetina that the more we phase in female bare chestedness, the more of a normal thing it will become like people smoking weed.

When I was younger, I'd lose my young hormone addled mind at the sight of boobs, but now that I'm older and well past my awkward puberty phase of life, I simply go "oh nice breasts" and leave it at that when I see a woman bare chested. Honestly, unless she's doing something or engaging in something sexual while naked, my brain doesn't automatically associate seeing a naked woman in general with thoughts of sexual intercourse.

What about you my fellow Tappies? What are your thoughts on the female nipple and its place in artistic expression?

[zetina]

I think that our society being what it is, you're gonna get the hormone-riddled reaction. Especially considering the context of the story. I totally agree with you though and the more we phase in depictions of female nipples, the more "normal" it will become.

[mariusthered]

well as someone who use to get board in class and start drawing wings on the nudes I find this whole subject of nudes in art quite ludicrous. after all we have been drawing the human form long before clothes were invented (ok technically furs and skins are clothes). I also find it quite baffling why men's nipples are except-able on the internet but woman's are offensive? (i mean considering woman's nips do have a use should it not be the other way around?)
when I have two people in a scene, the only people i consider is the two people, and if they are lovers they would naturally be happy to be naked with each other. (they don't consider a load of internet peeping toms looking threw the walls) but on the other hand it was pointed out to me that putting comics on Tap means their could well be a kid with strict parents reading your page so i do try and do things with a delicate balance.

[scythe]

I always find it very weird when in a movie two people have likely been up all night having sex, but in the morning, the woman always holds the sheets up to cover her breasts.

The female nipple in almost all cultures has a dual 'purpose', one of breastfeeding, and the other sexual. I'm sure there are very sound reasons given by evolutionary psychologists as to why that is, whereas the male nipple has very little, if any, sexual value.

I don't see this changing anytime soon. If anything, I'd say culture is becoming more prudish when it comes to focusing on the sexuality of certain body parts.

[Valyson]

Well everyone has nipples. So draw em'.

[shazzbaa]

Ladies showing breasts is usually considered a level of nudity; I feel like the nipples are just the point at which we're like "okay, yeah, that's a full boob showing." So, in general I'd think, treat it like nudity.

Tapastic ALLOWS mature content featuring nudity [...] as long as it is behind our NSFW filter.

Nudity doesn't have to be sexual -- The Meek immediately comes to mind as a great example of female nudity that isn't sexualised at all -- but it's still nudity, which the majority of people are a little shy of since we don't usually see naked people except in intimate circumstances.

I do think the specific obsession with THE FEMALE NIPPLE MUST REMAIN COVERED is pretty weird, but what's considered "intimate" and what's not has always fluctuated based on what's typically shown in public, so I don't think that's a unique imposition of our society.

[monotone_ink]

Lewd (but okay if they're following rules.)

[azureXtwilight]

It's ok if you put NSFW tag on it, methinks

[Vikiro_Hop]

Use your own best judgement. If she is just waking up then I think you will be fine, but you would need to put the NSFW tag on it. That being said proper context can change everything.

[AnnaLandin]

Personally, I don't care about nipples showing. We're all naked under our clothes, it's just a bodypart, big whoop. I'm a Swede born in the late 80s, who grew up watching children's tv-shows from the 70s and earlier - everybody was naked! Like, full frontal nudity. If you were watching an Astrid Lindgren-adaption, chances were you'd see some naked butts, is what I'm saying.

Nudity really isn't a big deal to me, especially since it doesn't have to be anything sexual - but on the other hand, I rarely see the point of including it. Is the nudity adding to the story? Is it reinforcing a joke? Is a visible nipple going to make this particular scene better than it already is? Or could you have a scene at least as effective with covered nipples?

However, if you're going to be posting this on Tapastic, then according to Tapastic's rules, you HAVE TO place that kind of thing behind an NSFW-filter - which is strict, but they have to abide by App-store rules.

[SpavVy]

I honestly couldn't care less about nipples showing, its just a body part.

[hecdora]

FREE THE NIPPLE!!!

I had to say that.

Unfortunately though, we can mostly show blood, guts and gore, as many male nipples as we want in most media but as soon as the female nipple is suggested, nope! CENSOR! What will the kids think? It will damage their outlook on life forever! It's far too sexual!
It has always annoyed me.

On the other hand, if it's showing the nipple just for the sake of it being overly sexual, it does actually annoy me. I feel alot of the times, too much sex just takes me out of the story and I switch my brain off if it's unneeded (looking at you Game of Thrones). That has nothing to do with the nipple as such, it's more about unnecessary sexual nudity in general.

At the end of the day, we follow the rules of the land. If nipples are allowed, I say use them if you want. As a society we need to get over the ridiculous notion of being afraid of seeing body parts anyway. The human body is beautiful, we shouldn't be ashamed of it, and I especially love the female form (both sexually and artistically ;D)

[DsCashewsOfficial]

I think you need to consider the purpose of the comic when making this decision. You mention trying to generate more revenue and exposure. If you include the nips you will have to put this behind the NSFW tag which will limit your exposure. I know this from experience because all my work has to be posted with a NSFW tag even though its not even remotely sexual, but that's just the nature of the beast and I understand.

Keeping that in mind, if I was you I would probably cover up the puppies in the interest of reaching more people. But it all comes down to how you want your art represented. If you would feel like it's incomplete to post with no nips then by all means include them...since it's your art no one else can tell you if it's right or wrong.

[Aspie_Gamer]

Oh I'm well aware of that. The main cast will probably be cussing a fair amount (though not too much), so that too will require the NSFW tag.

[demthorshie]

I personally don't care about a nipple showing, we all have them, men too!

Since we live currently live in such a gynophobic society, NSFW tag is probably something that's necessary if you show a female boob (which is so ridiculous! How is violence more tolerated than a harmless body part????)

[nikacomics]

To respond to the original question, nipples do not make or break artistic expression. How I would react to seeing them depends entirely on the context... Am I looking at a nude drawing? A fan service scene in a comic? There are ways to show them tastefully, and not so tastefully.

What I personally find weird in comics, especially manga, is when nipples are censored but the rest of the torso is shown. Forget just female nipples, I've seen it for both guys AND girls. There's some incredible shyness about that one detail, especially if the scene isn't sexual at all! It just perpetuates this perception that nipples are inappropriate and dirty.

[AffectedMind]

Weeeeeeell.... One of my latest pages looked like that XD

First I wanted to keep nipples off the camera, but I decided to change the paneling and did this wide shot. Afterall they are just nipples, everyone have them, it's how our bodies are shaped. Shouldn't be ashamed of it. Shouldn't be a tabu. And since the characters were having sex it's not a pointless scene where you just throw nudity for the sake of nudity.

[Aspie_Gamer]

hehe reminds me of HBO. Its not television....its HBOOOOOOOOO.

I agree with the nipples thing. Monkeys (our closest genetic ancestor) have em and nobody rags on female monkeys for being indecent. In Tiny Terror, I'm limiting the nudity to scenes where it fits like post coitus which is how the comic will begin or on occasion a bath/shower scene. I'd like to stress that fanservice is NOT the main objective of this gag manga though there may be the odd gag here and there like someone walking in on someone changing/showering for comedy's sake.

[VermillionWorks]

I always find it very weird when in a movie two people have likely been up all night having sex, but in the morning, the woman always holds the sheets up to cover her breasts.

"You may have seen it all last night, but wanting to see it in the morning too? That's just greedy."

Seriously though, as everyone else has said, draw what you want, just give a warning beforehand. Peeps can be sensitive. XP

I feel there's a difference between "boobs sometimes make an appearance so they're going to make an appearance here" in a comic and "this is all seexxxyy and we're pleasing the crowd" nudity. I'm sure it can kind of be taken both ways even in a tame comic, but I personally find it...pretty obvious when a comic is more about PURE fanservice. Poses n' such are usually more suggestive and things like that.

So it's not the boobies, it's how you use them.
................oh my god, that sounded terrible, but you guys know what I mean right?? XD

Even though I personally don't mind seeing nudity that much, I just....I just can't bring myself to put that into my own work. I've drawn man chests but even that makes me bashful. >////<

[Nizkel_kotzca]

this is just so funny, if you want to draw such, I suggested put your comic on mature content. and draw what you want to express on comic with your mature theme material.