There’s lots of ways to spice things up between you and your partner(s) and one method we don’t really talk much about is erotic art. It could be a good first step to open the discussion around desires and kinks or even be a fun interest everyone shares. There isn’t a wrong answer to how NSFW art and activities can be implemented and explored in a relationship.
Exhibitions🖼️
If you’re already seeing each other or planning a first date while wanting to break out of dating routines, I already recommend going out to see some art. Museum dates are underrated and galleries are free to visit. I personally feel at times there is an institutional barrier when it comes to the art world, but the beauty of erotic art in particular is that it’s more accessible. No need to have a full fine art background or be up to your eyeballs in history books. Those works can take on a much more personal significance and most of the time it’s encouraged by the artists.
Share art you like👥
Some couples send each other porn and for certain people that might feel a bit too forward or maybe the content doesn’t fully align with what you’d like. Erotic art is good middle point. It’s not worse or better than pornography, but it certainly can be an icebreaker. Finding an artist you enjoy, sending some images to your partner, and talking about it together can set the mood.
Slowly easing into conversations about what turns you on and how the art makes you feel. You might be surprised at what you get as a response. Maybe they have an artist they’ve been wanting to show you? Maybe you’ll make a playlist and wine pairing for erotic art slideshows together? Maybe you can use the line “Let’s make some art together” and you can say it as serious or as cheesy as you’d like because it’s about having fun with each other.
We do have this notion that the majority of erotic art is meant to be shocking. It’s supposed to have us clutching our pearls and cause controversy when the reality is it’s created from a sincere place. Looking at history, we have so many depictions of sex throughout the ages and interpreted by many different cultures. Murals that served as allegories of fertility and adulthood to illustrations of fantasies that have been shared over centuries. It’s a part of our lives that shouldn’t carry any shame or be dictated by the community guidelines on social
media. We all experience intimacy in so many different ways and erotic art is a method we get to see and feel it like we’re in a sexy time machine.
Body painting🎨
The fun of erotic art goes beyond sharing images and seeing exhibits. The possibilities are endless and get a lot more hands on. One mainstream example that comes to mind is body painting. Using brushes to lather each other up in the nude and then make prints of yourselves on canvas is basically making the art show happen at home. Painted butt prints are my absolute favourite.
My only advice is to use skin friendly materials because you don’t want to have any toxins or spend hours trying to pick out dried paint from your skin. Tracing your partner’s body and them tracing you with a bristle brush isn’t too far of a stretch from other types of kinks. Let’s not forget the group shower together because even with body painting, aftercare does matter.
Drawing each other✏️
If you don’t have the space or the budget to go out and get all the materials needed, there’s still lots of projects you can experience. It is a commitment to cover your room with plastic as to not stain any furniture. I’d call this the Titanic moment. The one time you can sincerely say “draw me like one of your French girls” and have it mean something. I’m talking about drawing each other. Pen, crayons, markers, charcoal, etc whatever you have around with some paper and you’re ready to go.
Looking at your partner and taking in all their beauty while you capture it by hand. It’s an intimate moment created by art. You can take turns. You can just focus on each other’s bits or do full body portraits. It can be quick sketches. It can be a long-term project for everyone involved. Hell, you can even mix cum with charcoal to get “homemade” paint if you’re feeling a bit freaky. There is something so special there in the way we look at and how we interpret the beauty of one another.
These little drawings can be your own secret or proudly framed around your home. Have a group art show with all your partners and draw each other. Only have office supplies? You just made porn post-its. Want to include yourself and your partner in the same composition? Set up a mirror and pose together or use each other’s nudes as inspiration. I’m not joking when I say the possibilities for fun and eroticism are endless.
Sculpture🗿
2D not your thing? Let’s jump into the 3D like we’re taking our genitals are the stars of an IMAX level movie. Maybe not exactly a cinematic experience, but we can make Christopher Nolan jealous. What I mean by 3D is sculpture. I’m speaking about clay in particular. Plaster casting is an option, but I’m not as fluent in mold making and the process as other erotic artists. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look it up and book with them if you’re interested.
Back to clay, you can sculpt each other. Sipping wine while watching your partner’s hands transform something into what looks like you. Seeing how they touch it like you’re a voyeur of yourself. The end result can be horny little paper weights at the house. You can paint them and make it a gift like everything else listed.
Self portraits for self love🫶
Reading all these new creative ways to be sexy with one another can be a bit daunting if you’ve never tried it. That’s completely normal and I know the feeling of wanting to have some sense of what I’m in for without setting expectations. What I suggest to you is you do a self portrait. Use a photo or your reflection, but just draw or paint the masterpiece that you are. No one has to see it, it doesn’t need to be content, Zuckerberg won’t be able to flag the post, and you set the rules. Erotic art is not supposed to put you down or make you feel insecure. It’s liberating and accepting. All your parts are art and don’t let anyone say otherwise.
I can keep going, but for a short introduction, I think this should be enough to get your creative mind lubed up. If there’s an erotic artist you love, go to their show and buy their work. Make it a memory and you’re also supporting living artists so it’s a win-win. I’d even take it a step
further and ask if they would accept a commission to get a real one of a kind piece. Use play dough to sculpt dicks, doodle vulvas, make poetry and collages with each other’s nudes. There’s something for everyone regardless of experience. You’re the artist and the art.
Read: Meet Armando Cabba: Celebrating Intimacy through Erotic Art.
Explore all erotic artists on Sensuali.
Armando Cabba
Armando Cabba is an artist originally from Montreal. His body of work primarily consist of the duality of portraiture and abstraction along with everything in between. Armando’s work is held in private collections in North America and Europe. After a few years working independently in Italy, he moved to Paris where he currently continues to create.
