Art by Devils Three

 

 This strikingly-lit, bondage image is by the Chinese artist 'Devils Three' It shows a young man looking anxious but excited, perhaps anticipating his first experience of sexual bondage. His tight cropped hair suggests an element of streetwise toughness in his character, making his uncertainty in this situation deliciously revealing.  The bands of light falling across his body suggest the room has been darkened for privacy, while the sheet spread beneath him to kneel on indicates a messy encounter is planned. These domestic details give the scene a strange atmosphere of furtive experimentation with the unknown but exciting world of fetish.

This group of sketches is inspired by the character Takeshi Kovacs in TV's 'Altered Carbon' but it has the same sense of domesticity, enlivened of course by the undressing panel. Men in the process of undressing are a consistent thread in this artist's work. If you look closely, there's a rather edgy juxposition of underpants and cigarette which is quite startling when you spot it. D3's recreation of the character is closer to modern Manga stereotypes than the actor's true appearance but his technique shows great technical skill and confidence.

 

Erotic inspiration in everyday situations is also a driver of this image, which shows an office worker searching for the pen of his (somewhat authoritarian) boss, after it has fallen on the floor. It connects to a fantasy where the boss gives his young employee a good seeing-to before resuming work as if nothing had happened (see link below for the full series).

 

 It sometimes seems as though rank and seniority have a significance in Asian cultures that we cannot really understand in the West. The ruthless world of Financial Services perhaps offers a comparable culture but I suspect it's not the same.

 

 

This is not part of that series but shows a similar outcome. The collar here indicates an extreme of subservience beyond the normal world of commerce but it's clearly not a leather role play either, it's more domestic in nature, like the first image. The bold simplicity of technique in these pictures is impressive.

 

This study takes the statement of submissiveness further by showing a lead attached to the collar and the explicit sexual contact (which gives a rational reason for kneeling) taken away. This man also appears to have fetters on his limbs, as though he's in a state of permanent enslavement. It's not clear whether his downcast expression reflects discontent with this status or is due to feelings of abandonment, because his master has let go of his lead and is neglecting him.
(Shades of Sonic in the haircut!)

At first sight this man might be the slave's master, but once again he looks more like a regular guy rather a stereotypical porn top (no tattoos, notice!). He's not dressed in leather garb either but ordinary white underpants. I say ordinary but snug fitters like these ought to be compulsory wear for all men! He looks at us with a calculated allure, radiating confidence in his own sexuality. His collar is a thought-provoking ambiguity, this man is too complex for simple labels.

 

Office situations are dear to D3's heart and he calls this 'The Kidnapping of a Civil Servant'. It was this image that first alerted me to this artist's talents - the simple bondage, partial undress and snug fitting underwear have much appeal for me, particularly when it's portrayed via clean lines and sensual skin tones. The nipple just visible through his shirt is an example of the joys of computer-aided artistry. This picture belongs to one of those series where the same figure is progressively altered to show a (generally predictable) sequence of erotic events......

Ideally I'd like to see the remains of this chap's shirt somewhere, but the gag and outbreak of sweating are pleasing. You might at notice at this point that there's also an enticing element of moistness in his underwear. The shadowing of the torso is interesting, transforming the ordinary 'guy next door' seen in the previous picture into a muscular hunk! Series like this often show fantasy creatures, this one has the great virtue of being about a real man.

 

Nudity, invasive explorations and more sweatiness follow with a messy finale. 

 

The disembodied hand here is an interesting touch (!), suggesting to me that this artist is visualising a personal involvement in the proceedings rather than leaving it to A N Other. The indentation of flesh by hands and fingers is a detail often overlooked but it adds greatly to the sense of real physical contact, which is after all a pretty crucial ingredient in erotica, particularly in static imagery. Asian artists often strive to capture such intimate contacts, for example it's quite common to see the unseen, inner workings of penetration depicted. 

 

Again, visit the link below to see the rest of this group of pictures.

Back to the domestic for a more commonplace undressing situation with a touch of humour as over-eagerness leads to entanglement and delay. His partner meanwhile is more patient, content to enjoy the sensuality of their closeness, still clad in his underpants. This is a very sweet picture, a very positive portrayal of gay love.

This untitled image continues the theme of undressing and underwear. This bikini-like underwear has very revealing qualities and is not often seen cladding male bottoms. The young wearer in this picture reveals a charming embarrassment at his own boldness in posing in it.

The technique used in this image, like an unfocussed photograph, is quite different to the cartoon line drawings above and shows this artist has a fascinating range of skills.

Here the artist experiments with a different sort of embarrassing sexy bottom display. The hands-tied captive in this picture is the character 'Killer T' from 'Cells at Work'. As the image and name suggest, he's hard and ruthless. His open shirt revealing well-developed pecs reflects an element of sexual bravado in his personality, but it seems that split pants that reveal bare ass goodies within are not part of the script, hence the consternation written all over his face. Nice. 

There's a hint of rip in the waistband of this man's underpants, the result of an over excited grab perhaps. However there's certainly no embarrassment for the wearer here, the open back window of the briefs shamelessly provides all the view and access anyone could want and what's more his pose is calculated to make the most of it. 

The body lines here are sketchy and minimal, but the man's face is lovingly detailed with sensuous tones. It really does convey what he is doing and the undivided attention he is giving it.

 

This is the only fantasy creature I have found in D3's output but mermen are one imaginary species that does catch my fancy.  I think it's due to the bondage-like entrapment of the lower body. There's actually a degree of gender ambiguity in his depiction but I'll overlook that. His look of sexual allure resembles the expression of the whip-wielding character above. The rock rubbing demonstration is also highly sensual and neatly avoids the awkward question of what these creatures look like below the waist.

This joyous final image needs no commentary,
save that it shows a capable hand and pleasing eye.

 

You can find more art by this artist at Devils Three on pixiv

btw, I don't know what his moniker signifies!