Favorite Pic of the Day for April 17th

Above:

Recruits by Achillias

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~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

Seasonal Sightings

Playgirl: The Visual Rise

Last year, a FH reader wrote asking about erections, specifically about erections in Playgirl Magazine.  Although I certainly knew Playgirl included them, I wasn't really aware of the history of hard ons in the magazine.  Research was required!  Check out my visual findings on the NEXT PAGE HERE:

Joe Ingram

Thespian Torsos: Charlie Weber

If there was a list of televisions top torso's, actor Charlie Weber would be in the top tier.  Maybe one day I'll do that list, but until then, I thought I'd take little look back.  Weber's has been flexing though pecs in print and on screen back to his days modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch.

I first took notice of Charlie back in 2000, when he played the adorable intern Ben on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Ben was incredible sweet, and incredibly hot, but as the season went on, we learned he was also the mortal body for deposed hell-goddess Glorificus.  As you can guess, it didn't end well for Glory, or for Ben.

How To Get Away With Murder

'It’s hilarious that it was that many years ago.“It was funny to be a part of something at such a young age because it was such a big deal back then. It’s a hilarious, awesome thing to look back on. The pictures are still beautiful; Bruce Weber is a talented guy.'

Weber on his Abercrombie & Fitch days:

Weber (smiling, left of female model)

20 years after Buffy, Weber was looking even hotter as the damaged, but sexually charged Frank on How To Get Away With Murder.  Every time I scroll Netflix, I'm tempted to search through the series just for Weber's many shirtless scenes.

Buffy Bod

Charlie Weber on Instagram

Achillias: A Whole New World

Finn

'I find vulnerability so much more erotic than big dicks or perfect muscular bodies.'

Achillias 

Nelson

Sometimes, you don't know you love something, until you experienced a really good one.  Many have experienced thinking they didn't like a certain food, a TV show, or a certain sexual act, until they tried it for themselves.  The same can be said for art.  I was never really drawn to computer generated art, especially when it came to images of the male form.  So many that I'd seen appeared sexually exaggerated with testosterone fueled physiques with penis' created more like weapons than body parts. 

What changed my mind, and in a big way, was discovering the work of Achillias.  I started out April's stores with a piece featuring The Netherlands artist's images of Hideaki and Zhou. (HERE:) I came across an image, The Empress and her Prisoners, and was captivated by complexity and beauty within. Initially, I thought it was a photograph,every inch of  Hideaki and Zhou's bodies were so realistically created.  I know I'm not the only one who willingly fell for the illusion.  I received several messages and comments on social media commenting and asking who the 'male models' were. 

When I discovered Achillias was the creator of the image, I eagerly devoured the many images on his website and DeviantArt portfolio.  I loved everything about Achillias's work, from his imagination and creative skills to the characters he created and the stories his images so vividly told.  I think I was especially drawn to the themes of his stories, themes I regularly love to explore on FH.  

Brandon's massage

Vulnerability is key ingredient in my fascination my enjoyment with images of the male form.  It is one of the reasons I love to investigate and share the stories behind the images I feature.  There is an inherent vulnerability with being naked and exposed, especially when those around you are clothed.  There is also a vulnerability exposed by the artist or photographer, one I also enjoy exploring.  Artists often share as much about themselves as they do their subjects, by sharing not just what they see, but how they see it.

Within Achillias work, vulnerability is layered in both the visuals, and the scenarios and stories he creates.  In addition to his utilizing themes of CFNM and CMNM,  It's fascinating to me how Achillias puts such physically strong and sexy men in such vulnerable, and sometimes embarrassing situations.  Regardless of their perceived sexual power, they're rarely in complete control. There's always a morning inspection, an evil empress, or a battle to be won before they can fully  relax and be totally at ease.  The men Achillias brings to life may be good looking and in incredible shape, but most don't have the one thing that many sadly seem to still believe is mandatory for maximum masculinity... a huge penis. 

Medea and Jason

I really hate when artists and photographers manipulate images to distort, enlarge or weaponize a man's manhood. It rarely look realistic, and draws focus, taking away from the image overall.  My favorite images, and my favorite artists, are the ones that see the male form in it's entirety, and not just a series of body parts.  You can always tell when an artist or photographer is phallicly focused.  When I see an image, I like to know there's a human attached to the penis, and through his visuals and scenarios, Achillias creates a complex set of human characters whose stories are both seductive and compelling.  They also leave you wanting to see and know more. 

Heracles and Jason

Do you remember the what the drawing or art piece was that first had you realizing your talent? 

'To be honest, I don't think I'm particularly talented (I don't fish for compliments, believe me). I'm not very good at most techniques of the program I'm working with, like lighting, rendering, dForce, etc. I guess I just have good taste in men and I'm a perfectionist. I can tinker with a character for more than a week, and often then I'm still not completely satisfied with the result. But the comments and reactions, like yours, make me realize that people do like what I create. And that started when I created a gallery on DeviantArt, 3 years ago. '

Spartan Fantasy

Most artists had a 'theme' that as a kid, they drew over and over, 

'I've always drawn as a hobby. But I didn't have one particular subject that I repeated. I had many subjects: portraits (both men and women), landscapes, architecture etc. '

Do you remember what led to your first erotic drawing of the male form? 

'At some point in my youth, I realized that the male body turned me on immensely. So I started to draw male nudes, unfortunately without a model or example. Nonetheless, it was incredibly exciting... It felt like I entered a whole new world.' 

Facing the Trojan Walls

Were your first drawings of men initially something private, or did you share right away? 

'No, my first drawings of male nudes were absolutely private! I even hid or destroyed the drawings, fearing that my preference for men would be revealed. '

Have you ever used a real person, a model or a celebrity for inspiration? 

Absolutely. I see many beautiful guys in sports and movies and often I would like to portray them as a 3D character. Unfortunately I'm not very good at creating exact lookalikes but a few of my characters do have a real person as example. 

Recruits 

How often you start a piece, then decided not to continue?

Unfortunately quite often. In most cases this is due to lack of time. Sometimes it's because I don't find the project interesting anymore. I'm talking about projects now (with multiple pieces). A single piece I always try to finish, unless I fail to achieve the intended result. 

I especially love the 'story' element of your work, Does the image, or the story usually come first? 

Both. Sometimes I create a character and after that (automatically) a story comes up. But mostly I have a story first (like Nelson for example) and then I create a character for it. Often, when I do a commission, the client comes with a story and I create the characters and the scenes for that story. '

Posing for tourists 

Speaking of story, is there more to come in Hideaki and Zhou;s' story? 

'I definitely would love to continue with Hideaki and Zhou. But lack of time is a bummer for many of my ambitions. But you never know. Some day I continue with Hideaki and Zhou. If you happen to have ideas about them, please let me know. '

Is there a specific art piece that has brought you the most attention or response? 

'On DeviantArt, when I count the favs: "Waiting", "Spartan fantasy 2"  and "Facing the Trojan walls"  are the most popular. I notice anyway that themes such as ancient Greeks and romans are very popular.'

I'm really drawn to the themes of vulnerability and embarrassment in your work.  The heroism, or lack thereof, comes from mind and spirit not necessarily just because muscles and penis size. Why is this important to you?

'I'm so glad that you asked this question. In my view, beauty and heroism are determined by other things than perfect muscularity or a handsome face or a big dick. Coincidentally, I've been toying for a while with the thought of making a story in which the bad guy is much more beautiful than the hero. It seems like a challenge to do that in a credible way. 

I find vulnerability so much more erotic than big dicks or perfect muscular bodies. Perfect bodies and huge penises bore me at some point. Maybe it sounds like a cliché, but in my view, it's the imperfections that make a character more interesting. Furthermore, I find guys with a small dick much more sexy than guys with a huge dick. You can see that in my galleries: most of my characters have a small or average dick size. Only when I do a commission and the client explicitly requests a character with a big dick, then I create a big dick'. 

Morning Inspection

You can check out much more of Achillias's on his website HERE: & on DeviantArt HERE:  Achillias also does commissions, so you can also get in contact if you have any fantasy's of your own that you may want brought to life.  Maybe that hot high school bully, you want put in his place... 

Waiting