“I just started drawing legs, and bodies and lots and lots of boobs, all over my A3 sketchbook”- Tiegan Ogugua

Tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up? 

The basics are that I am a 21-year-old girl of mixed-race heritage who grew up in London and is currently studying in Nottingham. I grew up in South West London, in a house a little too small for my big family. I have three brothers and three sisters so my upbringing was very chaotic.

I just love all things fun and weird and wacky. I love creative people, people who push the boundaries, people who don’t care about what’s ‘normal’ or what’s ‘right’. I think growing up without having a lot of luxuries really allowed for me to seek happiness and pleasure elsewhere and honestly there’s nothing that makes me happier than sitting down and drawing some titties. 

How has your background shaped who you are as an illustrator?

Growing up with a big family, with a lot of my siblings having an interest in creative or artistic ventures pushed me to love the creative industry. I also think growing up, I was extremely loud and outgoing while also being awkward and shy. It’s a complex mix that I think has allowed me to express my humour through illustrations.

I would get incredibly nervous about really allowing people to see who I was and I often used to suppress my real personality. I spent too many years not believing in myself that as soon as I began my illustrations, I felt as if I had really become me.  I think my illustrations have really helped me grow into who I am and really push myself to venture out and explore art. 

How did you get into illustrating? Was it something you learned or did it come naturally? 

I just sat down one day and got my pen out and I just started drawing legs, and bodies and lots and lots of boobs,  all over my A3 sketchbook. I had never drawn illustrations before but as soon as I began I couldn’t stop, I found I could draw and create characters so easily that I would literally churn out illustrations as the days passed. I guess then I would say it has come naturally to me, but of course practice has made it that much more natural to me and has made my work that much better. 

I could imagine your illustrations turning into episodes like Netflix’s Big Mouth or Ricky & Morty, is this something that you would be interested in?

I’m obsessed with both Big Mouth and Ricky and Morty. I would give anything to turn my illustrations into episodes, and it’s definitely something I’ve looked into. I just need to create some storyboards, as while my illustrations do contain mini-stories, I think I would have to really develop some characters and create more lengthy storylines before I even considered creating a show. However I would be very surprised if I do not end up doing it, I just also need to master adobe or find someone who can ha!. 

So….the topics seem to center around sex, love, and relationships? How come?

I think my illustrations are a way for me to express myself and my view of sex, love and relationships in a way that I’ve never felt comfortable to do so. My past experience has been somewhat negative for me and I’ve found myself in relationships where I’m extremely insecure in myself. I think my illustrations help me channel the part in me who isn’t embarrassed by sex and who doesn’t feel insecure, the part of me who recognises love and sex as a part of our life that shouldn’t be shunned or hidden away.

I’m on a journey to become more comfortable with sex and also just make jokes about relationships. I think so many of us feel as if we should be ashamed of sex and I just don’t think that’s right. It’s fun to laugh about sex, it’s fun to enjoy sex and it’s definitely fun to draw about it. 

What are you inspired by?

I’m inspired by some of my own real feelings. Not necessarily that I’ve experienced it myself but that maybe it’s been a thought that has crossed my mind or something I’ve been too insecure to talk about in the past. Also, I just like to think of things that some people would find uncomfortable or relatable. For example, the two illustrations I did about unsatisfied lovers, was just an ode to all those men and women out there who are having terrible sex. I just wanted them to laugh and maybe encourage them to go out and find a better lover. 

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