While non-sexual nudity does not bother me, I am concerned at certain inconsistencies in the way certain sections of the community are under-represented. I recall reading of a recent survey which showed that the most under-represented group on U.S. tv are women aged between 35(40?) and 60. IMO the same is true for fantasy artwork.
I know we’re talking fantasy but a fantasy world must have children and middle aged people in it! Male wizards can be shown as wrinkled old grey beards but females are, in my experience, inevitably young, attractive, and usually sport an unfeasible décolletage. There are very few ugly, or middle aged, or elderly people ever portrayed (in this respect, again, men fare better that the ladies).
Bottom line, all fantasy artwork is unrealistic:
Armour either does not actually protect (the chainmail bikini) or is unwearable because of bulk or design (see the Complete Warrior).
Children do not exist.
Witches are hook-nosed, wrinkled old crones, unless they are dancing naked in the full moon!
All barmaids are young, attractive, and wear low cut blouses (but the barman can be old, fat & bald).
There is a sudden transition of the female form from young and attractive to wrinkled old crone, with no intervening middle age.
All prostitutes are young and attractive. (The few documentaries and interviews I’ve seen with workers in the ‘sex industry,’ as it is euphemistically called show that; while some of the upmarket ‘top earners’ may be young and attractive, the majority are neither).
Queens and princesses too, are attractive, history (and current events) show that this is only the case if they’ve married into the nobility.
I’m a realist, I know that youth and attractiveness sells, but lets not pretend that this has anything to do with anything more than the fact that men like looking at attractive young ladies wearing very few clothes.
GOM