If you’re younger than 16 and are considering doing commissions, my advice is:

Don’t.

At least, don’t do it often, and here’s why from my own personal experience.

When you’re a kid the last thing on your mind should be handling money, a job, stress, and due dates. You’ll be adding on a responsibility that takes effort alongside your education. You’ll put yourself through things no kid should have to know that young.

It can and will stunt your artistic growth. A commission has to have consistent quality that falls in line with other artworks. You could very well fall into a hole of repetition that will burn you out and keep you from wanting to/needing to learn new things.

You’ll be held financially responsible for all the money you earn and you might not make the best decisions with this power at a young age, when you’re technically not allowed to have a paying job. It is hard to manage money, and online transactions are dangerous.

Starting before you hit your final years in high school mean you’re most likely are emotionally immature and lack the knowledge to be professional. 13 year olds do not make for the most upstanding models. You haven’t been taught what a professional attitude is.

Please spend your younger art years relaxing and dont put the pressure of a job on your shoulders just yet. It will most likely hurt you in more ways than one if you take commissions consistently. That money can wait in most cases.

Being an independent artist online is like several different jobs in one. Jobs that require a lot of knowledge and energy and stress that your brain will be affected by for years, maturing fast is not always a good thing.

If you do art consistently as a job and don’t take care of yourself, you will literally physically damage yourself. As a young kid you don’t know or will forget to do everything to prevent harm. You do not want to develop wrist/posture issues this early on.

I learned this the hard way, through chargebacks, scams, accidents, mistakes, breakdowns, pain, stress, burnout, and a slow artistic journey. No one warned me when I was 12 and starting commissions for the next almost 6 years. So take my warning now.

I made this thread at like..... 2 am and I was tired as hell, so there’s probably something written poorly. But you’re welcome to ask wtf I mean by something! Cuz I messed myself up real bad and don’t want that happening to you. I’m also open to give advice if needed? H