Hmm, here's my opinion, please try not to feel bad!!

If you think about it, offering to do commissions is kinda pointless unless there are people around who are interested to buy (this can apply to every artist, regardless of skill level). Since you don't seem to be very well known yet (and that's not a bad thing!), I suggest maybe waiting to do commissions for a bit later. I mean, money is great and all, but how about trying to be more patient for the time being and work on building your status up first. The only way you're going to build a higher status is to draw, draw, DRAW!! A TON and always keep uploading. Uploading more and more art is I think the best way for people to see your art. It's almost like a flower, and in order for that flower to be better, it needs to spread as many spore-seeds as possible to pollinate the area as much as possible. Or something like that. The bottomline is... you gotta draw in order to be seen. I may not have told you this but when I first joined an art community, I had hundreds of drawings submitted. And they were all really shitty when I look back cause I was less experienced. But skill level can always build as you draw and grow as an artist, BUT you need to REALLY try!! You gotta work hard, practice, put as much effort as you can, be open-minded, and most of all I think.... be patient. You'll never notice the changes until you look back on very old art pieces.

So.... basically... I think you should hold off commissions and work on building status and also work on improvent in your work. EVERYONE needs to improve, even the really skilled artists, but you can't improve without doing the things I mentioned. You gotta also really enjoy it, because art is not a destination, it's a journey. Many people, including myself, forget that fact sometimes. Art is like... life. You live, you learn, and you make mistakes, and you learn from them, and you keep trying to gain knowledge and understanding. There is never an ending for art if you want to be a true artist, because ending your art would be like dying, in a sense.

So I gave my suggestions and input. I hope that all I wrote, even though long, can help inspire you. I still think you should take some art classes of various things. ;P

Yeah... I kinna figured as such... I just don't seem to be known at all...

Guess I'll have to draw some more then... =p

I agree with Derr on this one.

And like you said, you need to produce more artwork!

Depends on if you really need a little extra money or not and whether or not you'll be getting the basic Paypal or the charge one. If getting into offering commissions is going to cost you money you can't afford to invest without assurances of a decent and fairly immediate return, then now probably isn't the time.

Your "Fur Maker" is an interesting step that you could take private-commercial pretty quick if you get things together. Problem there is your level of skill, both in programming and art...means better programmers/artists are going to get into things and steal your potential business right away from you unless you keep on top of really making your product highly personal and user-friendly. Plus there is the fact that you are NOT too well known, though word gets around fast when money is to be made. Your call. It could be tricky...

Many commissioners latch onto certain medianly skilled artists because they have a nack for something or work with certain themes which appeal to them. Others like a versitile artist who doesn't seem to have any bounds as to content, regardless of style and quality. Until you are firmly determined to go into commissions, I recommend doing some requests and random stuff inspired by the FA forums. Doing requests gets your name out there in a positive way and shows that you can work really well with other peoples' preferences. Any artist can choose to draw what they like and some cater to the expressed preferences of their Watchers, but some of the top favorites are those who seem to be heading steadily somewhere and/or take random inspiration from other people and produce gift and fan arts. Gift arts make you friends and draws Watchers and Fan art shows what you like and helps other fans identify with you, drawing those that share your preferences. It boils down to the kind of person you are and the kind of artist you want to project yourself as. Are you going to be yourself or whay you feel others will like best? That in turn leads to the question of if you hope to make any significant percentage of your future income from you art...if you would like to, the more you expand yourself, the more you will appeal to commissioners and the more work opportunities you may have.

Just my twenty cents worth. Take it as you may and use your head...you're older than I am...