I've heard from some artists that making the art -the- job isn't good for the creative spirit inside it, because it becomes something you -need- instead of something you do because you actually like it.

So yeah, try to find a balance between the job and the art. Maybe working parttime is a possibility? I don't know. Anyway, just take care and make the best of it :/

that sounds very wise

muahahaha, yeah, I tend to fool people with my wisdom >.>

keep your job definatly, reliable jobs are hard to come by nowadays, and if what you say about people lossing interest does happen then you might be hard pressed to get another job right away.

my job used to be reliable. now they have me working 2 hours a week.

I had to drop out of college because my last job cut my hours down so much i couldn't afford anything.

*mew´s* .. discuss your job with your boss to find a better solution? finish your commissions and take a break, and find more time for relationships among friends and your mate? i wish you the best Zen

It's a tough world. With one effed up economy... but hell, If I had money, I'd buy enough of your art that you wouldn't need a job anymore!

Balancing life is not an easy task, I wish you luck cause i dunno what advice i could give you atm..

Russet here,

I've heard that turning the art from happy pass time to full time job can be stressful as all hell as kimmie there said it goes from you do it because you love it to, you do it because you HAVE to do it.

Maybe a break would do you some good?
A weeks annual leave perhaps to just unwind from work?

"I just wonder if its even possible to make a living every month on commissions and auctions?"

 artdecade does (or so he claimed).

"...and there is only so much the fandom will take of zen art"

I think that point is a *long* way away.

i wouldn't advise leaving your job
but see if you can make time for yourself, designate an hour or so each night to yourself
that'll help a bit

A guy like you could make a fair bit on auction and commissions but its a bit risky to rely solely on that for all your income. Its up to you at the end of the day but try and keep a job if you can, and put down your an artist on your CV, that might help a bit (just make sure you take the clean stuff to an interview^^)

I say keep your job at the moment, but find a new one if you dont like it. Its really not a good time (I dont really think there will ever be) for a freelance artist, since not a whole lot of people can pay for said art ^^;

Hmmm, that is tricky, balancing that all out is seriously hard, but on the other paw, I would seriously not recommend quitting your job at all.. I mean another point is that not only can you not completely rely on commissions for money, alot of furs are also going through the recession, so how can they even afford the commissions in the first place?

Maybe talk to your boss and ask for perhaps more flexible hours? I'm sure you'll work it out hun :3 *hugs*

I wouldn't risk it if I were you. As is stands you have a steady income and paying bills and expenses is the utmost priority (or at least it should be). Most people are having trouble making ends meet so you can't always expect that peope will have money to splurge on art. Your a fantastic artist and I'm sure hundreds if not thousands of people would commission you if they had the finances to do so but if it came down to buying food or art most people would choose food. So keep the job as long as you can. Balancing work, relationships, and personal interests just takes some time management. I'm sure you'll be able to do it. =^_^=

Also wouldn't advise leaving the job at this time, speaking as someone with some contacts. Not a good time to be taking big risks.

I also honestly can't say how good commissions and auctions among 'fans' is for making a living. Freelancing artists that work for companies usually get, well...the money they deserve in terms of dollars per hour versus the extreme amount of training being a professional artist takes, whereas fans usually don't see it that way.

Damn me for a lack of an edit.

Anyway, my best advice is to use your spare time to look for a new reliable job that'll leave you more time and energy to do art on the side; you don't want to starve by taking a huge risk, but art is obviously important to you. If you're seriously considering taking such a leap, then it's a sure sign that you should at least prioritize so you can keep art as a regular part of your life.

Sounds like a tricky situation.
But the bottom line is: Do NOT leave your job.
There are so many reasons why it's a bad idea, but the main one in my opinion is the requirement of having a stable income. I used to work for Woolworths, and since loosing my job at Christmas last year I haven't been able to get another one which a big pain considering I'm a poor student as it is.

Give it time hun, things may improve =3
At least wait until jobs are more available after the recession.

I was a freelance graphic designer for 2 years. I had to work out my own taxes. :c

Perhaps you should take some time off the internet and cocentrate in your mate and your work, take a little vacation , and spend some quality time.

Spend sometime away from the computer, after a while, after ending commition and breathing some fresh air, perhaps you'll find a new inspiration in your own creative self, but you do need some time to breath from the net, it can be time consuming -.-

MEaby try for looking for less focusing job...looking wont kill you^^ but i bet there would be alot of people wanting to buy your art...your one of most famus artist on the fandom on other side being without job at this times in unwise and drawing becouse you must pay the bills would kill the artistic side.

like i said...looking for other job never kiled enyone

Yeah, I planned on going travelling last year (November) and left my job just before I went. Then, when I realised how bad the exchange rate was - I decided not to go.
I haven't been able to find a decent job since then...
Do not leave your job unless you can guarantee being able to make enough money from your art or whatever to pay all your bills.

hmmm pretty much depending.

if you have a own place and all the extra costs you need have a certain among money minimum :/
and than maybe you want have vacations buy nice things for you etc what means extra money too.

If you can reach such an among of money to cover your bills is the first question, second would be if you could make more for your extras.

the best is to always have a job and earn money by drawing same time, so one will always cover all the costs you have no matter how the economic is.
Beeing an artist no matter what name you have doesnt mean you always earn good, in some months comission rates are really low nobody buys or comissions you or the money is not enought.
But if you have a job you wouldnt need worry about that.

So unless you know that you always earn the same or enought to cover your costs I wont advice you to cancle your job.

*hugs* tbh you dont want to give up your job, maybe look for one for graphic design, you obviously can draw :P

though your art is amazing and i dont see anyone getting bored of it, if you quit your job and go freelance then you know sods law will pop up and no one will have money or all the pople who live on their own wil all lose their net connection at once and people who live with their parents will be too scared of their parents finding your art ohh nooo :P

also, though i sereously hope not, but say you break your arm, wrost or fingers, thats at least 6 week to 6 month or maybe more where your gonna be fucked for cash

*nuzzles* i know how work can kill your creativeness, i work in morrisons and theya re the best at killing creativeness :P all i can say is hold on to the job now and try and find a better one and ty to keep your creativeness up

good luck with it all =^_^=

I might become a bit of a stretch, but once you hop on the computer, try to find another suitable full time job online. If you're lucky you can possibly ask for certain day off or set shifts to work. That way you have enough time with your mate as well as draw. Trust me, I'm trying to do the same thing too. Hope if all goes well for you guys.

Do your best to make your life a part of your work, not to conflict with your work. I know quite a few who have made their creative urge into a very nice living, myself included. And you have the talent to do it. Make a plan, take the steps to get there, even if it takes a year or more, and follow through. I know people who go their own route, or work for others who have established business sites like Club Stripes, and they are happier than they would be if they toiled at things they were uninspired to do. Just make sure you have a good thing going before you cut off your current source of income.

When you get to the point where your life IS your work and you can't separate them, and indeed, you don't WANT to separate them, you're in a good place. That's when you love your work and you're doing what you want to do.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

☺/
/▌
/ \
Furry art is serious business. Not!
☻/
/▌
/ \
Go back to work son.

Well, I don't know. Working only as an artist, since you're good, can be a good idea, the problem is that the amount of money you can get from it is totally random. You might get a lot of money one month and barely nothing on the next one. I wouldn't take that risk, maybe find a way to balance it all would be better :s

Well, I don't know. Working only as an artist, since you're good, can be a good idea, the problem is that the amount of money you can get from it is totally random. You might get a lot of money one month and barely nothing on the next one. I wouldn't take that risk, maybe find a way to balance it all would be better :s

Im not really sure what to suggest... :S

Although im sure people would pay pretty good money for your art. :]

well... there are artists that actually earn a lot of money from commissions and auction
i don't know if the incoming is much enough to grant bills and food, but sure they earn a large amount...

the bad is that you depend on this: if no one commish you a pic you get a red alert on your bank account :\

also there is a fact: you love to draw, it's your passionl, but when you have to draw for money, you should accept that you have to draw what THEY want, and not what YOU like... (with limits of course... i will never draw scat for money, for example)
so you could find it boring soon or later...

i'm a pc maniac, i love informatic and technology, i assembly pc and workstation for passion, but there was a period when i did this for money and freelance... and there also was a moment when i hated that... so i guess it could be the same

of course i hope you will enjoy a freelance experience, you are a great artist and you are a god for me, i love the most of your art despite there aren't so much lizards

i only hope you will not get annoyed by this, and rest as a kind and cute person, not as some of they (artists) who become snob and arrogant people

Well, i can fully understand your concern. Times are far more troublesome these days. If I had a real job, i'd be far more concerned about my time being unbalanced too... But it's good to hear, that you are aware of your problem.

I can't really say if there are enough people to be able to live primarily from commissions. I am the very last to doubt your talent, but wouldn't a stable job be much more secure than living the life of a hand-to-muzzle artist? Well, at least you know, that you got the stuff when things get tougher.

It's not up to me to give any advice anyway, i am just a kid in a man's body. But the least thing I can do is, as everyone else, wish you the best, to make the right decision and to find balance in your life again.
*hugs*

If you make art your 'job' so to say, you'll only end up burning out your creativity, getting bored of drawing, as in the end you'll be mass-producing art for others.

As someone already noted above, it'd propably be in your best interest to try and find work in media tech maybe, something that would let you put your drawing skills into serious use. Keep your current job though for as long as you can, on these times you never know when the bootmark hits your butt.

If you can afford to perhaps try to scale back your hours so that you have more personal time.

I'd recommend against quitting the job and instead look for a new job where you can put your art skills to use [perhaps with limited hours] so that you can make money off your art by doing what they want you to do with it [and perhaps open doors into a larger role later] and then come home and do the same thing only you'd be working on what you want to.

I don't know how you feel about it, but what about getting into more traditional art? Perhaps do the linearts and inking/shading on paper so as to maintain productivity and expand your abilities, then, when you can face using a computer for home art again, you can scan them in and colour them digitally [or give me more stuff to colour for you *hides*.]

An additional point: American's may be able to barely survive on commissions alone [not heard of any who aren't struggling] but you're here in the UK. Much higher cost of living means that what they survive on won't be enough and few would be able to afford the prices you'd be forced to charge if you try to keep the number of monthly pieces to a reasonable number.

I would recommend reading a book called '48 Days to the Work you Love' by Dan Miller. He also has a podcast called '48 Days' and there's his website http://www.48days.com/ that speaks very much to this sort of situation. It would be worth your time to investigate before you look to step out like that.

Ill move in and do your job for you XD Instead teach me how to draw XD Btw: Im still very sorry about the con. I really wanted to come *pouts*

Its a risk of course, stepping out of the 'norm' and just doing art.

I quit a shitty part time job last summer and did nothing but art, improving and learning all I could. Now, I can make a modest living off of art, and its been steadily growing. I have to shoo commission prospects away regularly because I just don't have time, despite the economic downturn.

It's your call, its been working ok for me so far but your results may vary. But you've also got a much larger base than I do, so that never hurts to have on hand when you start :p

I'm a freelancer who works from home. It's great when business is good, but keep in mind all the things your employer takes care of -- your taxes, social security, health insurance, etc. As a freelancer, you'll have to pay your own insurance, pay more taxes, and be more responsible. It can be a lot of paperwork, and a LOT of hassle.

Listen to the boys; unless you're at least 99% sure you'll make a living out of it right from the start, keep your current job. Nothing's a given, even for skilled artists such as you.

You can freelance from home. But you have to be extremely tenacious and disciplined to do it. Or just that exhasperated with life xD

Keep your job. For the love of god, don't make the mistake that so many other artists fall into.

Just kind of casually look around for a different job, maybe send in a few applications, and see what you can find. NEVER quit a job if you don't have another.

Always stand strong, always. You got this, Zen

A skilled artist like you could pull it off, but it would take away from the imaginative aspect of drawing and just become 'work'. Kinda loses its fun, but at the same time it pays the bills. :/ Just depends, I guess, on what you're willing to sacrifice.

"I just wonder if its even possible to make a living every month on commissions and auctions?"

I don't see why not. Gideon works for Club Stripes full time. It might be worth a shot, provided you have the financial backup to assist you if it doesn't work out. Plus with the economy the way it is right now, finding a job afterward might be difficult.. Best of luck!

As someone who has experience in this field, or...at least something related, maybe I can give you a bit of EDUCATED advice.

I'm a musician, and that is my job. I make a living gigging around and waiting for my big break, and such and such. When I first made the decision to quit my day job and dedicate myself fully to music, it was a very tough decision to make, and a lot of people did not like me for it.

When I was starting, it was very hard. Music felt like a job instead of something fun. I NEEDED to write songs, so I was forcing creativity out of myself. I took a step back one day when I actually thought that I didn't WANT to play my guitar that day. I did a double take at myself and realized that I had taken all the fun out of what I was doing. I got an "oddjob" so I didn't have 24 hours a day to spend towards music, more like 20. xD

Basically, it takes a very strong person to take what they like and do it day in and day out. You need to ask yourself if doing art all day every day would ruin the experience for you. Too much of a good thing is always a bad thing, they say.

Quite a few artists make a living off drawing. Some that come to mind are  artdecade,  zorrore and  shiuk. Talk to them!

I'm going to go with everyone else and highly recommend not leaving your job... even without the economy going straight to hell, it's just a bad, bad idea to cut loose that security. The last thing you want is to be stuck doing minimum wage somewhere horrible. You think your creative spirit is being sapped now, trying working at Starbucks for ten hours a day :S

I would however highly recommend shopping around for another job, if this one is making you miserable. Who knows, maybe you could find a new job in a field closer to being an artist, that could possibly give you an idea if this is something you really want to pursue. Or maybe you'll find the same job but in a completely different, healthier environment and suddenly it won't feel like an iron ball attached to your soul.

I would also try doing a few commissions, to continue getting a feel for how you enjoy them, what would be expected of you, how much you could potentially make.

I don't think it's possible to still the hunger of the fandom. You supply and there will most likely be a neverending demand.

Don't leave your job. I know people who make money off thier art with subscription services and so on (Naylor, Schwartz, Max Blackrabbit). They did it after a lot of planning and setting up. You really ought to try to have a year's worth of money in the bank and be prepared to find someone to get the web stuff going.

PM me if you want to pick my brain on what I see needed if you want to explore it further, all I have is advice and support based on what I know of what others do.

It is possible, but you have to make it work, I would think you have enough watchers with money to help you start out.

Also as soon as you open commissions I have a few I have been dying to toss your way!

Although you could make a living off art, it's probably not a good idea to make a living off fans in this economy where a lot of us have reduced free spending money. Now if you could get into working for companies, that might be good - but advertising is often the first thing to go when times are lean.

I'd say if you have a stable job, especially if it has medical, keep that for now. Hopefully your mate can get at least a part time job though if he doesn't already have one, to take some of the burden and stress off you. If you don't have medical, though, it's possible that if the two of you both had part time jobs with reliable hours you might have enough money to cover your rent etc with a lot more time for art. However, I wouldn't go that route at this time unless you had to.

some good advice :3 i will keep my job but will definitely look for something that will give me more free time or something more in my field. thanks all :3

I'm surprised you haven't been picked up by more mainstream art people. I bet if you could get a job which involved a salary instead of a wage that you could work at your own pace instead of meeting hard deadlines. :)

That sux, but you cant really complain can you? in these times jobs are a rarity, i mean i got great grades and such but i cant even get a job at a store! And as such i cannot commission you >_< But yeah i can definetly understand how you feel, but i would suggest you try and find a balance for it all ^^ *hope i didn't sound mean X.x*

It's tough, The biggest problem I find, at the end of the day, is you may find that doing freelancing, at some point will start to drain away at your own creativity, as you work will no longer have your own passion behind it. Simply due to the fact you will be drawing for others and you can't always connect with what a commissioner wants.

So you may find yourself, creatively in the same position as your current job. having lost the drive to sit in front of the computer and work.

At least, that is part of the struggle I am having right now and why I am finding it hard to continue with freelancing. But I am also sure you could make it work better than myself. I've never been the most organized person and you always seem to have you mind set in the right place ^_^

*hugs*

If you were going to draw -all-day for a job...I can't imagine you'd feel any more inclined to draw when you got home as well :/

Well, you ARE a good artist, but even so the way the economy is going I doubt anyone would make enough to make a good monthly living on commissions and auctions alone. XP Which sucks, because I'd enjoy that, too.

Unless you have a significant stockpile of cash to sustain you if things go south....I would advise against it.

Unless you have a significant stockpile of cash to sustain you if things go south....I would advise against it.

As good as your art is, leaving a permanent, paid job in these economic times of uncertainty is a pretty daft idea. Stick with where you are for now, as much of a pain in the butt as it may be. You don't want to turn a hobby into your only source of income.

I have a small home-hosted business fixing computers, and I just barely manage to scrape by. To put things into perspective: I live rent free and I'm still desperate to get a regular job.

I really hope you're seriously not thinking about leaving your job. That is GUARANTEED income. Commissions and such can be done later, and that is just SUPPLEMENTAL income.

Trust me... I know artists who try to not have a job and try to live off of commissions... haven't heard a success story yet.

The only artist I know who can and does make a living off of art is Kacey and she treats it as a full time job.

It will always seem like a circus act,

:/ <3

I'd say that your art is good enough and the demand is high enough that you could cruise on art for a month or two now and then, like between jobs or the like. But as others have stated, if you do it full-time you'll get exhausted from all of the congoing, pushing your name, posting in art shows, arting too much and etc. that your creative spirit and desire to do art will take a hit - most likely. Not everyone expereicnes that fatigue and certainly some artists are quite successful just mainly doing furry art to get by - but they also usually have a huge nest egg or a mate who helps pay the bills too.

As a side note, I've been wanting a commission from you for a long, long time now, so you'd get my bids at the very least. ;D

 Kalikafutago does.

Zen personally. I'd keep art a hobby. I'm going to school for graphic design and all my professors who had some type of traditional art as a job (painting, drawing whatever) found that after 2-5 years of that being their sole job found it to just be a pain in the ass by then. Every single one of them said they never wanted to draw ever again. Now I'm not sure if that's because they weren't passionate enough, but sometimes making it your full time job pulls all the fun out of it, right? That and I've heard its sometimes hard to find decent work. But then again if you can find some companies who need drawings or an abundance of work I'd try and take the job just because it can be a lucrative side business.

Glad you're keeping your job!

Just stick with it and something good may come of it. (Almost left my job a year ago because most everyone in the top positions SUCKED and then they opened a new branch where all the good low employees were going and I went there and I've been happy ever since. [ I don't intend to stay there forever, just until I get my schooling done.])

Youre super popular and a great artist. Should you decide to take commissions on freetime you would have No problem sustaining yourself. I do n_n; Im not even that popular and people commission me all the time. Im happy to do it, but I got laid off so I didnt really have a choice. when i WAS working though, i know what you mean about having no time and no drive to do it. You just gotta find your little spot in the day. Hope everything works out for you n_n

good luck, artist. your coloring is some of the best in the biz imo

like some people said here, keep your job. this isn't coming from a professional (i don't even work yet) but art shouldn't be a job, but rather something you do for enjoyment. i hope you get around your problems :)

Yeah, it's not the good time to just quit to job and stuff.

However, later maybe, it would be nice to find a permanent part-time job or something like that, to get a solid, decent amount of money, but still leaving you enough free time to do what you love to do, and make extra money.

Just think about it, browse ads about jobs and such, it will give you ideas =)

Its a tricky slope hon, i would say stick with your company for now unless it gets too hellish. Any job right now is worth keeping but dont be shy to cast your net around, see what other jobs are going and ifyou get them, bingo, leave the shitty one and go for the better one. There is no harm in giving out your CV or portfolio to other rival companies!

I haven't read all of the other posts but yet, I'd suggest you try both together!

Curious? Here is how and why...


Find a part time 'regular' job for added security and so you get half the hours / days you have to work currently and relieve some of the stress of a full time job.


Then spend the new extra time you will gain (half a week!), testing the freelance artist idea.


This may be good because you have the part money security of the 'regular' job, and also dont have to force yourself to make art become a tedium too much like you would if you were doing art all the time fulltime which could become boring after a while, especially when its what other people want, rather than what gets you personally excited which is mostly what you draw right now.


[Sorry to anyone who may have already posted a similar idea]

Sounds like you just need a new/better job, honestly. As already said, it's best to find a balance between "real" job and your art. I've several close friends who're actually talented artists, but they're PETRIFIED by the prospect of having to draw for a "living," because they're afraid it's going to kill the enjoyment they get out of making art if it becomes a "job."

Besides, you have to weigh everything out. Look how popular you are already, Zen. Do you REALLY want to deal with the constant influx of fanboys and overly demanding customers who likely aren't going to be patient for you to get them their commissions, despite the fact that you're utterly swamped with offers at that moment?

Trust me, you'd be swamped with offers almost 24/7. You'd likely just burn yourself out. There's a REASON most of the talented artists in this fandom eventually "vanish." Because they realize it's pretty tough to be successful financially just being "that guy who draws really hawt furry pr0n."

That Sneakerfox guy is a perfect example. He draws some of the most gorgeous stuff I've ever seen, but he got too popular for his own good and so bogged down with stalkers/would-be commissioners that he seemed to feel his only option for the sake of his own sanity was to egress from the fandom. (Just look at his alternate account page "Synthi". He has over 800 people watching for him, yet his page is utterly bare. Heh.)

Anyhow, I'm not trying to rain on your parade here by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just being realistic. Even the most successful/popular artists who're still in this fandom will probably tell you that it's a constant battle if your art is your only source of income. Ultimately, do what you feel will be best for you. No one else can give you a "right" answer.

Is it possible to make a living off of your art? Somewhat. You've got a large enough fanbase that at the start, it will be easy to match what you were making. But in order to keep a income stream going, your going to have to make a job out of it and if anything it's a more punishing job because you'll have to force yourself to keep getting better. Prices, all of that is things you have to keep in mind as your going to run out of folks willing to pay $300-500 or more for art really quick.

Like the guy above me said, find a part time job and then take the free time and use that for your art. Regardless of what you do, save, save, save, save. It's too easy to think of large starting profits as money to play with.

alright zen, if your going to become dependant of auctions and commissions to pay your bills thats not a good idea!..........................for the time being you have a job right now, if you leave that job you might not find another one despite your qualifications, because during a struggling economic time people are not hiring!.......................and now GM so going to lay off people with-in 6 months making a job search even more difficult!


look i've been in the same spot your in now, but listen its just a phase you'll pass through.......................every artist feels that way at some point.

im just saying "now is not the time to quit your job!"

Success occurs most often on the heels of risk-taking, Zen.

On that note, I for one, would gladly commission you, were you to open yourself up to them. Your art is fantastic. I don't doubt, either, that there are a large number of other people who feel the same.

Also, check out my Journal. I have posted an offer which might interest an artist of your caliber.

Either way, best of luck to you. I have been a fan of yours since discovering you. :)

A freelance graphic design artist can make enough money to survive sure but you need a good range of skills and designs to showcase of course it might be worth working up a creative portfolio that isnt furry before thinking about making such a move.
As you say the economic climate doesnt help and there will be alot of companies and buisnesses holding back on design work while money is tight. As far as comissions go thats a ripple effect as companies stop spending and people loose jobs others arent going to have the money to spend on comissions the same they are going to start thinking of it not so much as if its worth getting a comission but is that money needed for food.

All I would say is to maybe test the waters a bit without leaving your job and see if the fish bite. I know you say your creativity is drained by work but well theres no sure fire way to know if you diddnt have that work things would instantly improve either.

wait, I thought freelancing reffered to only photography... :\

"A freelancer is a self-employed person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any particular employer."

-Wikipedia

oh heh... that's mah dream. freelance photographer <3

What you could do...

Try lowering prices from commission a little bit and drawing commercially, that way through Commission you'll get money, and then through the commercial business ( Animation, Billboard art, Design, etc. ) You'll be making your living. I plan to do the same after I complete college on my own there.

Well, good luck. Life as an artist is a tough road. I wouldn't really drop your job and try to make a living off your art (though your art IS amazing, there's many artists out there in competition with you, and you might not make -enough- to survive).

I would suggest trying to look for another slightly less-demanding job. Try to find something that's maybe a few less hours a week, maybe a bit less stressful. You might make less from it, but then you could put much more effort into art, and make up the difference that way.

Personally, I would stay with your job unless you know 100% FOR SURE, that all your art will cover the bills you need to pay and still give you leftover money, EVERY MONTH. That's just my two-cents ^^

Dude, don't do it, I'm homeless and I need the commissions..but no one will commission me so it would be VERY UNWISE of you! I'd rather people not end up like me

Recession time is a good time for the arts! having said that i dont think the furry demographic is quite large enough to fully fund you. freelancing is a hard career choice! if you really want to do it though, your best bet is hiring yourself out to (yes, i'm afraid it's) ad companies, book publishers and the like. of course you need to sell cheap because everyone's low on cash right now.

if it were me, i would wait a year before making that move.

I believe you would saturate your market very quickly. You would be required to crash your prices dramatically in order to get teh volume of sales to sustain yourself. There is no way that you could expect to constantly get £500 commissions - the target market, furries, arent commonly known as being that financially adept.

It would be a serious consideration for you to leave guaranteed income employment to gamble it on commissions I personally feel, but certainly think you would at least be able to sustain it for a year..maybe two.

Fursuits will bring you business of course, but then you loose out charging sterling. In addition however, once again your turn over rate would need to be rapid, as well as catering for markets outside of furryies.

Have you considered graphic design? Or maybe going part time hours wherever you work now and gently easing yourself into a more art focused career? The extra time you have you could spend possibly designing things like xmas cards, or birthday cards, or t-shirts and selling your patterns on.

Even comic work will not financially hold your head above water. I have several friends in numerous artistic roles - one being an illustrator for a comic, his first one having been funded from his own money and making a lost, the other for disney. Whilst the later LOVES his work, he works 15-16 hour days, 7 days a week!

Graphic/web design certainly would seem your best bet.

By the by, one thing I forgot to mention and certainly worth consideration... nearly most artists in a line of work where they illustrate/design/draw professionally would/could be fired for posting erotic artwork. Their skill/design/style can be, or is often, patentetd and they, the company, do not want to see that design/style potentially bringing their company into disrepute. You would need to seriously consider this as well as being a factor IF it meant you could be fired.

Did you ever consider attempting to make a business of it? I'm sure you have, but would you even know what to do exactly? There's lots of tools out there to get an online business to fly, like Google Adwords, it costs a little bit of money but if you can find some sort of hook that'll get people to buy, it'd be worth your time to advertise to a population OUTSIDE of the fur community. I can help you with something like Adwords if you want, but it's easy enough to research.
If I were you I'd consider maybe assessing whether you could do live portraits or something and advertising locally, print some fliers from Word and post them at supermarket bulletin boards, maybe print a stack of business cards when you get a website made (if you haven't already got one) and any time if you hear of weddings or something like that, you can try to weasel your way into doing portraits of the couple, just for example. Do things like that for a while WITHOUT quitting your job and before long you should be able to stand on your own 2 feet. Or maybe you feel you could do landscape portraits better, if that was the case, you could advertise that you do custom portraits of properties or landmarks, like houses (outside or inside) or famous landmarks, and everyone has a "special place" that they like to go to to relax, some people will pay to have something of that hanging in their house too. Say if you did the wedding thing for a while, well 2 people tell 2 friends, and those 2 friends tell 2 friends and you get the idea. If you need any help I can do my best for you. Good luck, kitty cat.

I don't know if you have a website already by the way, but if you want, I can show you an EXCELLENT service provider that's dirt cheap, REALLY reliable and has unlimited everything for you. I could even help build a site for you if you wanted.

Oh, and the more I read through these comments, the more I see people telling you flat out not to do what you want to do. But if it's your dream, there IS a way to make it work, just remember to keep your horizons broad, don't narrow your talents just to us. Someone as skilled as you CAN make this work, you just have to figure out what it is you can do that people will pay for, and furries probably aren't going to be the answer to that.

Don't give up, there's ALWAYS a way to do what you want to do, you just have to find it.

Perhaps look for a job while still working this one that will not be as straining on you? An easier position that will allow you to bring in a sketchbook and work on your art in idle time while you wait for things? Perfect jobs like this would be security, tech support, etc.. I wouldn't recommend relying on the fandom for sole income as things can change very quickly, and if you lose your muse for a month or so, that can be a whole month of no income. If the strain of this normal day to day job is causing you to lose your creative side, imagine what will occur if the strain of commissions forces the same thing. It will end up being a cyclical. :(

I think it would be better for you to keep your job because you don't want to rely on drawing to make money and you wont stop enjoying it, it's best to keep art as a hobby and auction off your pictures for extra cash.

If you really don't like your job maybe try and look for a new one but I wouldn't recommend quitting your job unless something bad happened and you could really do with that extra cash, which having art on the side as a hobby can do for you.

Save money for 3 months rent, then quit your job and do art for a living. =P

living off your art is always risky, but I'll support you with commissions either way as soon as you'll open them. ;)

Lemme tell ya, I won't EVER get tired of your art :3 in fact, I myself would looooooooove to commission you at some point this year, if it's ever possible :3

I <3 your art

Just remember to plan a bit before doing something as extreme as quitting your job.

I hate to say it, but I don't recommend leaving your job until you have another one found....

At least you have a mate...

It'd be smart to stick with a real job. You'd end up being a commission vending machine and might burn out ideas.

It's hard for an artist to gain enough money by doing only commissions. However - I think you have more than enough talent to do so. But, just remember that you have to charge enough so that you make a living, yet not too high so that people can actually afford you.

I worked from home, for myself, for about six months. In that time, I realized that I was actually putting more time and effort into work then I was when I was working in the shop.

Just food for thought.

where u work?

There is a way to do it since your art is just that good. What you would need to do is figure out how much money a month you need to make and then take into account how many pics you can do in a month and then just divide how much money you need by the amount of pics a month you can do and you just have to make sure you meet your quota each month to stay afloat.

$needed per month/Amount of pics you can do per month = $you need to sell each one for.

Question, what do you actually Do at your current job and what would you consider the ideal job that will give you the free time you need but still be something you enjoy doing?

I read through some of the answers, but I didn't see the answer I was looking for in the first 30 or so replies. Instead of going quitting completely... go part-time! Work three or four days a week at a normal job and the other days go to art for commissions/auction.... It's a good compromise for starters.

Time always seems to let people down these days..

I myself try to balance school, my mate, my friends, excersising, and art...
And on top of that I try to sleep once in a while too.

Oh yes, and ofcourse, you guys <3

hmm I will try to help you anyway I can Big Brother.
Also I will help you find a better job that cared about their staff and that you will like.
also high paying and not much hard work.
So I shall see what I can do for you.
oh and By the way, my Friend met you, and I was wondering what did you guys do together?

Try one of these: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/701775/


See how many hits you get, how many you could do a day, and do the math.

Keep in mind it isn't a guaranteed thing, but just see where the numbers fall compared to your current job. You could always do occasional auctions for "full" commissions to try and make up shortfall from the quickie ones.

In general though, it's going to be a better idea to stick with your "real job" as primary income, but this is an option you could look into. If nothing else, if you try it, and get confirmed that you wouldn't be able to do it and still make enough money, it'd put that thought to bed and make accepting your "real job" a bit easier.

Well putting flattery aside, you have to keep in mind that your are among the fandoms most popular artists.
That being said, I wouldn't really on furries as a source of income @_@ just saying.
but if you really want to focus on art as a career, why not go to some sort of school for profesisonal or commercial media.
I can't say too much, because I think I'd find myself having trouble with this issue were I in the same boat, but its only a suggestion

Dude. Grow up.

charge me another 10 dollars for that zen print im still waitin for !

I'm sure you'll be able to work somethin out Zen.

Just as a suggestion tho:
Don't quit your job. Rather, what i usually do in these kinds of situations, i try and get some relax time really fast. So if you can, take a few days off, don't even make art if it doesn't suit you (I know i'll wait as long as i have to to be able to see another of YOUR pics :D). Trust me, works like a charm everytime. You just do exactly what you wanna do exactly when you wanna do it. It takes off the stress of having to prioritize your day everytime.

Take care man.

well, you may not know me but here's my opinion:

Producing art as a living is a very impoverished lifestyle. Yes it is possible to create a rocky living with art work but due to the fact that we are in a recession which is sloping further into a depression in my view. People will be less likely to by digital art (and indeed traditional art). Your best bet is to keep your job for as long as possible and try to supplement your income with your artwork. Maybe you could try producing smaller pieces of art which can be run off the mill quickly i.e. just like how the old masters used to get most of their money through mass produced prints, try doing the modern take on that, mass produce your art to sell to the masses i.e. sell high quality print outs of people's favourite drawings for an affordable price. This should boost your income (and if done correctly it should do it marginally) I think that this is your best bet

For example, if I asked to buy one of your pictures and you printed it A4 photo paper at quite high quality, you could sell that for £2.50 plus postage of whatever. Ink should cost around 10p every print and the paper would cost around 20p a sheet. Instant profit of £2.15 each print, which is excellent if your thinking of mass production and you can do it from home too. Your fan base is actually quite huge and I think people will buy this stuff ^^

I'd say start looking for another job right away. When you find something that has a livable income and some assurance of job security, you can ditch your current employer. As an artist, freelance artistry full-time may be ideal for you, but it doesn't seem like that would be enough to reliably pay the bills.

Skyfox

I pull it off and I have fraction of the followers you have. You could also start something like a pay site :o.

It's not impossible, but it is a lot of work too :3

However, I still definitively say, you will easily make more money with a real job.

Look above and think of how many people in the fandom care for you. Your friendship is well in hand and their are many furs that are coming in and out.

Just cope with what you have now, and plan for the future. Think ahead Zen, their aren't any doubts to continue what you do best...

Kinda late replying to this...and because of that my comment is now buried under a sea of text and avatar pictures, but I'll try anyway XD

 Necrodrone13 and I were both laid off from our jobs this Spring. The company we worked for was treating us like dirt and it affected our moods, personal lives and especially our artistic lives. It was soul-sucking. It was actually a relief when they laid us off. We then moved the hell out of California and settled down in a quiet town in Idaho, where with all rent and bills combined, it's still less than our rent back in Cali (and we live in a larger place, too :P).

With some trust money, we've managed to get ourselves started out here, but we basically keep a roof over our heads by doing commissions. As long as you balance freelance commissions and fun, you'll be okay in terms of artistic inspiration. It'd also be good to try to market your work outside of fandom commissions, so you could be able to pursue some bigger projects, too! :3

So, yeah, it is possible. You just have to be careful. :3