I'd totally be up for that.

That's a really good way to go about it!
And heck yeah, I'd be up for it! XD

It would be a really great option for those who otherwise can't afford commissions!

I dont think you should open them. Most of the times it's used as a way to abuse the artist's generosity, and sooner or later you will end up receivibg requests you wont want to do but will feel forced to do them anyway, is that how you want to work?

Just my 2 cents.

There won't be abuse if it's limited to one sketch per person, and you know, if I don't like the request, I have all right to refuse it, I don't get paid! =P

Dude, I've done this kind of stuff, even if you limit it to one sketch per person, there will be abuse of your good nature, many will try to guilt trip you into making their request even after you refuse. And, you can bet whatever you want on this, there will be a huge majority of people who will ask you to do stuff you've never done, stuff that you dont want to do, and stuff that are in no way related to your art and what you want to make of it, and you will see a lot of reauests from people who have never left a comment on one of your pieces, or that are not even fans of your work. Some wont even have the decency of saying "thank you"

People lose their minds when they read "free art" somehwere.

I'm aware of all of this, I've been doing free requests for two years, I know the risks, that's why I created rules, you know?
If I don't like the request, I refuse it, that's all.

But doing things I've never done before is in my opinion a good opportunity to improve my skills. :3

Allright. I just want you to be aware of this.

Ehh, not like that. Getting out of the confort zone is ok, but if you are a muscle and furry artist, and someone asks you to draw a mecha, or a portrait of themselves in a wwii uniform makes you wonder if those people even watch your art or they simply stumbled with your journal at random. You know what I mean?

I know what you mean, but these examples you give me, I would love to try that! :D

Ok. Doesnt have to be those 2 in particular, but you know what I mean -w-.

Allright, you seem determined here. Hope it turns out well

I think this is a good idea, but make sure people understand that you can turn down requests you don't feel comfortable with

Yep, like said to another person, I don't get paid so I can refuse a request whenever I want.

Sounds fair. But I would suggest you should make things very clear that way people won't get the wrong idea and request something you don't feel comfortable drawing.

as someone who does monthly sketch requests, i can attest that it's easy to fall behind on them, often times due to real life things. i've had months where i end up doing five drawings in the last two weeks to finish everything, and i'll admit, i'm a request behind from september that i'll be working on finishing. it can easily get overwhelming, but it's good if you're only limiting in to one a week, and if you need to, it can just be a one at a time thing in general, regardless of how long it takes. personally, i'd love to see shadow in your style, so i'd encourage you try out requests at least, but i also agree with the person above, as hard as you may try, there will always be people looking to abuse the system. automated is good, though i'd also suggest keeping a personal eye on things just to ensure nothing's happening that shouldn't be.

I have experience in free requests, my two firsts years on DeviantArt have shown me how greedy people could be for free stuff.
The error I've done was to add color and shading on my free art, that won't happen again.

Anyway, thanks for your feedback, it's nice to hear your experience with this! :D

colors would be a nightmare for so many people. i've only done it for trades and certain special occasions for others. but i'm sure you'll manage pretty well if you do go through with doing requests. though curious, would you consider something similar for trades?

Yes, I'll be open for trades and commissions as soon as I'm done with developing a big website, normally, next month.

sweet, hopefully it's a smooth process then, i look forward to seeing it finished ^^

hello