Echoing the other people on don't take commissions yet as a minor due to the legal issues. Wait.
Beyond that, it depends on WHY you want to take commissions.
If you want additional spending money, see if there's some way you can incorporate working as an artist into the family business so parents can give you additional allowance that way. (designing labels, logos, whatever might work) This gives you some experience but in a more sheltered environment without all the legal entanglements.
If you're looking at commissions as a way to build portfolio and make you stretch on what you're doing, consider doing a structured internship for a local nonprofit that needs that sort of thing. For example, I did a bunch of headshots of animals for the local humane society, focusing on animals that had been in the shelter a loooooong time to try and drum up interest in those critters.
Go through your guidance department at school and tell them you're looking for that sort of experience where you'd be doing a structured internship. They should be able to find you a LEGIT one where you're actually building skills rather than just being free labor.
I have an intern at my business through school program and basically the way the law works out is the benefit should be to YOU. not to the business. If the business benefits more from your presence than you do from interning there OR displaces a paid worker, they should be paying you! If you're not learning, immediately complain to guidance department that you aren't interning, you're working!
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-11-29 10:39 pm (UTC)Beyond that, it depends on WHY you want to take commissions.
If you want additional spending money, see if there's some way you can incorporate working as an artist into the family business so parents can give you additional allowance that way. (designing labels, logos, whatever might work) This gives you some experience but in a more sheltered environment without all the legal entanglements.
If you're looking at commissions as a way to build portfolio and make you stretch on what you're doing, consider doing a structured internship for a local nonprofit that needs that sort of thing. For example, I did a bunch of headshots of animals for the local humane society, focusing on animals that had been in the shelter a loooooong time to try and drum up interest in those critters.
Go through your guidance department at school and tell them you're looking for that sort of experience where you'd be doing a structured internship. They should be able to find you a LEGIT one where you're actually building skills rather than just being free labor.
I have an intern at my business through school program and basically the way the law works out is the benefit should be to YOU. not to the business. If the business benefits more from your presence than you do from interning there OR displaces a paid worker, they should be paying you! If you're not learning, immediately complain to guidance department that you aren't interning, you're working!