Noticed hooplah in the forums over "minors" and art. The first topic revolves around whether or not its' alright to be a minor whilst doing commissions of erotic illustrations and the other topic simply focuses on fictional minors being depicted in in artistic media. I know I'll probably lose followers with my :hot take" (No matter what someone is gonna blow a gasket and be offended!) but here it goes.
I'm rating this as "mature" to play it safe so if you have a younger brother or younger sister (Or are old enough to be a parent to an adolescent) feel free to read this then relay anything here you think may help them. I'm going to keep it "mostly" clean but a few swear words or other profanities may pop off from time to time.
1. Drawing erotica before 18
Anyone claiming they didn't doodle naughty stuff before they were 18 is probably lying. Even non-artists have drawn a funnily shaped penis in a bathroom stall or a pair of tits onto their desk. However,you should ask yourself what you want to be known for as an artist "and" if creating art for questionable clientele while you are still young enough for it to be illegal is worth the risk. (By the way,it absolutely is not.) You don't want to be stuck in juvenile hall. Bad things happen there. You may get "edge-lord points" from strangers whom don't even matter in your life but in the long run it will be a blemish on your existence.
However, I get it. You are going through puberty. Heck,you might have already even made out with your girlfriend or boyfriend! It's not as if we're not already sexual beings before 18. So,keep a diary or hidden sketchbook. Draw all the kinky stuff you want but keep it on the down low. Then by the time you're 18 you will have honed the skills to draw that subject matter "if" you want to dabble in rule 34 going forward.
By the way, being able to draw "sex" will not necessarily get you automatic success,fame,or commissions. It's fine if you do it for enjoyment but be aware it is not the Solomon's key of the art-scene. It will also cause problems in your immediate future if you suddenly decide to change gears professionally to focus solely on "general audience" content. For some reason the west has a stigma attached to when an artist goes from adult material to regular kid-friendly material.
Lastly, If you want to up your chances of fiscal gain you are going to have to keep up with tricks of the trade and develop other skills on the side. (Like animation,website design,and advertising.)
2. Younger people depicted in fictional illustrated mediums
People like to feel "morally superior" about everything. It's good to have scruples yet we try to "gain virtue signaling brownie points" via the laziest most ill conceived routes imaginable.
Certain people take issues with lolis as that term is depicted in Japanese anime and Japanese manga. I do not. I understand within that context it simply means a character that is short,lithe,and youthful looking. Rebecca from Edge-Runners is a loli even though she's an adult. There are also "kid lolis" too like Kanna from Dragon-maid. Regardless the parameters I don't give a single fuck.
I likewise do not care when I see Raven,Star-Fire,Kim Possible,various X-girls,Ben's cousin Gwen,Mavis,or the totally spies trio sexualized because not only were they drawn to be attractive to begin with but they have been through puberty physicality-wise so yes,"if" they were real teenagers they would be fantasizing about or engaging in sexual activities already.
People bitching over this whilst throwing around slanderous buzzwords never bring up Epstein's island or human trafficking coyotes. They never seem concerned about how our elites and acronym agencies use/abuse REAL children or how big corporations exploit child sweat-shops over seas. They are armchair moralists at war with drawn lines that occasionally move when animated. They would shit themselves and whimper if ever confronted with the real pain,real suffering,and real darkness of this world.
Wanna make a difference? Make a goddamn difference and get off the friggin internet you hypocritical philistines. I've seen so many countless "expose streams" on youtube of Twitterati-virtue-signalers calling something out only to have their most embarrassing skeletons exposed in real time showing they are guilty of what they accuse others of! It happens without delay and without fail!
PS: If the art causing moral outrage already has proper filters,warnings,and ratings applied I care EVEN LESS than I did before!