Before you work for free read this.

[Aigis]

Should I Work For Free?

Mark Evanier: Unfinanced Entrepreneurs, pt 1
Mark Evanier: Unfinanced Entrepreneurs, pt 2
Mark Evanier: Unfinanced Entrepreneurs, pt 3

Stephen R. Bissette: "Draw My Graphic Novel! Storyboard My Moviel"

[lovingthedark]

See also: http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.html

Personally I believe that working for free can have many benefits, including providing practice, getting your name out there, and building communities, but I agree that people who approach artists promising future compensation ("when the product becomes popular") as if it will definitely be delivered deserve to be turned down, especially if they aren't prepared to invest plenty of their own time in a project.

Ultimately though, it's up to each artist to decide how much their time is worth, and where they want to invest it.

[Morthagg]

Um, yeah. The thing you posted is indeed right, when it comes to being a working professional artist. Making a thread on newgrounds asking for something to be drawn is not the same as making a call to a professional graphic artist expecting him to do it for free.
If you're 16 years old, you haven't done anything professional, you're just an amateur and someone asks you to draw a cover for their rockband, it's a good opportunity, payment or not. It's a way of getting your name out, getting practice, learning how to deal with dificulties while working with someone. You could see it as tiny internships.
Of course there is a difference when the client expects you to do almost all of the work for a (semi-)professional company with none of the credit or benefits, while they would benefit greatly. That's something completely different. But if it's a little deal between two amateurs, I see absolutely no harm in it, and indeed it just comes down to what the artist is willing to do.

[Aigis]

At 9/29/11 06:01 AM, Morthagg wrote: But if it's a little deal between two amateurs, I see absolutely no harm in it, and indeed it just comes down to what the artist is willing to do.

People can do whatever they want if they want to do it. It's one of the perks of modern society.