A lot of artists rely on their Patreon to make sure they have a roof over their head, lights and water, basic necessities of life, and such. For all the free high-quality art these artists post to deviantart and elsewhere on a regular basis, it’s more than fair for them to choose to monetize “special” art that only their patrons have access to.
Try thinking about how you’d feel if you were the artist, trying to make enough spare cash to keep the lights on, and saw comments like yours.
