Founder
Kris
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:16 am
Post subject: The guide to giving and receiving criticism. |
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Original articles:
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/farp/g...criticism.html
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/farp/g...criticism.html
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Giving critical reviews can be more frustrating than getting them. You just don't know what to say, you don't know how much is enough advice, you don't know where the line between style and inaccuracy is, and it may seem like every time you try to be helpful, the advice you give is interpreted incorrectly. This is a comprehensive solution to those problems; an all-users guide to giving out the dirt without burying the artist (or writer, in all cases).
What to Say?
The first problem you may have is that you simply don't know where to begin. Maybe you're not an artist, maybe you don't have that perfect witty remark, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't say anything! Leaving even a short comment, or even a criticism, usually makes an artists day.
One good recipe for comments is to find one specific positive point, one specific helpful or critical point, and finish it off with a general feeling about the picture. Example: 'Her hair is really lovely, though I think her hand is a bit small. There's a very peaceful feeling about this picture.' This gives the artist a wealth of input, letting him know a strong point, a part that needs work, and an idea of whether or not they got their overall message across.
If you just don't feel comfortable about pointing out weaknesses, stick with the strong points. Find specific things about the piece that just 'work.' If you are familiar with the artist's work, find things that are unique about this particular piece that you like. Or mention that you love the way she does all of her feet. It can be as helpful to an artist to know what elements of her art are successful as it is to know which elements simply don't work.
Being 'mean' nicely
Your mother's advice still stands: if you can't think of something nice to say, don't say anything. That doesn't mean that you can't point out weaknesses or be critical, but it does mean that you don't have to be cruel to do so.
The 'mood' parts of a comment are the beginning and the end. The beginning sets the tone for the review, and the end is the feeling that the artist goes away with. If you begin a review with a positive comment, and end it with a positive feeling, you can generally cram a lot of advice in the middle without hurting an artist's feelings.
Don't make ultimatums. 'You need to...' is a lot different that 'I think you should...' Adding a little extra bit that makes it clear that it's your opinion will make a huge difference in how the review comes across to the artist. Adding phrases like 'I think,' 'I would,' or 'What if' will keep you from sounding conceited or demanding.
Don't make things personal by such statements as 'You can't shade well.' Refer to the picture itself, saying instead, 'the shading here could use work' or 'this picture needs more shading.'
Helpful pointers are even better than just telling them what's wrong. Saying 'that leg is wrong' is not as useful as saying 'I think that leg is too thin, you can make it thicker without making it look too muscle-y by doing such and so.' The artist you're commenting on will probably be very grateful for the tutelage.
What Not to Say
'Cool!' While positive, also pretty useless in terms of helping the artist improve.
'This sucks.' How does it suck? What can the artist do to improve it?
'Kawaii!' Avoid using slang or words in other languages that the artist may not understand. (Kawaii, incidentally, means 'cute,' but remember that because a word is commonplace in your own vocabulary, it doesn't mean your audience will understand it!)
'I'm going to cry now, you're so good.' Or any 'you make me feel bad about myself' stuff. Your loss of self-confidence (however exaggerated) doesn't do you or the artist any good at all.
Anything with 'u r' or cutesy spelling, including z's at the end of things. Any of this will lower your professionalism in the artist's eyes, often to the level where they may dismiss your ideas as invalid, even though you may have something valuable to offer.
A string of '!!!' or '...' or any other nonsense characters may not have the same meaning to the artist as it has to you. While and other characters are fairly widely understood on the Internet, there are plenty of obscure symbols that should be avoided.
Avoid 'sheep' mentality. If seven other people have commented about something, a 'me too' comment is not going to be helpful. Find something new to comment on.
The artist probably doesn't want a long-winded recital about your aunt's dog's chew-toy just because it happens to be the same color as their picture's background. Before you start your comment, ask yourself what you are trying to say, and how it will help the artist.
Note that adding an email or your gallery link will improve the likelihood that the artist will take your comment seriously. Anonymity is often a cloak for someone who doesn't want to take credit for something, and if you don't credit your own opinion, why should they?
Recognizing Style and Opinion
Everyone has a preconceived notion of what an elf or a dragon is supposed to look like. It is difficult to set aside the picture that you may have in your head and judge a picture on its own basis. It is important to recognize the difference between a flaw in a picture, and simply an opposing opinion as to what it should be.
If you're not sure whether your input is a style issue, just say so. A preface like, 'this may be a style issue, but...' will allow the artist, who knows more about what they were trying to accomplish than you do, to judge for themselves, and it will be clear that you aren't trying to dictate their vision.
Taylor Criticism to the Artist
Not every artist is looking for the same thing. Some of them desire very detailed criticism, some of them want suggestions for completing a piece, some of them are looking for praise, and only want positive input. Sometimes, you can figure out what an artist is looking for by reading their picture description. Sometimes it is only detailed in the bio. Sometimes it's not mentioned anywhere, and it's up to you as the commenter to decide how specific, how detailed and how positive you wish to be. It is usually a safe bet to mention just a few key things.
If an artist specifically mentions wanting advice on a particular aspect, make an effort to accommodate them. This doesn't mean you shouldn't comment on other things, or that you always have to stay on that single topic.
Closing Opinions
As you begin your comment, ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish. If you are trying to help the artist improve, supply helpful comments. If you're trying to boost an artist's self-esteem, provide insight to the positive aspects of their work, and tell them specifically what you like. If you're trying to interpret their work, let them know what you see in it. If you're trying to elevate your own self-esteem by flattening theirs, ask yourself why and deal with your problems yourself. If you're responding to a personal attack, step back, and take your complaints to a more appropriate place (like a private message to the offending party).
Before you post your comment, read it. Does it say what you want it to? Could it be read to say something different? Can it be clearer? Your first draft doesn't have to be the final draft. Your comment will be left for everyone to see (pending an artist taking offense and removing it). It is your calling card, and the quality of your comment reflects directly upon yourself.
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And taking it..
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Being an artist isn't easy to begin with. We tend to get enormously attached to our creations, and we become very fragile indeed when it comes to being criticized. This is a guide to accepting criticism without allowing it to deflate you, how to get the most out of critique, and when to disregard a review.
Art versus Artist
The first thing to remember is that the item being criticized is not you. Because of the time and effort you put into a work of art, it is difficult to detach yourself from it emotionally. It's a little like a new mother being told her baby has an ugly nose.
Never judge yourself or your skill as an artist by a few comments or criticisms. I can criticize a piece of Michelangelo's work if I want to; that doesn't mean I'm a better artist than he was, that Michelangelo wasn't a great artist, or that Michelangelo wasn't a perfectly groovy person.
Having a measure of self-confidence is important. In fact, it's a vital part of being an artist. If you are bold enough to believe in yourself, you will try more challenging poses, you will draw more frequently, and dramatically increase your skill.
Remember Who's Critiquing
It is also important to remember is that most people who do the critiquing are not experts; not in the art of critiquing, nor in your art, nor in art in general. There is a knack to giving criticism without being mean, and in being able to praise something helpfully. In nine out of ten cases, it isn't that the commenter is trying to be mean or harsh or unhelpful at all, just that they don't know how to give effective critiques.
Remember, too, that they don't know that you've improved drastically on point a, or eliminated mistake b, so they don't have the knowledge to comment on that. They don't always know what you're looking for. It can be frustrating to want advice only on an anatomical problem and get lots of remarks on needing more shading. If you want advice specifically on something, or specifically not on something else, you have to tell them. And remember that, in the case of an Elfwood gallery, they may not have gotten to a specific picture through your main page, so a blurb in your bio may not be sufficient. You may want to specify in each picture description what kind of criticism you are looking for.
Some criticisms come from people who are not familiar with your field. Perhaps you draw really great anime, but a classically trained figure artist can't get past the fact that the eyes and head are too big, and hair is all clumpy looking. There is a great deal of personal preference involved in critiquing, and you have to be able to allow your commenter to express their own opinions. If you step back and try to see your artwork through your critic's eyes, you'll feel a lot better about what may have seemed unnecessarily harsh.
Explore for Validity
The first stage of accepting criticism is denial. Like a new mother, we want to believe our baby is perfect. It is easier to feel offended and dismiss the comment as the product of someone being mean than it is to accept the verdict as correct. If the critic has been particularly blunt, or written a barely-literate review, it is even easier to disregard. Recognizing this stage and moving past it is important to getting the most out of every critique.
Every review (with the relatively rare exception of 'you suck' intelligentsia) should be approached with the idea that maybe they have a point. They may be useless (see below for when to disregard a comment), but try to look at the work objectively, and decide if there is validity in their comment. It is often difficult to get past the point of denial and feeling hurt, but it is important to give every piece of feedback the benefit of the doubt if you are serious about improving.
It is safe to assume that the harsher the review, the higher the standard that you are being compared to. This isn't something to treat lightly. In fact, you should feel flattered, because any reviewer who takes the time to compare you to that high standard probably believes you can achieve exactly that.
Positive reviews can be valid as well, and useful information can be gleaned from them even if they don't have specific advice. If seven people comment on how great the hair looks, it is likely that you really hit on something successful. Look carefully at your piece, try to decide what you did differently, and how to use it in future work.
Picky Points and Style
Some reviews will seem incredibly picky, or as if they are criticizing your style, rather than your skill. Communicating what you are looking for to your reviewer can help avoid getting these kinds of comments if they aren't what you are looking for.
Don't dismiss fussy comments as irrelevant! What may seem finicky to you may ruin the picture in their eyes. Hands, for example, are very difficult things to draw, and misshapen hands may disrupt one viewer's pleasure. You may think that the rest of the drawing is perfect, and that complaining about the hands is being picky, but the critique is an honest one if the hands actually need work. Most of the point of a critique is to be critical of flaws, and to point out things that need work. If they are bringing up minor points, it's likely that either they can't find helpful things to point out about major issues, or what you thought was a minor point is something that stands out glaringly to them, even if it doesn't to you.
Style is one of those nebulous, creative things that separates your work from the masses. Anatomically, perhaps you have chosen to pursue an elongated figure with very big hair. A reviewer may tell you, 'this is too skinny and the hair is unrealistic.' This is a reaction to your style, not the particular piece of art, but that doesn't make it invalid. In 95% of cases, the critic believes that they are being helpful with this observation. It is up to you to recognize a style comment for what it is and to ask yourself whether or not your style would improve by incorporating their ideas. It is okay if you disagree with their prognosis of your style (though it is highly recommended that you not disagree with them with angry retorts and flaming defenses). It is also okay to agree with it, and to see if you can learn from their comments.
Other Problems to be Aware of
Not everyone's first language is English. There are often messages with grammar that you may have difficulty understanding, or words that are misused. Usually the message is easy enough to decipher, but in cases where you aren't sure what's going on, give the commenter the benefit of the doubt; don't assume that they are trying to say something negative if you're not sure.
For example, one commenter wrote the following: 'woah is that me no the eyes are wrong.' Two people commenting afterwards mentioned that the eyes looked fine, and that there was nothing wrong with them at all. The first commenter was really trying to say: 'Woah! Is that me? No, the eyes are wrong.' They were trying to indicate that the eyes were wrong for being a portrait of themselves, not that the eyes were 'wrong' in the picture.
When to Disregard
There are plenty of critiques that aren't worth the pixels they occupy. Rather than bending your mind around trying to use them to improve your work, or wasting the time feeling offended about them, they should be shelved in the 'useless space' file. These can be positive or negative comments.
Any personal attacks can be disregarded. Something is personal when it no longer refers to the art at all. 'You suck,' 'You're so conceited' or 'Your bio picture is ugly' is just someone venting, either with a personal vendetta, or perhaps just someone having a bad day who wants to be noticed. Don't reward them by replying or making a big deal out of their stupidity.
Unhelpful negative responses include things like 'this sucks' or 'my two-year old sister could do better.' Like personal attacks, these kinds of comments are sometimes prompted by personal conflicts, and sometimes they are simply uselessly expressed personal opinions. It is important to note that comments like 'the shading sucks' can still be valid criticism. If the critique refers to something specific, however poorly worded, it can still be useful.
Positive responses that are equally useless are the 'cute,' 'u r so good' or 'kawaii!' These comments are great for feeling good about yourself, but fairly useless in terms of improving. Don't dismiss these in terms of being invalid; they just aren't very helpful.
Closing Opinions
Opinions; everyone has them. Every critic has their own idea of what a dragon looks like, or how hair should be. Some people can't stand anime, or think that realism is artistically dead. It is okay that someone does not agree with your artistic vision. The fact that a person has taken the time to comment on your work, whether they agree with it or not, means that it has touched them on some level.
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"Go with the flow."
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