"Criticism is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something or someone in an intelligible (or articulate) way." - Wikipedia

Posting your art - be it a signature, a photo-manipulation, a digital painting or anything else - on the internet is implicitly inviting people to give comments on it -- critique. No, "critique" does not mean "negative comments". Critique include both positive and negative constructive feedback. I thought I'd put down some ideas and suggestions on this subject. This is of course all just my personal take on it.

For you getting critique:

First of all, if you don't want critique you should mark that directly in your post. This is fine and should be respected, but don't expect too many people to comment -- people don't like censorship. You should really remember that critique is always a good thing. Critique means a person have really looked at your work, taken it in and formed an opinion about it. They might not like what they see, but at least they are not indifferent to it, it's the difference between having an audience and having a group of people just passing by. Heeding critique is also - by far - the fastest way to improve your art.

Things to think about:

• If critique makes you become defensive or feel personally offended, you have failed. If you get (negative) critique, you must take it for what it is -- an opinion of your latest work. It does not judge you as a person. Take a step back, take a cup of tea and return when the feeling subsides.
• Try to properly address the constructive critique you get. If a person spent time writing detailed points of critique for you, you should reply in kind with a detailed response. If things are not clear, politely ask if they can elaborate on what they mean. You certainly don't have to agree with any of the critique, but then you should say so and why. Critique is a dialogue and also the one giving critique must feel the effort they made at least registered with you. If you don't take this time, chance is that next time they won't bother.
• There are real people behind those nicknames who spent some of their time writing feedback for you. Always thank people for their feedback. Always. Also if the critique is jarring. You asked for feedback, you got it. Even better, go give feedback and critique on their works in return.
• Also a simple one-sentence "That's great!" or "Nice!" is also a sort of feedback. A lot less useful than real critique for sure, but worthy of a thanks too.
• If you feel people don't comment enough on your work, start posting critique and feedback on the work of others, they will hopefully reply in kind. If everyone just waits for others to comment on their work, noone will get any responses, ever.
• People commenting may not be native English speakers and have very different historical and cultural background from you. They may also be tired or short of time. If their statement is ambivalent or sounds unduly harsh or impolite, always assume a misunderstanding, it will keep your blood pressure down.
• If you do get flamed with a clear non-constructive personal attack ("This sucks, you suck and you could just as well stop doing art altogether"), ignore them for the trolls they are and report the post to staff. Schmucks like that do not belong here anyway.

For you giving critique:

Few realize it, but giving proper critique is an art in itself. And I'm not talking about knowing any fancy art terms. No, the art lies in delivering your critique in a way that actually helps the artist, not just brings them down or makes them defensive. Critique is a sensitive thing. The artist has probably spent much time and put a lot of love into their work, it's not easy to hear it's not perfect, to have the flaws pointed out.

Things to think about:

• If your critique makes the artist become defensive or feel personally offended, you have failed. No one will heed your advice if you do not respect them. The artist is the master of this particular piece of artwork, not you. It's their work, their choice to hear you out or to reject your advice. Deliver your constructive critique in a respectful way, making it clear it is just your personal opinion. It will give the artist a chance to "save face" if you will, to accept your advice without having to swallow any pride. It's simple human psychology.
• Never forget that your goal is to help another person to get better. If you want to be critical just to be mean or to show off, don't post.
• Sometimes the artist don't agree with your critique. Accept that. People have different opinions and it's their artwork after all. At least they now know others see things differently.
• Critique does not only mean negative feedback, but also positive. If you like something, say so. Artists are not mind-readers, there is no such thing as "I don't need to comment because they already know it's good".
• Any feedback is good feedback. A one word "Great!" is better than not responding at all. But, honestly, unless you are very short on time you should really be able to form at least a few words on why you thought the image was 'great'. This is purely positive critique. Not only does this help yourself form a coherent opinion in your mind, it also shows the artist that you actually looked at the image and what worked particularly well in the image. On the other hand a one-word "Bad!" is not acceptable at all -- if you give negative feedback you are supposed to explain why.
• If you give negative critique, make it constructive. "I don't like the right part of the image" is an opinion, but it does not help the artist at all. What is the problem? Is it the color? Is that part drawn differently than the rest? Should there be something more there? Is the image too wide? If you can't put your finger on what's wrong ("it's just a feeling..."), say so, but don't leave the artist hanging with just a loose statement.
• The artist may not be a native English speaker or come from a very different historical and cultural background. Try to keep your feedback as clear of possibile misunderstanding as you can.
• Flames and personal attacks are not acceptable at all. If you feel the urge to flame, just don't post.
• There is always something positive to be said about any piece of art. Even if you have a lot of negative feedback to give, always try to squeeze in one or two things that were well done, even if they are trivial.

If you have more ideas and thoughts around this issue, post them!

(This is a repost of an old post I once made on GimpTalk, it might be of general interest though.)
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Griatch

This should be stickied and marked as Read before Critiqueing

But put in Arts...

I so agree with what you posted! I just want to expound on one thing.



Although this may not be critique in the sense of giving someone advice to help them improve, it still helps to build and artist's confidence in their ability. As their confidence builds they are more apt to keep making art. If I see that the advice I would give is already posted, I will either agree with the other poster, or comment on the positives in the image.

I'm a realist. I know that everything I post could be improved in one way or another. The point is, sharing our art benefits us and others, when we respect each other. Griatch really hit the nail on the head with this!

Thanks G!

I would also like to discuss a few other points that are related to this topic, but not included as often.

The viewer's eyesight. I'm getting older, my eyesight is getting more reliant on contrasting images for me to make sense of what I am seeing. It doesn't mean that the artist has done anything wrong. It means, more or less, I'm a bit handicapped with the eyesight, but I am still enjoying the artwork. I want to say "something" rather than nothing.

Another point that comes to mind is where we all think we sit, personally, in skill levels. I love art, been drawing, painting, sculpting, repairing, etc., images since I was a small boy. But I also know where I sit at the round table of skill. Note I said "round" table. What I mean is, I know I have something to bring to the table, but I don't put myself at the head of the table in my realm of art. Surely, somewhere out there, is someone far better at what I do, than I. So, my opinions are always based on how I feel in regards to my own skills. In other words, I am limited to my ability to express my opinions based on what I actually know about the subject, if that makes any sense at all. I've seen far too many trolls in my lifetime trying to be the "art critic" of the art world by making comments that undermine creativity. Things like "that really blows" or "I've seen better". Really? I guess the rest of us are blind.

The point is, if you don't like what you are seeing, and as Griatch has already pointed out, if you have nothing of value to submit in response to that opinion, please, do not respond. Life is hard enough without have to do battle with people whose sole ambition is to take everyone down a few notches, "just because" they want to.

My last point, is don't read into the text you see. It's easy to do. People kill each other over miscommunication. Really. Sit back, sip that cup of tea that Griatch suggested, because unless you are a bonafide pure psychic with telepathic powers, there is no way you could possibly know the emotion, mood, or intent of the writer who uses text on a screen to convey their opinions. I've made this mistake so often in the past, learning from it was most cruel. It's hard. Take my advice, wean yourself from trying to judge what you are reading. The odds are against you being right. Take it from someone who has walked that plank repeatedly.

Just a little addition to the above and this applies to both normal forum discussions and critiques. This forum and for that matter most forums are in English. Whereas, I am blessed with being able to count myself as a native English speaker, there are a lot of people on this forum who are not native English speakers. Even though they speak and write it well, they may still not be able to accurately put in writing what they are thinking. As such their criticisms may seem harsh or too glowing. Read the critique carefully and see if perhaps the wording or syntax seems unfamiliar or stilted and if you suspect that the comments are made by a non-English speaker treat the comment accordingly! Another issue is the difference in age groups. My English is different to the English of my children and even in our home we find that we have misunderstandings due to our different ages. What I find as "aggressive " or "brash" language is not necessarily seen or intended to be as "aggressive" or "brash" by others. Just think of the differences between American, British, Australian and European taught English. Think of your high school French, German or Spanish and try to do a critique or formally communicate in one of those languages before you come out with statements like "What part of this ..... don't you understand!? "

Excellent! Great contributions. This topic has been moved to Gimp Art and made a sticky.

As personal attitude when looking to a GOOD artwork i feel more focused on criticism then on praise

As example for me is clear that Griatch artwork are excellent, so i will not spend much space to state what is cristal clear,(if not maybe the very first time ) instead i will feel more prone to critic what may be improved

On the contrary i may seems more nice if commenting crap but only because i think critics are a waste of time when there are few traces of creativity and/or talent..on the contrary i may try to search something good there and ackwoledge what may be good
Creativity is seldom a gift from god, more a state , a dimension that may be accessed by everybody,...and talent grow up with pratice...and in case encouragments are very helpful

In few words if i critic something is because i like it, so i hope critic may help to improve even more

I often feel that art is such a personal thing that not knowing exactly what the artist is trying to achieve makes it difficult to advise him unless he points out what HE feels is weak with his work. (or she of course)

Lots of interesting opinions on the subject, thanks!

I can certainly agree on the difficulty in judging "tone" over the internet. As a non-native speaker of English myself I sometimes find that expressions that just sound kinda funny or quaint to me has connotations that are far worse to native speakers.
As someone who encourages critique on all my work, I have often come across cases where I read the tone of the critique as surprisingly "hard" ... until I lean back and ponder the alternative ways one could interpret the words. English is a highly imprecise language. Interpreting ambiguous sentences in the "nicest" way is a good way to keep your blood pressure low.
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Griatch

It is also a good way to keep your thread on track and capable of providing useful feedback. And isn't that what you want? (Or would you rather engage in a five page flamefest with one particular commenter?)

The philosophy that "you are successful if you get what you want" has, in addition to serving me well on the Internet, kept me out of many a barroom brawl over the years.

Some more opinions and elaborations on this topic were discussed here (linked from here for reference):
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5880
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Griatch

My two cents on critique.

In creative writing, critique is an intricate part of the creative process. Visual art, it seems is much more subjective. When I write a piece, I tend to write a draft, let it sit, reread it, edit it, let the second draft sit, rinse and repeat until I feel it's ready to be seen. Then it goes out to my friends that also write, and with a professional eye, they will pick it apart like a flock (gaggle, murder...) of crows.

You, the public critic, don't even get to see it until it went through this process at least once. It's always amazing what untrained readers will find that professional editors and writers missed.

I would also like to offer this. I can't pick up a book and just read it. I can always find the underlying structure of the piece and this can sometimes ruin a good book for me. Some of the more recent popular works of fiction definitely fell in this category. While the masses ate it all up like cherry jello, I was left wanting a better editor.

So when I offer up my GIMP creations for critique, I expect this process. I want you to pick on it. I want to know where I screwed up, else how will I learn not to do it that way again. (You might want to think twice about asking me to correct your English homework though, because I definitely will.)

There's that turn of phrase. Everyone is a critic. And this is true. Everyone with eyes in their heads and ears to listen with, is able to form an opinion about art. The music you like, your favorite color, a subject matter for a story, all influence your opinion of the piece. No one is actually capable of objective critique, because art, in all its forms, is meant to sway the senses, stir emotions and in some way impact the human spirit.

Well said

Critique is an important and necessary step towards growth...yes it hurts sometimes - but it shouldn't. I think that for me I generally will address a problem that is presented by the artist of how do I, what should I etc...or a technical aspect that could be made clearer in the piece.

Sometimes what is very obvious to others doesn't occur to the artist. you have looked at the dern thing to the point that something that literally slaps the viewer like a third eyeball gets missed. Its charitable to point these things out...nicely so the artist can decide what to do with that info.

Myself, I am not an expert gimper by far. I am very well trained in technique and I have a very good eye. I STINK at certain things I've found most people do - we have strong points and weak ones. The very best of the best realize this and take full advantage of it - giving little or no thought to the bruised ego that sometimes comes along with it.

In short, some people like to try and excuse mistakes and things they over look. Hey if you like a third eyeball GREAT, but if not don't you want someone to mention its there if you missed it? Me, I like to roll around in it and be dang pleased it was found and corrected.

Lastly, artwork is like software. Its never finished - it only ships. There is always a new feature to add, a bug to fix or an improvement to be made.

I don't like the word critique because it is an attempt at justifying criticism. Most criticism seems to be in the form of "that bit is wrong" without giving any advice on how it could be put right. I've also noticed that people sometimes seem to feel compelled to find fault and often, the "fault" is actually just a matter of personal taste. In my opinion, when the artist has finished the work to his/her satisfaction, the work is finished. If you can give them advice on how to draw better hands then by all means do so but pointing out that the hand is wrong isn't helpful and a stampede of "this is wrong" statements can be extremely discouraging, especially to a new artist.

I think there is a big difference in helping someone do what they are trying to do, and telling them it's wrong..That's not helpful...They did that to us in college and it's very good because if you are going to be thrown to the dogs you have to be able to take the stuff that will be said about your art. People in galleries can be the meanest...its not nice but it's life as a professional artist, you have to deal with the public. I can say I'm not terribly upset to have left that world. That is a world where people say things that are mean, just to feel superior in a pit of vipers. It can be very ugly for sure, I'm glad none of us are like that.

That has been good for me, because I have to take that from my clients and make what they like, not what I like. Critique is a big part of that, I don't often make much that is what I would do if it was me. LOL I would not make the money I make if I got all offended when they said, "I don't like that, it looks wrong". So that's another idea to consider, as I am sure I am not the only artist here who works on commissions and with clients. If a person wants to move into that...you have to listen so you can give them what they want.

It's always best to be gentle, kind and helpful or shut up.

Critique can/should be positive, parts of things I've read make me sad, because it is such a great thing when done well. A person can say - "I really think the color in this piece is well done, because it really ads depth and feeling to the mood being conveyed. I also think that you could apply more detail to this area to emphasize that strength in color and bring it all together more effectively"

A good critique leaves a person feeling good about what they have done, and excited about where they can go from there. Either on the existing project, or the next one. When that is the goal, it usually comes off well.

Disclaimer: This is just my personal way of viewing criticism of my own work, not anything I expect or wish for someone else to do.

I try to limit my opinion to the times when it is requested.
I try to understand when someone asks for approval only.
It's my way to be kind.
I also know that the way of learning is almost always painful.

Being able to take criticism is a good skill to have, even better if one can take something away from it to improve. I find that especially on the internet people sometimes come across as rougher than they really are. The tone depends on the forum of course, but I find that much perceived crudeness is often from confusion by people from different cultural backgrounds and from people whose native language is not English. I tend to always assume the kinder interpretation of an ambivalent statement - helps keep the blood pressure down.



Critique during a commission process is slightly different. As you say, you are then doing something on behalf of someone else rather than for yourself (and hopefully getting paid for it). Also, clients need not care about you improving or about your feelings - they care about getting their money's worth. Heeding critique in that circumstance is a matter of doing something the client will be happy with. The artist should still try to not be a particular push-over though; supposedly the client wants the artist because they like that artist's previous works or particular style; it's up to the artist to diplomatically defend that against too-silly client input.


Those are excellent points, and I say similar things in the first post of this thread. Critique is an exchange - when you receive it you must make sure to see it as something intended to help you. When you give it you should do it in such a ways as to help rather than just bring someone down. I don't think you need to put a disclaimer, in an art forum at least, these are things to take to heart.


For this reason I try to explicitly put "feedback requested" on my works whenever I remember to.

I might not always agree with people's feedback but I will certainly take it in. Some of my best artistic advancements have come from listening to great critique.
I must admit I don't quite understand those that asks for people's opinions but really only wants to hear "it's great". If you do your art only for some sort of therapeutic purpose, mark so clearly in your post - "I don't want critique on this, please". That's cool then. Otherwise, what value are positive comments if you have explicitly banned (or react badly to) those pointing out things to improve?
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Griatch

I believe this is a misconception of the word "critique". To critically analyze something does not mean to be negative of it but to analyze it with an open mind to both its faults and its merits.

(Emphasis mine). This is the word-meaning I use when I refer to critique in this thread.

What you refer to is unsubstantiated negative critique which I agree is a bad thing that helps no one (it actually breaks the definition of "critique" as being intelligible and articulate). But overall I don't think people should be afraid to give critique either. Especially in this forum I get the feeling the fear of hurting someone's feelings is sometimes so great that some people avoid giving any sort of honest feedback no matter the image they are commenting on.
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Griatch

I have the same feeling, and I do my share to compensate

"Sans la liberté de blâmer, il n'est point d'éloge flatteur." (""Without the freedom to criticize, there is no flattering praise.") Beaumarchais (French playwright)