critique

[Ashtaroot]

This is really not an easy topic...

For me personally I struggle with saying anything, so not to hurt the artists' feeling. Again "for me" It helps to know the artist, so I am certain my critique is not being taken personally.

*From an artist view, I know how long it takes to work on a piece and what goes in it from labor and love.. Your whole soul goes into the work and you want to hear good comments.. I know

At first, it really hurt to feel that your labor of love is being dissected, and after defending yourself and your work and dealing with being hurt...you put your head on the pillow and you think about it all over again...and aha! you start thinking on how to improve it... It is a learning process and the path of growing. You will fight it, rejected it and resist it at first, but it will make you and your work evolve... I know that from experience..

Now if you are making something for public retail, you have to be ready to get some criticism. And everyone should feel comfortable to give their opinions and thoughts without getting attacked ..as long as everyone is civil and the "work" only is being criticized ..it should be a very fun and learning dialogue... But I see how it can turn into "war"...

This is why it is a very tricky issue, and one should tread with sensitivity ...me thinks. At the same time one should be able to say what is on his mind, without having groupies come after him. Also pointing out concerns about the art is very helpful and eye opening to the artist.

I applaud the artists and the risk taken for putting it all out. I also applaud the good critics...cause it takes a lot of courage to critique constructively, knowing that they might be branded the "Simon"... * * *

 

[Lee]

My goodness, there is an awful lot of bossiness going on in this thread!

A lot of people seem to be awfully eager to tell other people how they should post, what they should say, how they should think.

Artists should respond to critiques by either ignoring them or saying "thank you." Why?

People shouldn't be "cheering sections." Why not?

There's something basic that I'm missing here. As long as we're civil, on-topic, and otherwise obeying forum rules, why shouldn't anyone post whatever they want?

If an artist wants to respond to a critique, why shouldn't they? Aren't they members too, with the same rights to post as other members?

If a member wants to post about how much they like the work of an artist, why shouldn't they? Is there some rule I'm missing?

It seems to me it's a waste of energy to post about how others should post. Why? Because I can guarantee you, no one is going to stop posting what they post because of this thread. They're going to keep right on posting whatever they want. Worrying about it is just going to make you crazy. I know -- I used to worry about what others were posting. It made me crazy. I took an eight-month break from the forum.

When I came back, I had a whole new attitude. For the last few years, I've tried (and mostly succeeded) to adhere to a few simple rules: 1) be civil. 2) be on topic. 3) don't post something unless it's something new. If I would just be repeating what I've already posted, then I don't post. 4) enjoy what others post. If I don't like what they post, then I forget about it. Life is too short to spend it worrying about what others are posting.

I'm much, much happier now.

I humbly submit that if we all put our energies toward our own posting, and let the moderators worry about how others post, then honestly, everything will be fine.

 

[Ashtaroot]

When I came back, I had a whole new attitude. For the last few years, I've tried (and mostly succeeded) to adhere to a few simple rules: 1) be civil. 2) be on topic. 3) don't post something unless it's something new. If I would just be repeating what I've already posted, then I don't post. 4) enjoy what others post. If I don't like what they post, then I forget about it. Life is too short to spend it worrying about what others are posting.

I'm much, much happier now.

I humbly submit that if we all put our energies toward our own posting, and let the moderators worry about how others post, then honestly, everything will be fine.

 

[nicky]

There's something basic that I'm missing here. As long as we're civil, on-topic, and otherwise obeying forum rules, why shouldn't anyone post whatever they want?

They should and can but that wasn't the point of my thread.
For me, I would like to see these threads as constructive in some way.

 

[GryffinSong]

It occurs to me that perhaps in a perfect world an artist would specify what they're asking for in their opening post. For instance ...

"I've got a new deck I'm working on and I'm very interested in constructive critique. Go ahead, be blunt, I can take it ..."

Or ...

"Here's a few cards I've done. I'm just doing this for fun, so if you like them please let me know, and if you don't, please keep it to yourself."

... it would make replying so much easier, eh?

 

[Ashtaroot]

It occurs to me that perhaps in a perfect world and artist would specify what they're asking for in their opening post. For instance ...

"I've got a new deck I'm working on and I'm very interested in constructive critique. Go ahead, be blunt, I can take it ..."

Or ...

"Here's a few cards I've done. I'm just doing this for fun, so if you like them please let me know, and if you don't, please keep it to yourself."

... it would make replying so much easier, eh?

Ha ha ha good one

 

[Lee]

For me, I would like to see these threads as constructive in some way.

Constructive according to who?

 

[Debra]

I don't think "according to who" is the right question. It leads directly into intellectual and moral dopiness where "everything is subjective and everyone's view is equally valid because everyone is entitled to their own opinion and opinions cannot be judged right or wrong because everything is subjective and..."

Any sincere effort to suggest how a project might be improved symbolically, aesthetically, or technically is constructive, although the recommendations may be displeasing or wrong.

 

[Alta]

Any sincere effort ... is constructive, although the recommendations may be ..... wrong.

Really?

And besides the obvious, is sincerity really that strong a benchmark? wow, I'll bet some really really crazy people, even in positions of power, are quite sincere.

 

[gregory]

Really?

And besides the obvious, is sincerity really that strong a benchmark? wow, I'll bet some really really crazy people, even in positions of power, are quite sincere.

Geez yes. Tony Blair was....

@ Lee - cheering sections (and the reverse) - why not ? Well, I don't know about anyone else, but there are cheering sections who descend in a thread whenever their favourite artist is criticised and scream at the poster. This happened a while back about a deck from someone here whose work - isn't wildly popular. A few who had actually seen it said they liked it, and the hordes descended to say how awful it was and how that artist's work was awful and the rest.

Further discussion showed that most of them hadn't even seen the deck - or even any of the cards - and had just shown up because some people were supporting a creator that they KNEW only turned out what they decided was crap. And they stuck to that view, even though they hadn't seen any of the cards.

THAT is what I object to. It gets a bit like Rentamob ! And it happens with "LOVE IT" as a reaction to something unseen, too.

No I will not find the thread. Actually I think it was pulled.