The Art of Critique: Do's, Don'ts, and Why's

Critiques

We hear a lot about them, but a sure, general, overall opinion of critiques is difficult to pinpoint because it varies by group. Professional artists usually are ones that earnestly seek to improve are typically the kind that either want or willingly accept a critique at nearly any given moment. On the other side of the coin, amature or considerably "new" artists tend to disagree and wish that few to no people give critiques about their art. Why? Why is there so much of a difference of opinion in the community?

Well, DeviantART is a positively HUGE site, and reagardless of the community, if it grows beyond a certain point, it will begin to break off into smaller groups. This is what's happening all over the site, and has been for the few years that I've been a member. However, the community is not only split up into "amatures" and "pros" but into groups like Photography, Stock, Digital, Traditional, Anime, Realism, etc. The different sects could go on for hours, and even then whe could futher divide the groups into smaller sections. However, birds of a feather flock together, and because of this, we also know that people who tend to stay together make an opinion and stick by their guns and may or may not listen to any outsider opinions, thus creating the disunity present today.

It's for that reason that I write this article. Critiques are an important part of the upbringing of any artist in any field and any medium. For everyone, they needed to learn their trade somewhere. More advanced artists may have had formal instruction and art classes, while others, possibly amature or beginner, may have had to learn on their own and never had a formal art lesson whether because of lack of money, time or both. Regardless, both of these groups require some form of critique or other of their work in order to improve. They just get it from different sources.

What is a critique?

"FAQ #95: What is the Critique Feature and how do I use it? " explains this well, while also explaining the Critique feature option given to premium members. However, you don't need to be a PM to give a critique. In fact, there are extremely talented and/or knowledgable artists who are fully capable of giving a well written critique who cannot afford a PM or simply don't wish to purchase one.

All you need to write a critique is critical thinking skills and an eye for detail. Notice that both "critical" and "critique" have the same roots: the Greek krī́t meaning judge which is also derived from krī́ which means to separate or decide. Therefore, a critique is separating the different elements and details of whatever you are critiquing and making a conclusion from them, and to be critical is the action of separting details and being in the process of making a conclusion from them.

Are critiques good or bad?

There are good critiques, and there are bad critiques. If you have ever looked at a formal critique here on DeviantART, you might have noticed two buttons towards the bottom with the question to the extent of, "Do you think this critique was fair?" with the buttons for indicating your position.

This is DeviantART's way of allowing the community and artist to weed out good critiques and bad critiques in the public eye. Not everyone agrees on what is a good or bad critique, but most can tell what is constructive and deconstructive at least.

What makes a critique good or bad?

Mostly it depends, not on the ammount of detail put in, but the language used and how it's presented that separates a good critique from a bad critique. A critic may give many an area on which to improve, but if they word it in a way that comes off as rude or offensive, most people blow it off.  A good critique, however, though it may not be as detailed, will more likely be deemed "fair" because it was worded in a way that a teacher, mentor, or friend would politely point out areas of potential improvement: politely.

Constructive critisicm is when you build up a person's confidence by showing them where they can improve and how while also pointing out what they did well. Deconstructive criticism may have valid points to what can be improved, but it may not show how, give any positive points (which may make the artist feel worthless), or simply be rude to the extreme- in all, cutting down a person because of how it's worded.

Does not wanting a critique make me a bad artist?/Is it bad if I get a critique?

Not at all! Art is more than a professional business; it's also an outlet. Some artists simply enjoy creating what they do and have no immediate urge to improve while others use art as a way to express their thoughts and feelings like an online journal blog or diary. Not having a wish to receive a critique does not necessarily reflect badly on you. Does it possibly limit your rate of improvement? Maybe.

Different artists learn at different paces, and some honestly don't really feel the need for a critique because they critique themselves constantly and figure out ways to overcome any rough spots that give them trouble. There are others, though, who feel like their art is an extention of themselves, and therefore, do not like other people "judging" it. It's much like a person who doesn't want their feet or their hair touched. It just irks and bothers them.

And if you don't want a critique but get one anyway, don't panic! It doesn't mean that you are now permanently labelled a terrible artist. Typically, other artists give critiques so that they can help others improve in their work, as is the purpose of a critique. If you get one, it most likely means that someone actually LIKES your art enough that they want to see you get EVEN BETTER! I have a joke with my dancing instructor that is the opitome of my point: "If she points you out specifically, you're doing it right!" And if you receive what you deem to be a bad critique, just ignore it.


Do I have to be a pro to give a critique?

Absolutely not. Most everyone has at least one artist they admire which may lead to a feeling of inferiority in their abilities in whatever aspect. However, one thing they nearly always have that the artist typically does not is a fresh perspective of their work. While they may paint the Mona Lisa and you draw stick figures, you can still tell that something specific in the picture seems a bit off to you, though you can't quite tell what. This alone, brought to the artist's attention, is a form of critique that may alert the artist to a mistake they overlooked or alerted them to an area they notice gives them trouble. From there, they can decide the steps to improve themselves, but the act of pointing it out saved them the trouble of having to spend the time to figure out what looks wrong or even that something looks off in the first place, thus helping them improve.


Are there any formal rules to follow when critiquing?

None set in stone, but are there principles to keep in mind when writing a good critique? Absolutely!

#1: If they don't want a critique, don't give them one!

Remember, some people are sensitive to their art being picked apart and analyized. It's perfectly fine to ask them if they would like one or to offer one, but if they say "no", leave them be.

#2: Do not write a knee-jerk critique.

Look through their gallery before you figure out what you even want to address. You may initially see a picture and see several places where you can instantly see area for improvement; but after you look through their gallery and see their improvements before the picture and possibly any improvement from pictures after the one you plan to critique, it may not seem as bad anymore and may even enlighten you to address a specific area that they struggle with.
After that, plan what exactly it is you plan to focus the critique on. Is it anatomy? Lighting? Texture? Depth? A bit of research will go a long way in deciding and presenting, so don't be lazy and do your homework on the artist's past and present material.

#3: Be careful what you say and how you say it.

Most everyone enjoys remote uses of sarcasm, but a critique is not the place for it. Critiques are meant to be professional, honest details of the artist's current skills and is not the place for joking aroud. And sarcasm can easily be taken the wrong way or not identified as sarcasm at all. A lot gets lost when you type a message including inflection of tone and body language which are huge aids in understanding a person's attitude on a subject.

Also, watch how you word any given phrase in your critique. One wrong or misplaced word could change the meaning of the sentence entirely. While it's not typical that it will affect a huge change in the overall structure of your critique, it happens more often than you'd think and may possibly leave the wrong impression. Therefore, proofread. Proofread several times if needed (and is often suggested) so that you don't accidentally say anything you did not mean to and that what you said means exactly what you wanted it to.

And though this seems obvious, NEVER INSULT THE ARTIST OR THEIR WORK! Ever! In any way, shape or form. You're there to help them improve, not shoot them down. So avoid any kind of language like, "...And it pretty much sucks." or "This is a piece of garbage." It doesn't always show itself in this obvious of a form, but always put any faults in a positive light with positve language. (See #8 )

#4: Do not think you can tell them what to do.

A critique, as much as people hate to admit it, is merely an opinion. Don't ever think for a second that an artist has to do whatever you say just because it's in a critique. You are free to suggest anything from tools to technique to improve their art, but ultimately it's the artist who decides what to do with the advice you gave them.

#5: Never make assumptions about the artist or their attitude towards their work unless it's that they want to improve.

Some artists can pump out what you might think are masterpieces in less than an hour while others take hours upon weeks or months to finish a picture that you either would glance over or even wrinkle your nose at. Therefore, never judge the quality of the artist by the "quality" of the art. The mere fact that they (hopefully) wanted a critique means that their work means at least something to them. Assuming that the artist is careless is the same as insulting them (#3), so don't do it.

#6: Make your advice relevant.

Not every art form is the same, so you couldn't critique pottery the way you'd critique an essay. And every artist has a different style, so make sure that the advice you give is something that they can apply to their art to improve it without drastically changing it. If someone likes drawing anime, but you can't stand it and prefer realism, just suck it up and point out what is needed. Things like anatomy, color theory, silhouette, composition, lighting, etc. are things that spill over into both styles! However, "anime" is just a label for a kind of cartoon/animation style with a wide variety of styles among artists, so again, do your research and choose your points wisely.

#7: Keep it positive!

You're not interogating them; you're helping them. Let them know that you care about them and that they are well on their way. Point out things they did well and why.

"Good job with making the subject in front clear and crisp and the background blurred but gradually as elements go further back. It creates depth that is not only realistic but draws more attention to the subject while giving it a pleasing backdrop that makes it easy to see."

Even in a critique wrought with things that can be better, adding a few good points and emphasizing that they did very well in that area makes the difference between a good critic and a bad one.

#8: Use the sandwhich method!

Wait, what? Yes, I said think of critiques like a sandwhich. Put something that needs improvement inbetween two things they did well. It helps keep your critique positive and help insure the artist that you mean well by them.

#9: Feel free to include references or helpful links.

Maybe you don't know how to explain an issue that you've chosen to discuss, but you have in mind a tutorial that really helped you in the same area. Feel free to link to it. Tutorials serve the very same purpose as critiques and are tools to be used. There's not much a better place to make them relevant either.

#10: Critiques stay between artists.

If an artist asks for a critique, feel free to give one, but don't ever put it somewhere overly public like a journal or chatroom. Putting it somewhere public where the artist may or may not want others to be informed of whatever you said can immediately disqualify your critique as fair. Critiques are professional and personal. You don't just throw them out for whomever to read.

Instead, use the critique feature if you both have a PM or write one in the comments if you don't have a PM. You can even press the "share in a note" button, and send it to the artist with the critique in the note! If an artist asks for a critique, they typically don't mind you going to them, especially the specific picture they requested you critique. However, that doesn't mean that you can say whatever you like about them or their art wherever you go in the name of "critiquing." In a roundabout way, it's a kind of cyber-bully, especially if the artist is not aware of it and/or never asked for a critique.

#11: Critic the picture, not the artist's style.

Because they ask in a specific picture for you to critique them and because you did your research about the artist's style and past achievements, you are confined to what the artist can use to improve their own style and obligated to let go of your personal preference when critiquing them and focus on issues they need to focus on.

#12: Keep it professional.

The critique is for the artist, not for you. So compose your critique in a way that does nothing but help the artist. So be polite, and be concise, and don't ever be vague or lazy.



All that said, you might have a better idea of what a critique is and how to make one. FAQ #95: What is the Critique Feature and how do I use it? Also explains what critiques are, discusses the critique feature, and gives a couple of examples for reference. If you would like more examples, look at any critiques that someone of your favorites artists have given or received. I also reccomend visiting The 11 Second Club and look for the past winners and the critiques they received from professionals at Animation Mentor. These professionals are paid to give critiques and know what they're doing. While they are critiquing animation, and you critiquing another form of art, the underlying principles are the same and make a good example.

To the artist pro and beginner, please try to give an honest, well-tought critique whenever it's within your ability and please don't be afraid to ask for any. More advanced artists love to see beginners grow and get just as much pleasure at seeing you improve as you get knowing you did something well! We are here to help you if you let us.

Please spread the word. It will help the community as a whole band closer together and help all of us grow in our journey towards improvement.


~HT