Critique

The Format of a Critique

Begin a Critique Positively

Critique should always be prefaced with what is good about the piece. It totally changes the attitude of a critique.

Sometimes when in a rush it's difficult to focus on the good, because you (or me, at least) just want to solve the problem and move on to the next thing on the to-do list. However, the principle of starting with something good should be considered a required common courtesy. For the same reason it's important to say please and thank you, critiques should always be prefaced with positive remarks.

This stage can also be used to teach principles positively. If someone used good Light Logic in a picture, you can compliment them, then say why using it is such a good thing, thus teaching them important principles much more positively.

Then Say What's Wrong

No one needs advice on how to do this. Humans seem to have this ability innately. However, if you've seen a larger sampling of their work, it may be best to focus on a single principle or two that would help the improve the most. When given the choice between teaching about composition elements versus an eye that is looking in slightly the wrong direction, pick the larger issue that will help them the most. Leave the nitpicking for last, if they still want it.

Then Say How To Fix It

Artists need to be good problem solvers, but everyone needs a little help sometime. Instead of just saying "The leg's broken!" you can say, "The leg's broken! If you focus on the skeletal form underneath and study how the muscles connect to it you shouldn't have trouble fixing it."

Important Distinctions

Give Facts, not Opinions

I was asked by a friend of mine to give critique on a song he had digitally composed. Everything sounded good, but there was this one part with the flute dipped low that I didn't like. I let him know, and he said, "Does it sound like something a flute wouldn't be able to do?" "No," I replied. He then promptly ignored that part of my "critique" and continued on. What I had done was give an opinion, not a fact. Since he didn't agree, he just let it slide.

Facts are universal truths. "The average human's arm-span is equal to their height." They apply to everything, and tend not to change even over extremely long periods of time.

Opinions are personal truths. "Redheads are cuter than blonds." They may not apply to all people, and they may change over even a short period of time.

It's OK to give opinions in critique, but they should be clearly labeled as such. "I think" and "In my experience" are some key phrases for starting off opinions. If the artist doesn't agree, they can simply pass it by without being insulted.

Principles versus Nitpicking

A principle is something that can apply universally to drawing, and not just to the critique being given. Cross Contour is an example of a principle. For example, if a picture is flat, cross contours may be given as a solution to give it depth. Thus, the artist has learned that any time they want depth, cross contours is a viable solution.

Nitpicking, for the purposes of this article, is finding a problem specific to the image that cannot apply universally. Composition commonly ends up as picture-specific advice, because in order to critique it you have to talk about a narrow part of the principle.

Receiving Critique Gracefully

Ignoring good critique is a terrible crime. Giving excuses regarding age, experience, "style," or anything else is another way of ignoring good advice. If someone tells you to fix something, and you don't believe their advice is valid, tell them thank you and get a second opinion, but do not simply ignore it. Please!