I often hear from people who post in the galleries that they wish more people would give "useful critiques". That they're tired of hearing, "Oh wow, that's great!" or "Super job!" when they know their picture needs improvements. Or on the other hand, getting trolling comments like, "This sucks!"

When I asked people in the Poser forum what stops them from giving critiques, I got a variety of answers:
"I'm not sure if the person wants to hear it."
"I tried that once and the artist got really upset."
"I feel intimidated because most artists here are better than me."
"I don't know how to put it into words - I'm afraid I'll offend the artist."
"Someone once told me that they knew someone who had a friend whose brother got banned for giving negative comments."
"When I see all the gushing comments already on a picture, it makes me feel stupid or nasty to point out the flaws."

This article will show you how to give constructive criticism that is helpful to the artist, and how to accept critique on your own works. And the best thing is, you can apply this technique to any kind of feedback or critique - from the Renderosity galleries, through to employee coaching!

Part 1: Giving Critique

The aim of critique should always be to help the artist. When you critique, you are giving the gift of feedback. You should not be critiquing out of a desire to hurt the artist or to show off your own knowledge or skills. The ideal result is that the artist learns something that will help them improve (either on this work, or future images.)

Step 1 - Assess the image

Critique shouldn't be rushed. If you are going to give someone the benefit of your opinion, make sure it's a considered opinion and not just a first impression.

It's sometimes hard to know where to start. Asking yourself these questions may help:

• What is my first impression of the image?
• Does that impression change as I look at the image more closely?
• How does the image make me feel? Sad, warm, happy, frightened?
• Does the image evoke any other senses? For example, "The grass is so detailed that I can practically smell it," or "I can almost hear the birds singing."
• What elements of the image stand out for you? Colours, lighting, textures?
• What is my favourite part of this image? or what do I feel is really done well? The pose, the colour balance, the shadows, the model's expression, etc.
• What do I feel could be improved? Should the shadows be stronger, the lighting brighter? Are there elements that don't "fit" - perhaps a photo-realistic texture next to something obviously painted?

Step 2 - Compose your critique

First things first - imagine that you are in the artist's shoes. Always compose your critique carefully and consider their feelings.

The generally-accepted format for critique (or any form of coaching or feedback) is called the Praise Sandwich. It's named that way because the idea is to put two positive things (the bread) around a negative aspect (the filling.) This avoids giving a wholly negative critique, which can feel dispiriting for both you and the subject. Here is an example of the praise sandwich method:

"I really like the way you've got the lighting - the shadows falling across the model's face give a very dramatic look. I do think you need to work on the pose - her left arm in particular looks very awkward. Facial expression is just right - she looks as if she's about to burst out laughing!"

Here are some other general guidelines that you can follow when critiquing:

• Check if the artist has written any comments that may affect your critique - are they looking for comments on something specific? If so, try to concentrate on that aspect.
• Always be specific. "Lighting doesn't work" is not very useful; "the lighting is too dim for me to see the character clearly - try putting another spotlight in" is much more helpful.
• Talk about the picture, NOT the artist! "Your modelling skills are non-existent" is a putdown. "The model seems unfinished - has it been uv-mapped? Will you be cleaning up the rough edges?" is both more specific and much more civilised.
• If you can't see anything that you feel could be improved, comment specifically on the best aspects of the image. Your comments will help the artist learn where their strengths lie and what they got right in this image.
• If possible, give ideas or advice for improvement. For example, "Try looking through the shadow cams to give you a better preview of where the shadows will fall."
• Always be honest! If you don't like something, say so. Don't worry about disagreeing with previous comments - this is your review and nobody else's!
• Don't try to candy-coat your words. "It's just my humble opinion, but..." or "I'm sorry but I think I can see a tiny little problem..." and other such phrases should be expunged from your vocabulary! Phrases like this are a kind of "safety net" - they tend to be used where there is a fear of upsetting the person critiqued. But instead they can read as patronising or false.
• Consider your audience. This is an international site - is the artist a native English speaker? Write clearly and avoid slang.

And the golden rule...

Always read through your critique before posting it, again putting yourself in the artist's shoes. Will your comments help the artist improve?

In the second part of this article, you will learn how to accept critique and use it to improve and grow as an artist.

Come and join the "Critique Club" [in the Poser Forum]- a group of like-minded artists who have joined together to give and receive honest criticism. This is open to ALL artists.

Karen Janes [karen1573] is an artist, writer, and vendor on Renderosity. She is also Moderator in the Poser and Copyright Laws and Ethical Standards forums, as well as serving as a Senior MarketPlace Tester.

Be sure to visit:
Karen's Renderosity Art Gallery
Karen's Renderosity Store