Kirt
10-29-2008, 10:22 PM
Hello [insert your name here],
There has been a recent increase in the number of complaints (via PM) that I have received from users of this forum. The complaints have focused on the manner in which critique is being issued and recieved on this forum. The complaints have been from and directed at several different users. Therefore, I'm not going to spend my afternoon tailoring PM responses to each individual and notifying them of what's going on or what needs to change. I'm posting a gentle reminder here of what this forum is about and what you should expect.
The 2D WIP forum is a tool to be utilized by the artist wishing to improve upon his/her craft. It is also is a place for those wishing to express their opinions and knowledge in regards to the art presented for critique for the purpose of helping the artists improve upon his/her craft.
Having said that ...
The Artist ... upon presenting a work to the 2D WIP gallery should expect to have his/her work critiqued by others of varying skill levels. professionals - someone who has worked at some capacity in the film, television or gaming industry. students - someone who is currently enrolled in academic classes relating to the Digital Arts profession. hobbiests - someone who has a strong interest in the field and utilizes their free time pursuing their own personal projects in the medium. admirers - someone who just has a strong interest in the artists, their work and the media but doesn't have any experience producing the art themselves. John & Jane Does - someone who has randomly stumbled upon the forum and has registered to leave a comment or two. should understand that the opinion and critique of each individual mentioned above should be considered of equal value. It does not take a qualified and trained Master Chef to understand when cheese has gone bad. The same principle applies to anyone who wishes to critique an image. is not under any requirement to alter their work as suggested by it's critics. Apply all critiques - improve your work or muddle it up with the collective opinions of the masses. That is your choice. Apply some - maybe you understand the relevance of some critiques but don't want to sacrifice in other areas. That's fine. Apply none - Yes, you do have the right to ignore all critique provided or dismiss them as irrelevant to your vision. However, don't be surprised when your critics question your motivation to post in this WIP forum. should be courteous and thankful to the critiques provided, acknowledging each critique as helpful (even should the artist choose to ignore the advice provided). Someone just spent 2 minutes or longer writing an opinion of your work. Return the favor by (at the very least) thanking them for their time. should not take any critique of the art presented as a personal attack on his/her own character. Please understand that, "this is incorrect" and "you're a douchebag" are two completely different statements. The first being completely acceptable behaviour on the forum, and the later should be immediately reported to one of the Forum Leaders.
The Critic ... should understand that their opinion (regardless of how they or others may feel is relevant to the work) is never the final word of absolute truth and knowledge. That privilege belongs to the artist. The artist ultimately knows his/her vision and path that they wish to take to get there. may not agree with the artist's decisions or methods, but it is not acceptable to impose yourself upon the work. The correct way to critique work is to offer suggestions that the artist may (or may not) choose to implement in their revisions. should remain mindful that artists can be egotists (not trying to stereotype here, but it's a pretty common unwritten fact :D ). Careful choice of words when providing a critique is often recommended. Provide specifics when possible. Avoid use of negative words like bad, horrible, wrong, stupid, etc. Mention the parts that you like about the image as well as the parts you don't. should not argue the opinions or critiques provided by other users. Focus on the artwork presented and allow other users to give their opinion as well (even if you disagree).
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I'm forgetting something, but pretty confident that I covered most of the recent complaints. I'll edit this if needed or if someone would like to provide additional insight.
Please, read this and abide by it. I do not enjoy being a wet nurse to people who can't maintain a professional attitude and conduct on this forum. However, should the behavior continue, I'll have no hesitations or remorse to forward user account names to the site's Admins for corrective actions. What happens next is entirely up to you.
Thank you,
- Kirt
There has been a recent increase in the number of complaints (via PM) that I have received from users of this forum. The complaints have focused on the manner in which critique is being issued and recieved on this forum. The complaints have been from and directed at several different users. Therefore, I'm not going to spend my afternoon tailoring PM responses to each individual and notifying them of what's going on or what needs to change. I'm posting a gentle reminder here of what this forum is about and what you should expect.
The 2D WIP forum is a tool to be utilized by the artist wishing to improve upon his/her craft. It is also is a place for those wishing to express their opinions and knowledge in regards to the art presented for critique for the purpose of helping the artists improve upon his/her craft.
Having said that ...
The Artist ... upon presenting a work to the 2D WIP gallery should expect to have his/her work critiqued by others of varying skill levels. professionals - someone who has worked at some capacity in the film, television or gaming industry. students - someone who is currently enrolled in academic classes relating to the Digital Arts profession. hobbiests - someone who has a strong interest in the field and utilizes their free time pursuing their own personal projects in the medium. admirers - someone who just has a strong interest in the artists, their work and the media but doesn't have any experience producing the art themselves. John & Jane Does - someone who has randomly stumbled upon the forum and has registered to leave a comment or two. should understand that the opinion and critique of each individual mentioned above should be considered of equal value. It does not take a qualified and trained Master Chef to understand when cheese has gone bad. The same principle applies to anyone who wishes to critique an image. is not under any requirement to alter their work as suggested by it's critics. Apply all critiques - improve your work or muddle it up with the collective opinions of the masses. That is your choice. Apply some - maybe you understand the relevance of some critiques but don't want to sacrifice in other areas. That's fine. Apply none - Yes, you do have the right to ignore all critique provided or dismiss them as irrelevant to your vision. However, don't be surprised when your critics question your motivation to post in this WIP forum. should be courteous and thankful to the critiques provided, acknowledging each critique as helpful (even should the artist choose to ignore the advice provided). Someone just spent 2 minutes or longer writing an opinion of your work. Return the favor by (at the very least) thanking them for their time. should not take any critique of the art presented as a personal attack on his/her own character. Please understand that, "this is incorrect" and "you're a douchebag" are two completely different statements. The first being completely acceptable behaviour on the forum, and the later should be immediately reported to one of the Forum Leaders.
The Critic ... should understand that their opinion (regardless of how they or others may feel is relevant to the work) is never the final word of absolute truth and knowledge. That privilege belongs to the artist. The artist ultimately knows his/her vision and path that they wish to take to get there. may not agree with the artist's decisions or methods, but it is not acceptable to impose yourself upon the work. The correct way to critique work is to offer suggestions that the artist may (or may not) choose to implement in their revisions. should remain mindful that artists can be egotists (not trying to stereotype here, but it's a pretty common unwritten fact :D ). Careful choice of words when providing a critique is often recommended. Provide specifics when possible. Avoid use of negative words like bad, horrible, wrong, stupid, etc. Mention the parts that you like about the image as well as the parts you don't. should not argue the opinions or critiques provided by other users. Focus on the artwork presented and allow other users to give their opinion as well (even if you disagree).
-------------
I'm forgetting something, but pretty confident that I covered most of the recent complaints. I'll edit this if needed or if someone would like to provide additional insight.
Please, read this and abide by it. I do not enjoy being a wet nurse to people who can't maintain a professional attitude and conduct on this forum. However, should the behavior continue, I'll have no hesitations or remorse to forward user account names to the site's Admins for corrective actions. What happens next is entirely up to you.
Thank you,
- Kirt