Giving Constructive Criticism Well - A Must Read

• Constructive Criticism will henceforth be known as CnC.

Giving CnC is the greatest responsibility that an art community has. When someone creates a thread to share their work it is up to you, no matter how new or how skilled you are in art to give your opinions in order to help them develop that piece.

When giving criticism remember to be honest. however do not be rude, you must insure that the person being critiqued can understand albeit minimally what you are telling them. Do not lie if the piece is trash, but do not make statements such as, "This sucks", "That is horrible","Uninstall photoshop" these do not help anyone, this creates an atmosphere of battle where no one can learn.

If the piece is lacking in many things try starting off simple. Make a statement like this, "Try blending the right shoulder in a little better, then add some shadows. This should help add some depth and give it a better feel." Any variation of the sort. Once this has been said the person being critiqued will respond possibly with a new version, or asking how to do what you suggested. Now you can teach them, developing an open dialog.

CnC takes practice, it is not easy to tell someone what is wrong with their artwork when they are in love with it. Few pieces do not have anything majorly wrong with them, when we see these it is great to praise the artist.

When giving CnC after telling them parts that need improvement, try singling out parts of the piece which were pulled off well. If they were not pulled off to your standard that is fine, try to look at them from their level of skill.

Once you feel comfortable in giving proper CnC you can create one massive response giving an in-depth analysis. However many new artists will be blinded by the wall of text, often intimidated I recommend only doing this to experienced artists. Even so, do so sparingly because no one enjoys a lot of reading.


In order to grow as an artist, let alone a person one must know how to accept CnC. Do not be offended by the comments made, do not get hurt by them, follow what others say only if you believe it will improve your piece. If you do not think it will aid you then take the time to understand their point of view. By doing so one can improve upon their faults.

~ASH Administration

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