This is always a thorny issue. I am still getting a handle on things before praising or critiquing others work.

Often, it is easier to praise than to criticise. This is a problem for an artist, especially an advanced artist. If people are busy telling you it is great, even though there are flaws, you take longer to find them yourself and learn how to improve further.

Trust is another tool. One young artist I am mentoring, does not realise that I will tell him if I see work that is bad. He is not the most talented artist in the world, and I have told him this, but he believes I am blowing smoke when I tell him he could be the next "Crumb". His style is strong, unique, and he works well in solid black and white. I really do mean it when I tell him he could be as great as Crumb, but instead he is slowly drifting away from art, practising less and less because he does not believe that when I give praise him I mean it. If I say nothing, it often means I have little good to say.

If I am asked directly to tell the truth, I will tell the truth. I was a reviewer at one time, until I was asked to review a first attempt at animation by a 14 year old. There are some talented 14 year olds, but this person was not one of them. What made it worse, was that he was charging as much as a DVD for his jerky stick figure animation. Do I ruin my reputation and tell everyone it is great? Do I encourage others to buy his work, only to feel ripped off? I did not go to town, but I did say that he needed a lot of practice or training before charging for his work. I was removed as a reviewer by the editor after I refused to make it a glowing lie. The editor reviewed it himself and said many great things about the work. The 14 year old was not serious about his work. He never released anything else.

There is a place for praise, and I have no problem with people who do praise others. I do feel that criticism is good if it has advice on how to improve. Watch out, if I praise anyone, I mean it. If I tell you that your work is close to professional, it would only take a few tips and you would fit into any studio anywhere in the world.

Even my own work can be improved. I can see flaws in most of my work, and I hope to develop the skill to spot the flaws earlier in the artistic process.

That's actually a very good point, NotSure. Quite something to think about.


Er, sorry if it seems to come out like. That wasn't quite what I was aiming for. I was just trying to say that you have an interesting point of view about that.

Oo, time for some self-examination

For the first questions:
-I've voted "no" in the queue plenty of times based on quality, although I don't think I'm a harsh judge in that area.  It's mostly when I see lack of effort, the judgment of which I am often swayed according to the description.  If it's borderline and I see "something I did in a couple of minutes because I was bored"--> no.

-I tend to only make suggestions for pieces that have been in the queue for a while, to help them get in.  Once things are in the gallery, my comments are generally praise, because while I used to give unsolicited criticism in other places, I don't anymore. 

-My ratings aren't according to any particular system, although if something shows some skill, I'll give it at least a three even if I don't like the picture itself.  I give 7s to things that impress me and have that have a little extra emotional factor of making me think "wow" for whatever reason, whether it be idea or execution.  I'm biased toward things that make me smile


--------------
For the second question:
-I don't vote for myself in the queue; for me, submitting something seems to be an automatic vote that you believe it belongs in the gallery

-I don't rate myself... it just doesn't feel right to me, plus I guess it's difficult to judge oneself against other people.  Do my pixels deserve the same score I gave to another person?

I don't think it's wrong to rate oneself, but I think it should be done fairly.  If you truly think your work deserves a high/perfect score, then fine--but do it only if you truly think so, and would have given that same score to anyone else for that same piece.  Otherwise it's just being unfair to others.


Edited by MashPotato - 18 December 2007 at 3:08pm

Interesting topic, here's my take.

First the blue dot/rating thing. I rate based on today. As you level up you get more dots so judging that day I find best. I revisit many pixel and give more later as I also take away. Its subjective and relative. I find comments more valuable than ratings.

Since I do allow pixels in I try to be extremely fair. I never, never judge on subject matter nor style. I only go for pixelart technique and pixelart 'trueness'. I try really hard to remember where everyone is in their own progress rather than what I think it should or could be. If it shows progress, experimentaion, daring or anything of the sort, its in. If its lame for that person, based on their other work, back it goes.
Many a great pixel has been very simple looking. Many crap elaborate, OTT ones too. How do you rate them fairly? By the persons gallery. New members have to earn my respect so I rate nothing at first, but will add to the gallery giving the benefit of the doubt.
Also, after a while a member may be stagnant and not progress. These I encourage to try new things, still letting their stuff in. Some members I dislike for some reason but treat their pixels without bias. Others, I worship and cry as I fave, comment and blue dot them to death. Regardless of which I will comment honestly saying things as I see them, not because I'm right or perfect but because all feedback is good and occasionally I may make a point not even to the artist but to others. I have learned a thing or two from others comments to other's work. Adarias, for example, his comments always make sense, I learn from them a lot. Lawrence and perciv@l's too. But I've also learned stuff from new people.

In the end its sharing, communicating, learning and loving what you do that's crucial.


ps: no white BGs, no skies in iso, no drama :)

what I do:

1. Fill the submit form
2. press the submit button
3. wait till the page loads and the move to the queque
4. vote yes and put the maximum score posible for my rank
5. live the rest of my life without any kind of guilt in my mind.
   

I do even remember when i just wanted to reach Level 2, in order to be able to vote "NO" on those awful pieces in the queque. since then, I often visit the queque every day in order to make my little apreaciation of every piece, Vote NO on what i don't like to be in the gallery, vote yes on what I want in the gallery(or "deserves" to be in the gallery), and regulary I drop a comment on pieces that make me ask something or whatever other reason moves me to do it.

about the scoring system, 7 points are awarded (and reserved) for the ones that are truly gems, while 1 are awarded just because the person behind it took a time of his life and actually draw it, regardless of the effort he or she put in the achievement of its piece, since that -its effort and achievement- is a fact that I rate with more points. that's why I am not agree with the rating zero thing.

I am as arbitrary as system lets me be.