Constructive criticism

Originally I wrote this for my deviantART page, but I thought some of you might find it interesting, as parts of it apply to fields outside of art.

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I love constructive criticism.  Please, if you see something in one of my drawings that you feel qualified to give advice on, do not hesitate!  Pointing out problems or areas of consideration in a work is always more useful than simply giving praise.  That's not to say that positive comments are wasted- almost everyone enjoys encouragement, and getting feedback is always motivating.

When giving criticism, try to be as specific as possible.  Comments like "the lighting is off, and your perspective makes no sense" generally aren't useful.  Point out specific angles, reflections, etc.  Additionally, simply pointing out a way in which something is lacking often isn't fully useful.  Most artists don't finish a work and think "this is PERFECT."  Generally, they have an idea of what parts they're happy with, and what parts they aren't fully satisfied with.  If you point out something that seems off to you, they probably already realized it.  If possible provide links to examples where someone has done something similar in a better way or show them a tutorial for the specific part of their artwork you feel could use improvement.

I didn't write this with the intention of it being an example, but until I write a better one this will do as a sample of the type of comment I'm talking about.

http://forums.omgpop.com/art-graphics/9885-post-your-art-21.html#post445302

Note that even though I'm directly voicing my opinion that the work has some problems, I keep my tone positive.  The same message written in a negative or attacking/flaming tone would be much less useful for the artist because it naturally puts most people in a defensive, counter-attacking mindset.  It's much harder to digest useful criticism when its perceived as an attack.

Giving constructive criticism is also a good exercise, as it puts you in a mindset to carefully think not only about the problems in a work, but how to improve on them.  In my opinion, this is critical.  Even masterpieces can be improved upon, and looking for the ways in which they could be done better, and thinking about how you might try to do it differently is a very good mental practice.

If you would like constructive criticism on a work, feel free to throw me a message.  IF I feel qualified to comment I'll get back to you :)