Guide to Constructive Criticism

Guide to Constructive Criticism​

Hello all.~ Today I'm going to explain in depth how to use a very valuable tool called Constructive Criticism (often shorted to CnC). Most of the examples I use in this guide are for Signature Graphics, but Constructive Criticism can (and should) be used to critique ANY piece of work, from fanfiction, to drawings, to graphics, to even websites or games. Constructive Criticism is used to benefit the creator by showing them new ways to improve, rather than giving vague, empty, or detrimental comments that are of no help at all.

Before we proceed, let's look at its meaning: Constructive Criticism means analyzing a piece of work and finding both the positive and the negative in it, backing up your points with solid reasoning, and then offering ways to improve upon it.

Now, here I have some some notes that I believe are extremely important to keep in mind when giving or receiving Constructive Criticism.

Critical CnC Notes:

• There is a time and a place for everything. Sometimes a simple and vague positive comment, such as "I like it, good job!" is more fitting, and offers a quick alternative to at least make the artist smile and feel good about their work. Those kinds of comments are not bad by any means - don't feel obligated to be constructive ALL the time, especially if the artist has not specifically asked for critique. Just remember that when your intent is to help them improve, be sure to back up your comments with why you think what you think.
• Remember that purely destructive comments are NEVER okay. It is totally fine to have an opinion on a piece of art, even if it's negative. It is even completely fine to tell the artist you do not like it (especially if they asked for critique), as long as you back up your points with reasoning and suggestions on improvement. Simply saying "it sucks" or "you're terrible at this, just stop" is not acceptable, ever. If you don't like a piece of art, do not attack the artist, or try to make the artist feel bad about it. Instead, try to encourage them by gently offering specific ways they can improve. Also remember that if you do give negative criticism, it is preferable you also try to find something you do like and share that with the artist as well. Note that every piece of work, if the artist put any effort into it at all, will have something positive about it. If you feel you cannot find anything positive, or be nice about it, or offer anything constructive, then simply don't post it at all, because all it'd do is tear the artist down.
• Make sure you are at least a little knowledgable about the subject before giving Constructive Criticism. There is (close to) nothing more frustrating than being critiqued by someone who has absolutely no clue what they're talking about. For example, if you don't know what C4Ds are or how to use them, it may not be the best idea to try to critique a graphic's C4D use (or lack thereof). Or, if someone has created a flat vector graphic, it's no good to criticize it for having "no depth" since there was not supposed to be depth in the first place. You do not have to be a master on the subject obviously, but just know it's usually important to at least know what you're talking about before attempting to criticize it rather than just blindly spewing general terms (unfortunately, I see this happen all too often).
• Take Constructive Criticism with grace. If you receive Constructive Criticism that points out flaws in your work and how to improve them, don't get angry or discouraged, especially if you asked for critique in the first place. Think of it this way - someone actually put the effort in to find ways you can improve your work, because they want to see you improve! No one's work will ever be perfect, so if you want to grow as an artist and find inner peace, you must learn to see and accept your flaws, and work to improve them.
• You don't HAVE to listen to all Constructive Criticism. While Constructive Criticism always aims to make your work better, at the end of the day, it is YOUR work, no one else's. Everyone will have different opinions about the way things are created, so if someone doesn't like the way you did something, but you personally like it, then don't feel obligated or pressured to change it. Constructive Criticism only offers available techniques and suggestions, not strict rules or laws or anything like that! However, always be willing to at least try what people offer - maybe you'll learn something new!

Alright, and now that the nitty-gritty is out of the way, let's look at an example to help understand what real Constructive Criticism looks like. Here is a signature Graphic I made a long time ago, when I was just learning the ropes.

Spoiler

These are some possible comments I could receive on this piece:

Which one of these comments looks like an example of Constructive Criticism to you? ...That's right, none of them! None of these comments, whether positive or negative, even try to back up their points at all, and none offer any solutions on how I could do better; or, for the positive comments, what exactly they liked about the graphic. The most specific comment here was that the sig was a "mess", but it does not say how I could make it less "messy", or what they even mean by that.

And the last comment is so spammy and irrelevant (not to mention purely based on personal preference) that I hope I never see an actual critique comment like that on Lake Valor...! teehee.

Anyway, now let's look at another comment I could receive:

Wow, wow, wow. Well, a comment like this is above and beyond, but this is a great example of Constructive Criticism. The person pointed out both positives and negatives of the sig, explained why they felt that way, offered detailed solutions on how to improve it, and even ended it on a very encouraging note.

And here, we have another comment:

Now this, this comment is the exact opposite of the last one. It only points out the negatives, and does not offer any improvement suggestions. Additionally, its intent appears to be tearing down the artist, telling them they should just give up. It also criticizes the sig's theme (MLP), which is only that person's specific opinion, and has nothing to actually do with the graphic itself. Even if this comment looks like it has specific criticism, it is not constructive, by any stretch of the word. Please, never ever give comments like these, as they are incredibly discouraging and unhelpful.

Ah, and here is a final comment...

Although this is much less detailed and more to the point, this is another solid example of Constructive Criticism. It brings up a positive, a negative, and suggests how to improve upon the negative. Yay! Do remember that you don't have to write an entire novel to give constructive criticism. Every little tip helps.

✧ ✧ ✧​

And, that should be about all. Hopefully this gives you a good idea about how to use this simple yet very helpful strategy. Just remember to be nice, be helpful, don't be ignorant, and don't feel obligated to be constructive all the time - even nice simple positive comments here and there can be very nice.

Keep in mind, creating truly makes the world go round, and by encouraging and helping to improve others' creations, you're doing the world a great service. Please do not be one of those people who actively tear down creators. That is the last thing this world needs.

"Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots." ~Frank A. Clark

If you have any other tips on Constructive Criticism that I could add, or you have some Constructive Criticism for this guide (hehe) feel free to PM me (Pixil), or post in this thread.

Thank you! c:

 

Of course it is. Thank you so very much for the kind (and constructive) words!

 

It could apply to that, yes! And indeed, we do have a section just for rating teams, you can find it here, under Global Terminal -> Competitive Discussion -> Rate My Team.