Why Artists HATE Unsolicited Critique! || SPEEDPAINT + COMMENTARY

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[@kyellketill8720]

My eyebrows shot really high at the „if you do not seek to improve your art as a hobbyist you are wasting your time” bit. Because ironically the years where I did not give a flying flip about my weird anatomy were the happiest years in my time as an artist. I just wanted to create dozens of characters for my story and that I did. Unsolicited critique would have potentially crushed that joy if had posted my work online. How do some people forget that just having fun is a thing…?

[@roguishwretches]

I stand with this, I made *so much* art in middle school and I was just proud of making a visual form of the ocs in my head-the drawings were obviously not perfect but I pumped them out so much and the only thing that really mattered at the time is that it made me happy not that art doesn't make me happy now! I'm just super perfectionist and make art far less than I used to, half because of school and half because I'm either not motivated or the expectation of profection giving me anxiety (thus I'd avoid it), unsolicited critique definitely makes this worse and discourages me from posting (why I haven't posted on social media in months)

[@AbsolutelyAri1]

They expect that everyone is like them

[@johnsmoak8237]

@OwlphibiaSimp 🏳️‍🌈 they expect everyone is what they suspect is their own best without actually defining their best. We all do this at times, it's a survival instinct. That being said, so is pumping out art that serves an allegorical or aesthetic purpose instead of 100% accurate art that holds no personal value or perspective.

[@skunkgirl456]

Honestly I 100% agree when I was in highschool drawing was the funniest thing for me like every piece I made made me so happy and I always wanted to draw. But not that I'm looking to do this as a career and am constantly get criticism it Honestly kinda sucks ass. I know I need to improve but fuck man it seems like no piece I make is never good enough now..m

[@johnsmoak8237]

@skunkgirl456 I have no advice tbh, but please don't think that anyone can take the joy of your talent permanently. I'm sorry about the megalomania, I know it is frustrating (I'm an author, and happen to be a megalomaniac too often), but remember that in the end every critique means you warranted a positive outcome. Nobody is a critic of someone they don't want to see more of, but some manners would be nice, I agree.

[@tinymittensdesign]

mentioning how nasty people can be on the internet, all I can think about is that one tweet where the guy says "some of y'all have gotten way too comfortable saying nasty things and not getting punched for it".

[@jeremyyates1026]

For sure I've seen a youtuber that talked about something similar and was saying freedom of speech isn't freedom from punishment meaning you can say what you want but you better be ready to take the consequences that come with it because let's be honest they'd get fed their teeth if they were in person

[@callofdutyondadsi]

To this day, I still think of that tweet XD

[@KiwiFlght]

One part i hate about critique in general is it feels like that everyone expects you to be aiming for more realistic art. I know wonderful artists who use the stiffness of a pose to emphasize their artstyle and have no want to change that. I feel like when giving critique you should try to tell what artstyle the individual you are critiquing is going for, or state in the critique it may not apply to their artstyle. On top of that I have in the past stated i am going for a cartoony artstyle and been told something i did was "unrealistic".

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

Nah,but for example perspective is always needed,that’s totally critiquable cuz like 99% of art styles use that

[@xquenda275]

“posting your art online is asking to get criticism” To me is like: “wearing a skirt in public is asking to get catcalled” (since some people are having trouble understanding i'm exaggerating, i don’t mean harassment is the same as criticism.)

[@anotherrightbrained2225]

Right now i post my art for fun lol. Like, why tf you say the anatomy is bad to my 2 mins doodle bruh

[@user-lr8ow2jg4e]

Comparing criticism to sexual harassment? I'm surprised you're are still on the internet.

[@xquenda275]

@@user-lr8ow2jg4e yes, but, the only way people understand things like this is if we compare it to something illegal

[@Bobo-Nose]

@@user-lr8ow2jg4e While the comparison is extreme, that's besides the point. The point is that you don't have the right to justify doing/saying something to someone that makes them uncomfortable or upsets them just because they did something you think deserves the way you responded to it.

[@user-lr8ow2jg4e]

@@Bobo-Nose Yes we do we have free speech

[@__PhoenixCreates__]

Unsolicited criticism is one of the main reasons I don't get confident about my art as often as I should. Edit:Didn't see the 22 reply till now, but my experience with getting unsolicited criticism is common with those not replying to others or trying to argue my bad experiences with getting criticism, asked for or not. Everyone has their own opinions on this topic, mine is related to my experiences with just sharing art I was proud of. One experience that will stays stick with me is getting criticism everytime I sent art of mine in a chat I was proud of and my art style at the time not being the greatest. I was extremely hurt when others posted their art and never got the amount of criticism I did when they asked for it. I was a young artist at that time who was just doing art for myself. I wasn't looking to improve at that time. Getting critiqued on my art anytime i posted it was really damaging for me and it really drove me to not want to share my art at all. I eventually got over the want to never share my art, but the feeling of it being horrible always stayed with me. This is one of the huge effects on unsolicited criticism. It damages people's self-esteem in their art.

[@melaniescribbles]

I can relate: unsolicited critique is the reason why I overthink my art WAY too much, and I'll never forgive the art trolls for that. As a teenager, I used to think that the troll comments were actually serious (that's because of my autism diagnosis, I suppose), and it made me the worst kind of perfectionist as an adult. You don't even want to know how many sketches, adjustments and thumbnails I do for ONE illustration now: I actually had to buy some basic paper clamps since the paperclips couldn't hold all of the thumbnails! No joke, the stress of anticipating those comments has even negatively affected my art style as of late: it just makes the whole final drawing look so much stiffer then in the thumbnails, and my perfectionism just won't have any of that. Me panicking about every little mistake just visually shows up on the page, and I hate it. Really, I just want that more chill art style of mine that I see in my thumbnails back, it just bumps up the quality of my work so much. I hate it when I know I can do better, but can't force myself to do better in the moment.

[@NIGHTBLOODUSAGI]

@@melaniescribbles here's some help ig, you could get relaxed and then do sketches that are intentionally messy. like, your trying to make it look bad. You can also scribble(haha get it) a line and draw what you see from it, then make different versions of it. if you try these, I hope it helps!

[@serendipitysirens]

@@NIGHTBLOODUSAGIIs this a joke..? They're saying how people giving them unsolicited advice made them overthink and become less confident in their art and you.. offer them unsolicited advice?

[@elsevillaart]

Would you prefffer to upload a piece, that took you three days to be made and no one cared, like zero feedback. Even if they gave you negative feedback its because they see potential in your work, lost causes dont get any feedback. Yuo have solid art in your channel, give your art the best weapons and let it defend it self alone, just focuss on the next piece.

[@magdalenakozowska5098]

@@serendipitysirens To be fair they only gived them advice how to relax while drawing and didn't criticised anything they did so there is a big diffrence

[@ashlee7859]

Some people are just lazy to actually help, which sucks. When they say something is wrong in our work and we ask what’s wrong or how can we fix it, they either say “idk” or “you figure it out”. Like thanks for not helping lmao.

[@hemsasdemons]

Honestly, if you respond like that, then why even tell the artist that something's wrong with their work?

[@crescentcrater]

Once, I asked for criticism on my own art a few years ago. Every stylistic choice I made in that piece (ie. the way I draw big eyes and draw circle-ish heads) was HEAVILY criticized by three people all at once. A moderator of the discord server I was in had to STEP IN to make them calm down, and I have never asked for criticism on my work ever since.

[@CrimsonCreates]

I know how that feels, I've had so many people bash on my art because of the stylistic choices I've made to make my style my own. I don't like having people critique my art (because most of the time it's just people that have never drawn more than a stick figure saying "it looks like anime. That looks kinda weird. Why does it look like that?") and for some reason people don't get that some artists don't want any critique because the artists are just there to have fun. Also I checked out the art on your channel and I really like it! You have a pretty unique style and wonderful line work, keep drawing ❤️💜

[@Dragmiredraws]

This topic is a very mixed bag for me. In my experience, I’ve never gotten a solicited critiques on posts I’ve actually been asking for them on, if I got any at all. But then those pics that I just posted because I personally liked it, that’s when everyone decides “This is the piece that needs my advice!” It’s one of the reasons I’ve picked up the mantra, “Everyone’s got an opinion til you ask them for it.” And I think it reins true, especially for online artists, it’s never the picture that they’re actively seeking input on, it’s the random sketch hidden in the bottom left corner they showed when they were doing a sketchbook tour. This is actually the reason I only accept critiques from friends because they usually know what I’m working on, they can tell the difference between style and inconsistencies.

[@lumira.caelaris]

That is something about critique, that got lost/was forgotten in the internet. If you want valuable help and tips, you usually seek it from someone you trust or where you know this person has the needed knowledge. Random criticism has a great chance of being completely irrelevant to you. In real life you are only offering advice to friends or people who ask you, but on the internet everyone is just screaming it to everyones faces. I sometimes imagine how it would look on the streets if everyone was behaving like online, randomly screaming across the street to tell someone, they should wear a different dress XD And I really love your mantra, that is so relatable :D

[@roguishwretches]

mhm, good choice on asking friends to critique people on the internet are happy to state their opinions without critical thinking really, so some things they say can be unhelpful or heck evem a little rude (especially if they don't know/follow you) but one thing my art teachers say is that you can choose whether to take a criticism or not and like you, I'd prefer to talk to real people or at least online artist mutuals that I'm particularly close to to critique my art-because they actually know me and where I'm going so it's far less likely for them to give unhelpful critique

[@HK47_115]

Bro, saying. And honestly that mantra makes a lot of sense. I can resonate with that.

[@edorasmarauder5761]

I like that mantra. The only critique I get is from friends and art teachers anyway, and that's honestly the only one I listen to.

[@sho.thatsit]

As someone with severe social anxiety, thank you for talking about sensitive artists. I've always been a very sensitive person, and while some critique has helped me improved, it always made me feel really bad about my art. I've specifically stated this on my Instagram, but people wouldn't listen. As a result, I stopped allowing people who don't follow me to comment on my posts, because it's always someone who doesn't follow me.

[@theartistickaiviti]

Good thing, Instagram has a feature that allows only people who follow you and who you follow to comment on your posts. That's one of the few good things about Instagram

[@LilyCelebiFlipnote]

@@theartistickaiviti (Disclaimer: I mean no offense in saying this at all.) ...that is the last sentence of the comment. They already don't allow people who don't follow them/who they follow to comment.

[@faerie5926]

Ahh thx for pointing that out! I keep getting those comments from like scammers on my Instagram art account and it's so annoying-

[@theartistickaiviti]

@@LilyCelebiFlipnote I don't take offense :)

[@LilyCelebiFlipnote]

@@theartistickaiviti I'm glad! I never wanna seem stuck-up or something when noting something.

[@SpinningAround-sy9ri]

Unsolicited critiques always suck imo. I personally only offer critiques online only if they say something like, "My shading sucks". I would then ask, "Hey, would you be okay if I offer advice for shading (only)?" Then when I do critique, I always emphasize this is how I PERSONALLY do it and also offer alternatives for them to try that I found helpful, but didn't fit my personal taste/style. If I had the time, I would then ask if they want any advice with something related to the area they're struggling with, like going with my previous example highlights or contrast

[@Aryatheartist2014]

Unsolicited critique is one of my biggest pet peeve’s as it kind of crushes me a little. The only time I would ever need critique is if I needed anatomy help.

[@marshmallowmountains4636]

I had a friend who specifically told me she wanted to learn from me and that she enjoyed it, so occasionally I'd drop random tips. I didn't ever give her specific things about specific pieces, they were just in general art basics because she was a beginner, but one time she got REALLY upset and salty over something I said (It was about how using references from photos or reality is really helpful to learn). She did not take that well and I ended up in a huge argument with a random person she apparently complained to. Instead of, you know, talking to me. I had no idea she was so upset about it. Anyway a month later she drew a skull with references and it looked amazing, and she said she looked up references and admitted I was right, lol. I completely stopped giving her any tips, though. I used to make unlisted videos for her with info on how to use Krita and GIMP (what she uses to draw), but I stopped that too, even though she told me she liked those videos. I don't need another blow up, no thank you lmao. I also had another friend ask for help on their music and I tried to explain what to change and they did NOT appreciate that. I had apparently given the exact same critique another discord server dedicated to music gave her. She took that as a sign to never make music again. :/ Anyway lesson is: Even solicited criticism can make people angry sometimes, even if you try really hard to be nice and compliment the good parts too.

[@shadaneanimates]

Not only was unsolicited criticism widely accepted when I was just starting off, but personally I would almost always get destructive criticism while people genuinely wanting to help me were very rare. Usually it ranged from calling my art terrible and telling me I should feel bad without telling me what about it was terrible, or if they did it was usually nitpicks such as the species of my characters, or how they had humanoid faces instead of canine ones when they were clearly meant to be sphinx-like, all the way to wishing child @buse on me, accusing me of doing horrible things to animals, or creating insulting or outright hate art, all because I drew jinmenkens and sphinxes. Also a certain Pokémon was used to mock me and my art because of the way their eyes were shaped which made it hard for me to grow attached to that Pokémon in the future. Nowadays I tend to think; "well pardon me for wanting to do wolf stories a little differently from everyone else!" But I was 12 years old. All I could do was cry, so I would go to my room to cry privately without telling anyone so I wouldn't be laughed at, because I knew the internet tends to find someone, especially children crying to be drop-dead hilarious for some stupid reason.

[@BugsyBugYT]

as a fellow artist im so sorry to hear that your art is probably amazing

[@shadaneanimates]

@@BugsyBugYT It's fine. This all happened on DeviantArt which was known for being very hostile towards beginner artists especially during the early days, let alone artists who draw fantastic creatures. I probably made a big mistake in joining so early on instead of giving Storm Artists a try before it closed.

[@zz0ra721]

I'm so glad you mentioned giving advice that is incorrect 😭 some people for real have no idea what they're talking about and still dish out bad advice anyway and nobody wants to talk about it because generally discussing other peoples skill level is considered disrespectful

[@leooliver7293]

i recently had to take a break from tiktok after posting a joking video with an older piece of mine went viral. the 'critique' i got (not only on that video but a few of my newer pieces that i thought were pretty good) basically amounted to "your art sucks, your anatomy is bad (but they wouldnt respond when i asked which anatomy), and you will never get into art school. its completely damaged my relationship with my art and i constantly feel awful about everything i make

[@pastelskittlesspam]

Im sorry abt that, that sucks. (Unsolicited critism on Tiktok: it sucks just as much as the jerks that say rude stuff to artists, if not more worse than those jerks) Im glad you're taking a break from TikTok, take the time to have some space with your art and doodle things for yourself to enjoy if that helps too. I sometimes draw my friends cuz then it automatically feels good cuz it reminds me of them, even if its not my best work. I wish you the best on rebuilding your relationship with your art, with time Im sure things'll be better again :)

[@jeremyyates1026]

Wow sorry they did that just wanna mention you don't have to go to art school to be an artist. so their argument is extremely flawed normally when I give critiques which they ask for in a group I'm In on reddit I don't do unsolicited I'll point out some mistakes I see and how to correct them. If it's a topic I'm not very comfortable with my knowledge I'll point them to a video I've seen that's helped me. Can't stand people that honestly probably can't draw themselves just saying your art sucks it's not helpful at all and not even true sure you might need to fix areas but anyone can learn to be an artist it just takes dedication and some time.

[@theinvisiblboom]

I’m so sorry that happened to you. I find TikTok to be one of the most toxic places when it comes to art “critique”, as everyone seems to be trying to go viral by any means, especially by tearing others down. Those peoples’ cruel words have no bearing on the worth and quality of your art, if you are having fun creating you’re already on the right track. I hope you feel better soon!

[@user-ye5ge9ux1l]

I almost never comment, but I wanted to here. I'm so so glad to see this in-depth take on unsolicited concrit. I used to be in the 'this is the only way you can really improve' camp before someone changed my mind with an excellent metaphor. The internet, in regards to art, is a gallery in which all works of art are displayed in the same room. The once in a generation virtuoso is hanging next to the kindergartener's fingerpainting. And the person who walks up to the fingerpainting and says 'this artist has no fundamentals' is a jerk. Not the kindergartener that painted it. Now, not to say everyone who does art for fun is a little kid, but it illustrates the futility and rudeness of commenting critically on a for-fun piece. Similarly that person has no place critiquing the virtuoso, based upon their extreme skill difference. Again. Obviously a pair of extremes, but the metaphor really worked for me and changed my mind. This video was outstanding. I'd have loved to have heard a tidbit about how the artist receiving the critique doesnt actually know the person making it, or their skills. It happens a lot in the writing community. Once a handful of people self-righteously try to correct something that's not incorrect in the first place, you start to wonder just how many people are commenting without the resume to back it up. It was slightly touched on in the commenting incorrectly on style choices part, but I'd have loved to see just a bit more time for 'who even are you to make this critique'. Maybe I'm just salty, lol.

[@missmccloud]

THANK YOU!!! Constructive criticism and learning how to take it can be incredibly helpful for improving your artwork or any skill. However, I have to agree that I greatly dislike getting comments critiquing my art without me specifically stating that I'd like advice/critique or them asking if they could offer critique beforehand. There have been multiple cases of one person commenting unsolicited critiques on my artwork, and while they were indeed completely valid criticisms like the anatomy being off or a weapon being crooked, they always used a 😏 or 😔emoji with their posts which came across as a bit condescending to me. I'm sure they had good intentions and wanted to help, I just didn't exactly appreciate those smug emojis lol

[@starry-p]

When it comes to being sensitive I never grew out of that, I’m still sensitive. I’ve tried to condition myself to not be sensitive but it only made me worse and fvcked me up. Normally when I want advice or criticism, I just ask. Cause then I can mentally prepare for it and take in the information better. When I was going to school, the art teacher had us put up the art we wanted critiqued up on a wall. So we were all fully aware that the art on the wall was going to be critiqued by everyone in the class. Everyone was aware and respectful. The difference between my class and people online is that people online are not respectful, they have superiority complexes, and they are egotistical. That’s why I can’t always take online criticism seriously because it just has never been helpful to me. I value criticism that is more on the technical side. If you hate that I use bright colors, too much purple / pink, draw too unrealistic, then that’s not real criticism to me. It’s just your weird opinion and I’m not going to improve by hearing your personal preferences.

[@FrankensteinsMom]

Something I found very valuable about giving critique to those who ask for it is to also offer two compliments on what the artist did well to go with it so that they don’t feel discouraged.

[@lilydrawsart5756]

This! Its called a criticism sandwich! Compliment Criticism Compliment Also always ask of they are open for criticism and critique!❤

[@louise4152]

Thiss!!

[@ConvenientlyShapedUsername]

As a sensitive perfectionist artist, yes!! That would definitely make it better at least

[@FrankensteinsMom]

@@ConvenientlyShapedUsername that is a tough combination my friend 😂 I feel for you

[@starry-p]

Personally I don’t like that when people criticize my work I don’t need compliments, I just want straightforward criticism when I ask for it. Cause my dvmbass is going to be discouraged and frustrated either way. Besides, in my opinion the compliments just feel forced and not genuine if it’s set up in that way. If people actually Love something I made I’d like it if the compliments just came naturally. And I can normally tell when people actually think something I make is interesting or worth their praise.

[@bookishblossom8670]

I find that bit about someone thinking people are wasting time if they aren't trying to improve so weird, because isn't one of the main points of something being a hobby that it's mainly for fun? I enjoy watching my art improve over time and learning about fun things to try and experimenting with my style, but most of the time I just draw because I like to. The majority of my art is silly and self indulgent sketches, and I've never regretted the time I spent drawing them.

[@cydney1545]

Criticism isn't just telling someone what is wrong with their art, It's seeing the problems and helping them solve them. I feel that's where most of the unsolicited criticism givers go wrong. Sorry I realized you said this better in the video

[@IAARPOTI]

The whole point of this video is to be nice, know that we are people not a robot that doesn't have any feeling and not spend too much time on social media especially twitter.

[@ConvenientlyShapedUsername]

Amen

[@wintershock]

I really hate unsolicited critique. I'm more than happy to hear it if someone nicely asks me if I want to but when it's randomly given, it just annoys me. It doesn't feel like it's given out of kindness and wanting to see someones art improve, it feels more like that person is trying to boost their own ego.

[@lumira.caelaris]

I am quite small online so I never get any unsolicited critique luckily. I am quite confident in receiving critique so I would definitely find constructive criticism helpful, but I am also at a point where I have a list of at least 5 aspects of my art, which I want to improve on. I can't take them all at the same time so I usually pick one and focus on it for a while. And if I need critique for this specific aspect I would ask for it. But a random comment about shading would not help me when I focus on perspective at that moment. And this is where I see another problem with the whole point of "they need the critique to get better". Why are these people assuming that they know, what an artist should work on to improve? Maybe drawing better BGs is a lot more important to the artist than getting better at anatomy. Maybe they have a solid plan and a person they trust for critique and do not need any random stranger on the internet to tell them "You should learn anatomy". I don't like the trend to only be positive with commenting, but I also know that not everyone is always in the mental state to receive random criticism. When I comment I try to point out what I liked about a piece and not just be like "OMG THIS IS AMAZING". This can actually be helpful as well for an artist, even though it is not a complete critique. Because it gives you an impression of whether you achieved e.g. a specific mood or atmosphere or whether the pose looks as dynamic and interesting as you wanted it to etc. Imo there are a ton of options to actually help someone without being hurtful or claiming the authority to decide who needs to improve when and how.

[@pearlthenephilim]

Sometimes I get a bit upset when my art isn't complimented, but there is a difference between "Watch this video your art needs it" to "Hey, may I offer some advice?" The way to introduce yourself is why I personally don't ask for critique anymore unless it's by other artists I know and not random people on the internet. Please do like.. a compliment sandwich where you like 2 things that are good with a helpful tip in the middle ^^ Edit: I should've mentioned because not everyone seems to know this, if the person ur giving advice/criticism to asks for help then it's ok. But if their just posting it cuz their *proud* don't go around saying everything you don't like about it, we see it later and question why we thought it was good at times! (This isn't directed at anyone just the people who don't respect an artists boundaries)

[@that_tvhead]

we were looking at eachothers poems in english class and had to do compliment sandwiches if we were giving criticism. compliment sandwiches are a very good method for critique!

[@louise4152]

Exactly this!! :oo

[@Linnzy]

I've done the sandwisch several times 9 times of 10 it is still not appreciated unless it had been OKeyed by the artist to give it first. When I was younger and on deviantart I tried to be engaging and give deeply thoughtout comments that wasn't just the random 'Great art! *thumbs up' because that was the kind of comments I wanted myself but it didn't work well. Even on works where the artist asked for critique they usually only wanted superpositive feedback.

[@iamaylacat3935]

Honestly, unless directly asked the "watch this video, your art needs it" comment is uncalled for. Critiques should be direct, cover exactly what needs improvement, where sources can be found and (a criteria I *love* applying to this) must be able to explain exactly how that source applies to the artist, their style and their approach to the work.

[@pearlthenephilim]

@@iamaylacat3935 YEA BUT FOR ME IT WAS UNPROMPTED Said the shading was trash and the colors caused a brain aneurysm, like ok dude I get it ur mad I made a piece that's good

[@GweenOfTea]

Not something I care about anymore, but I remember when I was like 16-17 I had broken up with my eboyfriend and his artist friend instantly came in and trashed on my art and character design lmfao I remember lashing out bc I knew what they were doing and they were just like "It's just criticism!! as a fellow artist you should appreciate it!!"

[@autumnsartstudio]

Fixing art isn’t okay either. Even if it’s to provide critique. I feel worse seeing a “professional” drawing over my artwork and its ten times better than I could ever draw it.

[@Xraellium]

Just curious, Is this fine if you personally ask for a draw over?

[@bskec2177]

@@Xraellium Consent is everything, always. "Fixing" art is something that really, really needs to be clear consent.

[@regalblade8171]

i once had an argument because someone said my art was "too hard" and that i should draw "something easier" and then claimed that he gave me proper constructive criticism, while also disregarding the fact that i draw on paper, i'm new to art and i have a particular choice of styles

[@evverstar]

I mainly see these types of unwanted "critiques" by non artists/people who aren't very good at art. I'm not sure if its just me, but that's mainly the type of people I see leaving these unwanted "critiques" and its very annoying, especially when they try to justify their shit opinion, its like talking to a brick wall of stupidity. I remember back when I used to post a ton on deviantart/tumblr where I got actual criticism that helped my art grow and get better, but now I'm even afraid to go to other platforms like tiktok to spread my art because of people like that who give unwanted opinions disguised as "critiques".

[@uanime1]

You don't need to be good at art to see the flaws in art.

[@Yipyipyay]

@@uanime1 no but you don't get to attack artists who are having fun when you can't draw for shit.

[@evverstar]

@@uanime1 You need to be good at art to give actual critiques, there's a reason I put quotations around the word "critique" when talking about these unsolicited opinions these people give. The non artist/people who aren't very good at art aren't giving actual critiques (nor do they have any right if they don't know what they're talking about), they're saying things like, "your art isn't worth *insert high price here*" when it actually is, they're tearing down artists work not giving critiques and throwing out opinions out of jealousy towards artists and other sayings like "I can make that for cheaper" when in reality they cannot. Also just because they consider something a flaw in a piece, doesn't mean someone else will, so no, you need to be generally good at art/be an actual artist to give actual critiques when asked for them, not shitty opinions that are unwarranted.

[@mimsilvernote]

@@uanime1But you do need some knowledge in art to be able to properly critique it. Any criticism that doesn’t include a way to fix the problem is inherently useless, since how can someone improve if they don’t know how to fix the problem

[@atree1739]

@@uanime1 yeah but someone who has no experience in art could only say "your art sucks" And nothing else

[@Ouchthathurt843]

It’s tough having anxiety and being an artist. When I went to art school I always took critique well and would often immediately fix the problem and soak in that criticism. It helped me improve very fast. However, I went to school for that sole purpose, advice from a bunch of nobodies on the internet is something you don’t ask for. There’s also a difference between critique and just pointing out something in a work without even giving any advice on how to fix it. Anyone with eyeballs, can say the eyes are crooked, but a critique would also mention a good method on how to prevent that from happening again.

[@StainedGlassLamp]

I've been posting my art and writing online for six years at this point, and out of those six years, the overwhelming majority of my comments have been positive. However, there are also many instances of where I got unsolicited critque, and 99% of those times its either someone making a joke about a flaw in my art, pointing out a flaw, and in the 2nd rarest cases, straight up hate. The rarest kind of unsolicited critque I've gotten is stuff that's actually helpful. I can only recount a few instances where someone was trying to be helpful in their unsolicited critque, and even less times where the I found unsolicited critique helpful. In fact, in the past year, I've only gotten ONE unsolicited critique that I found helpful. It was the fact that my text color was hard to read in my comic. There was also a case when I was a kid and gave unsolicited critque to someone, and they flipped out. It was a learning experience that's for sure. Still, I think unsolicited critque shouldn't be given unless the artist/author asks for it. Im my discord, I have a criticism channel for people who are actively seek advice. I have editors who check my comic scripts and storiees. This is all asked for. I don't want unsolicited critque on the art I post publicly. Easy as that, its not that hard to understand.

[@ringthenoise]

I did a commission back on DA many years ago, and I had one unsolicited criticism comment about that commission. All they said was, "your anatomy is weird and I dont understand why that person paid you for this [drawing]" I had to GUESS what they meant by "weird anatomy". It's very frustrating and not helpful to the artist when you just blurt out nonsense. Not only does it make that person look like a moron, but it's also a waste of time to the artist and the person who can't even explain their reason behind it. I have always been open to discussion, but its such a waste when you have to "read their mind", that's not a discussion worth dealing with.

[@mrpickles-hb6zx]

You remember that one comment from years ago.., let it go now.

[@ringthenoise]

@@mrpickles-hb6zx lol! I did. It's called sharing your experience with others to show that everyone has a rough time in life. But I guess you completely missed that. Not my problem lol

[@purupumpkin]

It's just annoying really, It's like walking into someones living room and complaining about the decor. Like yeah you can do that you're entitled to your opinion but also their living room is their space, it's designed around their purpose and is not always designed to appeal to you, it's arrogant to think that it is. The only time unsolicited criticism is okay is when you are criticizing a product you have purchased, It was designed and marketed to be sold specifically to consumers so that allows you to criticize it if you feel it is not up to par. It's a big part of how consumers keep each other safe when buying things. You may be wondering what that has to do with artists, everything. We sell commissions, candles, plushies, charms and all sorts of other stuff and those things then become open to criticism by default once they enter a commercial space imo. It may be harder for you to hear it as a small creator than someone with a mega corporation but you still gotta take it on board or at ;least consider it with respect if it's fair criticism ( I know some people will be rude on purpose to try and get a refund so obviously there are exceptions but you get my point) A good example of this is the criticism against sakimi chan, ofc some of her criticism is from people who never bought her art but some of it is from her patreons who felt dissapointed and as they have paid for the service she does owe it to them to listen whether she wanted to or not.

[@sumiresbread372]

Here’s my opinion.. Short answer: Artists will let people know on whether or not they’re open for feedback. Long answer: There is a time and place for criticism. It’s not that everytime an artist post their work, they’re automatically wishing for unwanted advice. There has to be a mutual consent when it comes to critiques. I can understand why it is done in good faith, however discretion is advised and critics will never know what the artist’s headspace is.

[@spacecloud6979]

I don't think "this part of your art sucks" qualifies as critique and anyone who claims otherwise is talking out of their ass. I feel like a lot of problems with critique could be solved with a little consideration. If someone says they don't want critique then don't give it, if they don't specify then ask, or at least do it in a way that doesn't insult the art or devalue it. I think more people need to learn the "Criticism Sandwich" method, of pointing out something genuinely good about the art, then what could be improved and how, and then another thing that was done well, so the artist knows that their art isn't bad and it's not just some asshole taking any opportunity to shit on someone's efforts. This is just my opinion, as an artist who has always bee open to peer feedback and constructive criticism as it's always just been part of my process and something I'm accustomed to from being in the community and also from attending an art university where we had weekly critique sessions with peers and tutors.

[@uanime1]

The problem with the "Criticism Sandwich" is that instead of making one point you have to make 3, which just leads to your original point getting lost in a bloated post.

[@spacecloud6979]

@@uanime1 With the sandwich it's best to be concise, or instead to balance 2 points, eg. "hey the colour palette is really pretty. I think you could improve the overall image by altering X detail, but also X thing you did looks really nice", or shorter "The fashion of your OC is really cool and unique, I think it would look even better if you tried out X detail/method next time" I think the biggest aspect of any form of critique is kindness and respectfulness to the artist. The sandwich method is just what has been most useful in my experience personally and with my art friends.

[@stickiynote]

I learned the criticism sandwich method in a non-art context (I knew it as "praise correct praise"), and I've used it the few times I've actually criticized pieces (all when people asked for criticism). I think part of the reason I don't really give criticisms much when my artist friends are actively looking for it is that I am horrible at receiving criticism. Another lesson I learned in the same context as the criticism sandwich was "don't deal what you can't take," so even if my criticisms are gentle, I always get nervous offering criticism due to not being able to take what I give. I think the extra time and effort used to write both praises and criticisms in the same post is worth it, since (as you said) it lets the artist know "their art isn't bad" and the person giving the critique is doing so with good intentions. Also, it slows you down and makes you think about the art more. I really like taking a little bit to just absorb other people's art and tell them what I like about it because then I discover things that I might want to try in my own art. More of a side note, but it's always fun when I point something out that I liked and the artist gets all excited because they were hoping someone would notice that thing.

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

YOUR ART IS POOOOOP AND I WILL SEND 2 NUCLEAR BOMB TO YOUR HOUSEEEESSSS!!!!!!!!!?!!!!!!

[@homie_stok]

I used to give unsolicited critiques all the time, especially on amino and (if you know this, you're a real one) the Sony Sketch social media app. Where I'd just tell someone "Get better at anatomy, you suck lol" and laugh at them if they got mad bc I was 12 and also a Pkrussl fan 💀 I also COMPLETELY fell into that "not good enough to critique others" camp

[@v4n1ty92]

If someone asked me for critique on some art that falls into my specific niche, even with my own confidence in my art, i would still feel out of place telling that person what to "fix" because that same exact "flaw" is probably in one of my own pieces somewhere, unchanged.

[@louise4152]

I remember giving unsolicited critique too a few times when I was like 13 but I tried really hard to be like. Nice and friendly abt it bc i didnt want to be an asshole 😭 but i probably still came off as one OTL

[@theartistickaiviti]

I was there once till I grew out of that mindset and stopped giving unwanted criticism to fellow artist's artworks unless they wanted criticism

[@42seven]

I'm glad that people are saying "you can do art just for fun, and only for fun" cause I've been trying to climb out of that mindset for years, ever since the days where cringe culture was at its peak (at least in the communities I was in.) feeling like if my art wasn't like, graphic novel quality, it wasn't worth making (making me draw less, and actually hindering any progress I wanted to make, and the cycle continued) and while I haven't fully recovered from that mentality yet (especially in regards to fanart), I'm starting to enjoy making whatever I want (I've been trying to emulate 2000s warrior cat/sparkledog style and I am loving it!) and not worrying about making it a masterpiece or whatever. that and following more cartoony artists has just improved my confidence a ton.

[@Tazkar]

I really hate 'critique' where someone does shit all over something you did and then they defend themselves with "I'm just being honest." Its like, there is a difference between being honest and helpful, and being a dick.

[@Vengothics]

I had this happen for the first time like a few weeks ago and to me it’s because someone genuinely wanted to help, but in most cases it’s because they either want attention or feel so low on their art they want to make themselves feel better, either way, don’t like people like that cus it’s like those civil servants, no one cares bro

[@cheese7119]

Or are just meanies who expect masterpieces after masterpieces and have unrealistic expectations and standards for artists without actually caring enough to bother asking the said artist if they're happy with what they draw and what their goals are and what not When it comes to stylized art there's always gonna be that one person saying this is not appealing because x y and z :(

[@just_skyee]

I remember when someone told me to change my art style to realism because “Cartoony art style isn’t real art”

[@fishy2374]

I feel this.. whenever I receive unwanted criticism on a piece I love it becomes hard to see anything else in that drawing..

[@arcadeii]

also some people (who arent artists) for some reason cant grasp that… when i draw an oc with a color they dont like… its not because i cant make color schemes well, its because i like a color that a lot of people dont like and i choose to use it

[@avionpiscean33]

I hate the "you were asking for it" argument so much. That's the same fallacy people use to justify certain particularly horrific crimes.

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

Crimes are different than criticism,it’s like the ashole parents comparing pets and animals to toys and that

[@GauteAnimationNorway]

Back in 2018 when I was starting I got this x) I posted a drawing done with pencil and paper. wrote that I "tried" to do something realistic. Which it definitely wasn't as I was just starting out 😆 just got a comment saying "that's not realistic, it sucks. Of course it wasn't good, or realistic. I even said so myself "It was an attempt" to do something realistic. Then after when I mentioned that, he went on saying that he was helping me getting better hahaha x) I am not kidding. I got better, still long way to go. But it definitely was not the comment "it sucks!" that made me get better. Actually still have access to that post, only edited and without the comments as I did not want my social media to already be stained by my first post 🤣 It's disrespectful to post links of my own work on other peoples channels. So I'll refrain from doing that 🙂Like your video setup and art. Would had no idea what to actually talk about if I did videos like these talking and drawing at the same time. They have crossed my mind, but as the introvert I am. Never got to that.

[@autisticbearwoman9490]

I’m so lucky I haven’t dealt with this before

[@EchoCian]

I would guess that the reason critique used to be useful on dA is because it was coming from *other artists*, while now, on twitter and youtube, it's just random people who might have never drawn in their life but have heard the phrase "constructive criticism" once and thus assume that offering their observations from on high is a magnanimous act for which plebeian artists should be grateful. If someone ACTUALLY wants to help, it is not hard to ask first. (I have been the asshole to someone pointing out an error in a way I meant to be joking but really was rude, I would rather not do that again.) The comparison to playing League casually reminded me of the time I was trying a new champ in players vs bots and was told to go back to playing just AI. In the practice mode with absolutely no stakes. That was when I stopped playing League outside of ARAM with friends. I can definitely see an artist retreating from sharing their art in the exact same way.

[@confettiveda2460]

When I was younger, I couldn't draw hands for the life of me and I got the same criticism from two different people. One was online just saying, "The hands are too small." Unhelpful, please tell me something I don't know. The other one was my grandfather during a discussion about my latest middle/high school art escapades (he was an art teacher so there was always something to talk about). He said, "Your hands are looking a little small. You know, I can tell when someone isn't confident in drawing hands when they draw them really teenie. So I say, next time you draw some hands, draw 'em real big. Don't even think about how they'll look, just make it so we both can see 'em." Then he smiled and sevenish years later, hands are my favorite part of the body to draw. I hate drawing feet, tho lol

[@JackTheVulture]

ty for bringing up the point of people who just arent. interested in improving, and just doing art for fun. i actually like to improve. but it really sucks to see people not be allowed to just have fun. theres no moral imperative to be more skilled at something just to enjoy it. ive seen people talk about artists not improving like its worthy of scorn, like they were literally doing something morally wrong and thats so???? like???? HELLO? people have their own goals and reaons for what they do. its just a poor excuse that people feel entitled to others improvement. art is something that humans have done for thousands of years. its absurd to act like it has to be a career, has to be a thing you Have to Improve at. If it's making you happy, and thats all you want from it? Awesome! thats beyond good enough. I'm glad you're having a good time. More people would draw if they werent so concerned about being "bad at it". Art is for everyone to do if they want to. Not being skilled on a professional level is not a crime, not improving is not a crime. Sometimes people are just having fun, being creative, and sharing that fun and creativity with others. Its easy to ask for critique, and if people want it, they will ask.

[@JackTheVulture]

my feelings on artists who could be benefited by that "tough love" even if they dont wanna ask for it, is thats on the artist. its really not fair for those who want to offer critique to overstep. its up to the artist to be ready. what WE can do as a community is created better culture and space around critique, and create an environment in which people are more comfortable asking for it, rather than forcing it on them anyway. and yes. "Their artistic growth is not your responsibility". Perfect summation.

[@wordydird]

Y'know what might be helpful? Examples on how to give critique the right way.

[@wordydird]

I have plenty of art friends who do want criticism and it can be very hard figuring out how to word things or even figure out what specifically might need fixed. Ex. Their anatomy is off but I have no idea how to articulate what's wrong or how to fix it.

[@waterworks_yes]

**comments to support celestia in the algorithm** unsolicited advice is worst when it’s not even helpful. once when i used to do youtube stuff i got a comment saying it was ‘advice’ then just basically said my content was bad. it was lmao, but that’s just mean and ruined my self esteem back then

[@The_derpy_duck__J.E.C]

No one needs to improve there art. It’s not up to you to decide that someone SHOULD improve there art. The point of art as a hobby is to have fun and for a good bit of people focusing on improving and doing studies can be really stressful and take away from the fun of art. If a person wants to draw the same picture of an apple over and over again, then just let them. It doesn’t really matter if apple person isn’t getting better at character art because they really don’t care and it’s not up to you on what they get to draw in there free time.

[@mrpickles-hb6zx]

If u want people to like your art then u HAVE to improve, most the people that show their art off want it to be liked so yeah u gotta put effort

[@flareboi]

i also think part of the reason that unsolicited critique is more frowned upon is because there’s more kids around in the art community now. like it’s one thing to leave a mean comment on the art of someone your age, but it’s entirely different to leave a mean comment on some 9 year old’s artwork.

[@TheHitsubasa]

I’ll admit my progression did suffer a bit because I was shut off to critique. BECAUSE people gave it unsolicited and wasn’t even constructive like you mentioned it was just “your art is bad” and it made me unconfident. So for a while especially on deviantart I always said in my description “NO CRITIQUES”. It also had the opposite affect to when I DID want CONSTRUCTIVE critiques I didn’t get it at all. But seriously if people just ASKED me first if I was open to helpful constructive critiques I would have been open.

[@CrimsonStudioz]

I never ever got helpful art advice online, most of them aren't helpful at all. the only art advice that really made me improve were by my animation teacher which actually made it much easier and simpler to make my drawings more energetic

[@CrimsonStudioz]

he also me told me what should I study if I really wanted to reach a good point with my art, so yeah I owe nothing for the idiots on the internet my improvement is all based on targeted studying to the things I know I lake in

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

Yes but ur art is weird but is just an opinion lol

[@CrimsonStudioz]

@@HYDROCARBON_XD thanks 🙂 that's what I'm going for

[@atree1739]

@@HYDROCARBON_XDlearn grammar kid

[@irregularten4109]

idk if it's the adhd perfectionist brain that i have but honestly i don't get enjoyment from anything hobby like (gaming, drawing, doing makeup etc) unless there's incentive to improve. not necessarily to be the best or even at professional level but one step higher anyways. if i don't want to improve my skill when doing something, i just can't get myself to do it. and to me it's very hard to imagine having motivation to do something constantly at the same level. but even then i do recognise that there's a lot of different people and not everyone thinks like me and therefore i'd never give critique without asking if it's okay. in other hand though, there's probably a lot of people like me that just can't grasp the idea that someone wouldn't like to improve. even if it's just something considered a hobby. idk, i think that might be the source for many of the arguments siding with giving critique even when it's not asked for...

[@lilbread1717]

The annoying thing about social media is that people are way more inclined to comment criticism or worst on a post they dislike, than to comment something nice on a post they do like. I never check comments on social media because it's 99% unsolicited critique and sometimes insults, and 1% a bot posting an ad. And it really baffles me that people think their unsolicited opinion is important when you are just a mean rando for the artist. Why do your opinion matter so much that you HAVE TO give it? Why should we follow your advice, random comment? And at the same time, everyone knows that words hurt, so just learn to keep it to yourself. The experience of social media would be 10x more enjoyable if we all took more time commenting compliments under art we like (or reblogging while keysmashing on Tumblr. Reblog to boost artists!!!) than we do to write criticism under someone's post.

[@flybalbu]

Especially on tiktok, there was someone who showed their rendering process and their art style had like eyes like further away from the other parts of the face and people were "fixing" their art and hating on it And the amount of beginners getting bullied is astoundiing

[@amarimochi]

Once I posted fanart to reddit (bad idea, I know now lol) and the only comment I got was them making fun of the eye size (Been a while but it was some big dumb eye meme idk). That comment got more upvotes than my initial post. And that really hurt. Even though that comment did improve my art (I started shrinking the eyes), it wasn't because they were helpful, it was because I was scared of being shamed again. Unsolicited critique can be ok. Like I've improved from some that I got (eg. when I still did speedpaints, someone said I should slow them down so I did). But, like you said, so much of what is being classified as "critique" is just insults that can just scare artists from drawing how they want or being a part of a particular community.

[@mk-aka-morgan8386]

Sorry this isn't totally on topic- but your art is gorgeous in this video!!! I love all the profiles you did with Celestia 💖💖💖

[@lalas181]

This video is definitely necessary, tbh. One of the good things DA did was the "looking for critique" button. That site's mostly a trashfire nowadays, but I'll always be glad they had that as a thing. Sometimes people just want to share a cool thing they made because they like it, and that's okay! One time I posted a picture in a discord channel that was just me testing some markers I'd gotten, and while I was out somewhere someone asked if they could give me some critique. They then didn't wait for me to respond, and gave me a huge paragraph of "This is wrong and this is wrong and this bit here is also wrong" with really nothing helpful other than "necks usually don't curve like that" which wasn't even particularly helpful since it was trying to "correct" an intentional stylistic choice I was making. They then acted like everyone else was in the wrong when predictably nobody was cool with them being unhelpful and rude. If I'd been online at the time the question was asked, I might've actually said yes and even asked them to redline whatever anatomy problems they found. It would've been real neat if they gave me tips on how to utilize the crappy markers I had better, too. Alas, they didn't do any of that and they left the server that very same day while insisting they were the one in the right.

[@applepie5]

I've never actually received any kinda critique for me it's been all "your arts pretty :D" and so for a while I thought I was being helpful by giving unsolicited critique.

[@Yipyipyay]

Fr I draw because it's fun. I learn as I go and slowly get better by myself, all you're doing is making me angry and it actually sets me back. I post art because it's fun and I like it. If I don't ask I don't want it And I ask friends for advice if I feel I need it

[@arisuneakku]

WOWWWWW the head speed paint in this drawing is amazinggggg I wanna do this!!! So inspiring!!

[@iamaylacat3935]

As someone who has been generally neutral on unsolicitated critique, there is one thing people forget. The artist you are giving advice to may not use it, but there may be someone else that can use it. If you're going to give criticism to someone without asking first, keep the comments neutral and only to stuff you can offer actual resources and ways to improve. Criticism usually highlights the negatives, so ensure that you reinforce positives when offering critique to people. Always be open to recieving feedback if you're giving it. If you offer advice to someone, and they inform you that they are not looking for advice, don't push back. Keep the comment open. Prefacing a comment with "If you're looking to improve" or "if you're looking for critique" can be especially good, as it gives the artist recieving the critique a chance to skip it if their not interested in the comment, while also allowing other artists who may be looking to improve in those areas some advice to consider. For artists: You don't have to accept or read all critiques you recieve. Be aware of your limits. If you can't handle critique, then don't read any comments that preface that they are offering critique. Be aware that, in that situation, reading on in the comment is the equivalent of saying yes should someone ask if you're open to criticism. Don't lash out at people offering critique they have done so in a respectful manner, instead responding respectfully is more effective.

[@Yipyipyay]

Oh, also yes I am sensitive. I'm autistic, and I don't like getting negative comments, even friendly ones, when I don't ask for them because it makes me feel inadequate. Especially now since, you're right, critique isn't helpful it's like "lmao you suck quit art" I've had people straight up steal my art and pick it apart and call on their transphobes friends to make fun of me. They'd take screenshots on my face and go "No wonder their art is so trash". So now I tend to be too sensitive to hear it without wanting to quit.

[@misslittlepumkin9886]

Im all most 20 now. I joined the internet about 9 or 8 years ago and i started posting art, most of it at the time was Base art or very scrunkily drawings i did of cats. But when i moved away from base work and started drawing more people i started to post more and in different groups, in doing so i got a lot...and ALOT of Unsolicited criticism and "Criticism" which were just people were heavily insulting my art. In having all this feedback and insults to my art is stunted my growth HEAVILY and for many years now still get hurt from it. I also have many mental health issues and Autism, which didn't help at the time so to say i cant still be heavily hurt by it and scared of criticism now is a bit of an understatement. I am working to improve that though with small steps and asking close art friends for advice or from art teachers i trust, but it's still a long way's to go before i can take full criticism again from random people on the internet. I do post all my artwork btw and I do this as mainly a hobby : D.

[@missmango5259]

I think unsolicited criticism is so rude even if I see where it comes from and what other people thinking of it. It just so weird for me when other people want to shove their opinion down on my throat when I didn't asked for it nor interested in it. I mean no one asked... I want to make money of my art and become a professional artist in the future (I currently make money from it but I want to do it more professionally in the future) but I still don't care about critiques. I know you can improve a lot from a helpful critique but I think finding the way to draw things, learn the trick and fit them into your style on your own is very important. I currently strugling with backgrounds but I don't want to leart to draw it from others I want to figure it out on my own because I enjoy the artistic journey until then. I don't feel too much offended about criticism, after so much years I know not everyone will like my arts, but I do find them annoying because I didn't asked for them thus I don't care.

[@weeaboobaby]

I fully agree with you that constructive criticism is incredibly helpful. I both receive it when I ask for it, and I give it when I feel qualified to give it and people give me their consent, but I don't think we're creating echo chambers by focusing on uplifting artists, because a lot of artists also improve from positive feedback. Personally, hearing what people *like* about my art has helped me just as much as constructive criticism has, and it has helped me improve those aspects that draw people's attention the most. I still remember when someone told me that they loved the way I drew facial expressions on my characters, and that it always stood out to them how expressive they always turned out to be - and it has stuck with me so much that up to these days, that is something I still actively try to improve and better myself in, and make that one of the most notable feats about my art.

[@pippinnnn]

I can’t watch your videos while drawing bc i learn so much from the speedpaints lol

[@derpkipper]

Not having the courage to ask for criticism is like. Kinda a personal problem. Its good for people to need to learn how to ask for things even when its tough.

[@lilyofthevalley3059]

My response to the artists being sensitive bit: So? There's nothing wrong with being sensitive. There may even be reasons for being sensitive that you can not control. Being young (meaning child or teenager in this case), having mental issues, terrible past experiences (trauma), etc. It's even more okay to be sensitive when you admit you are sensitive. For example by saying you do not want criticism of your art. If we are working under the assumption that every artist that does not want critique is sensitive, you are deliberately trying to hurt that artist by giving them critique they do not want.

[@Yipyipyay]

I'd rather be sensitive than be heartless and hurt everyone I see

[@snowicorn]

I remember in 2019 I participated in a DTIYS challenge from my favourite artist and it was my first time doing it. I very rarely get comments on my works and the only comment I got on that first attempt was just "zero effort" And at the time I agreed with the commenter because my self-esteem wasn't that good ;-;

[@sketchista]

I recently had an experience with that, when a lot of people felt the need to tell me everything that was wrong with my drawing. The drawing I'm referring to is from a video which I basically followed a tutorial that doesn't match my style. It wasn't even a serious video, just something playful I made as a joke. And the comments had gotten so bad, I had to limit the amount of comments I receive, because, it was really hurtful seeing those people would just disregard the purpose of the video and bombard me with their criticism, which, in several cases just sounded entitled and rude. I would understand if I had gotten those if I asked to, but that wasn't the case at all. The cherry on top were the people getting offended when I explained the intent of the video. It's absurd the lack of touch and empathy.

[@everythinggirl1559]

I received unsolicited critique, half way though the year, this year. I was in the middle of building for portfolio. So it did make me quite anxious and nervous about what my current skill level is

[@ashtheglimmerbeezu5156]

I've had far too many people tell me to learn basic art skills when I ask for feedback on something... My art looks terrible because of my dysgraphia. I can't help it. I've been doing art for 7 years now. Oh yeah lemme not forget that someone once just went "Oh yeah your art does kinda suck"

[@sailorenthusiast]

Frankly, I actively avoid showing my art to people outside my friend circle because I don’t want my flaws showed in my face by anonymous buttholes who think insults count as helpful criticism. I know my art isn’t the best, so I don’t want to deal with others parroting my insecurities openly.

[@moeismynickname]

I am the type to not like unsolicited criticism unless the artist ask for it. Of course I am a art student rn, and in my classes as of now I do want Criticism from my professors and such there more then me posting an personal piece online unless I again ask for it in print. Their been times on the internet I had good criticism But I gotten negative criticism. Stories like drawing myself and get told as a 18 year old drawing myself as an anime girl with large boobs when I have a D cup in real life, and it was the comment saying "having her boobs this big are super ulgy looking", or the time someone told me my artwork looks slimely or greasey for having white shine on the cheeks or collar bones on my character years ago to show the idea the character had makeup only to not do that anymore. I now Just clown those who give me it if they meant it in a knowingly mean way, but if they may meant it good I would still pretend not to see those comments. So my view are if the artist ask for Criticism then give it if not then don't.

[@nostalgcis]

Honestly, people nowadays tend to correct the style and not the flaws.

[@Cosmitasiarts]

The ONLY time I find unsolicited criticism justified is when someone is doing something offensive or insensitive (such as racist caricatures or other harmful depictions of minorities) because regardless of if someone is just doing art for fun or professionally it's important to be respectful to vulnerable groups. That being said, even when I see someone doing something like that... I still personally ask them if they'd accept feedback, because I can't stand giving criticism without permission and I'd rather know they're acting in good faith and not being purposefully inflammatory. I just think that it's fair to criticize things like that with or without permission because it's not simply being "unskilled" at art in a harmless way but because perpetuating something harmful should be addressed and corrected.

[@ColorSprite]

Not really related to the video, but I’m curious about the meaning behind the various design elements of your avatar Celestia. I have some OC’s/mascots that have design elements that represent the various aspects of the art business along with my own branding. I find it interesting to learn the reasons behind including those elements. And even if the reason is just “ I like all these things” that is totally valid too. XD Just a random question from a small artist.

[@RumbyFish]

Yeah I don't enjoy or want unsolicited critiques, and it's rather obvious when they want an ego boost when I get them on art I made years ago. Like lot of artists are their own biggest critic, so I don't generally believe you need another's critiques to improve though, and lean towards if they don't ask then don't give for pretty much all the reasons listed. Also I understand some people wanting artists to state they don't want critiques so it's not a guessing game, but I always left it out as social media doesn't always have enough room to state that due to character limit, and you can get those wave of haters who argue you should always accept criticism & bully you to accept their insults

[@jrlpixels421]

Man critique can be a hard thing. I'm always looking for positive criticism and guidance but most friends and family only ever say it's awesome and that they love it. But then Ive had some serious art friends who where super critical and never would compliment me. I'm a pixel artist and for some reason the pixel art community is BRUTAL they are either snow flakes or elitist gate keepers. I started pixel art and people crapped hard on it almost constantly. It nearly made me turn away from it.

[@mikaspie6943]

oh yay i'm early i think not wanted critique is quite annoying cuz we specified we don't want ur opinion, also i love ur vids ur very nice to listen to when drawing and i hope u don't mind i take inspo from ur work 😅not like copying just using techniques u use for like shading ur also very informative

[@adampoole948]

Hopefully this doesn't sound rude ( though people wilk of course see it as such, when It's actually just be realistic ) but when you make something public you open to all forms criticism... It's just the way it is, It's commonly known. You might not want it but if you put it online or some place public you know full well that people will comment on it.. No one gets special privileges to release art ( or anything else really) and have it be uncriticable.. ( despite many people of the current generation being soft and believing they all have special privileges for everything ) It's just not reality. When I submit my art to places, I know what that means. If i don't want something critiqued I don't submit it. The Internet ( and society in general ) doesn't coddle people, it's harsh and nasty... That's why I stay away from places like twitter.

[@ananaspizza7014]

I think your faces are pretty! especially when drawn from a looking up perspective. that combined with your amazing rendering makes for divine drawings. there's one piece of yours in particular that really inspires me to do more looking up perspective

[@gotchakid]

i used to do this 😢😢😢 im glad i stopped bc 1. no one asked for it 2. nbgaf

[@DriftingLightOfTheWoods]

the one piece of unsolicited critique that to this day still kind of bothers me is when I did one of those "redraw this older piece" things and I was actually proud of how much further I had gotten in improvement, until I read the singular comment on it that basically said "uh, yeah, you're _only_ supposed to do these redraws when you've _actually_ improved anything about your art." like geeh, thanks for shattering my then teenage heart. edit: had to add a comma

[@ConvenientlyShapedUsername]

AS IF THE ONLY WAY TO IMPROVE IS THROUGH UNSOLICITED CRITIQUE ok I'm not mad, I am numb, I just think that it's important, so caps time lol

[@mikazeliscious]

Unsolicited critique is such a problem. Not just since it's rather impolite to just give out critique without consideration if the artist is even looking for it in the first place but also that I find a lot of people tend to not really know how to adequately give a critique and can more often than not come off as more harsh than whether intended to or not. Unless someone is genuinely coming to me for critique I refrain from doing so since you never really know what kind of space an artist is in and can sometimes do more harm than help in the long run. I know I struggle with severe self confidence issues when it comes to my art and an unsolicited piece of criticism sometimes makes it hard to want to share art for a while. Criticism does benefit growth, but it is better to only give critique if asked since tone can get blurred and even the most helpful of advice could come across as hostile depending on word usage. Though I think people need to balance out the fields needed to be worked on with what has been executed well since more often than not I find unsolicited critique is without the positive feedback so it's not just negative aspects of what needs to be worked on. All in all it's a tricky subject but I prefer giving positive feedback over anything else since I've found people are far less willing to say something positive if they say anything at all as of late and the world could do with good vibes to boost more creativity and help artists young and old grow. Sorry for the rambled mess hope it makes sense haha. Off topic: You gained extra points with me for mentioning the idea of MF top. We stan playing queens in off meta places for fun because games are fun. Heck yeah!

[@Adeerwithnotlogic]

I have a good friend of mine who does have mental health issues, and some random person on DA ended up giving my friend “criticism” not only without asking, but ALSO the “criticism” was just vague as hell. My friend was really proud of what they drew and tbh, it actually visibly bummed them out. Ngl I was pissed off and still am about it. I love my friends so much, because there awesome ^^ Thank you for making this video btw! It’s nice to hear someone else who isn’t just telling people (some of which may have severe mental health issues) that they need to “gRoW uP” or sm

[@CrazyGreenFluff]

i hate unsolicited critique because almost every time i got it was from people complaining about my characters being too thin or having bright neon colors. hunny dont ya think if i add rib lines to all my oc's that means they're supposed to be thin?? 😁

[@HatsuneO1Miku]

Sometimes my boyfriend will say something negative about my art I shared with him, which got me upset sometimes, but in the long run, he's the reason I got much better at drawing figures. To be fair he was aware my goal was to get better, but sometimes I just wanted positive feedback not criticism. I haven't posted online yet and probably will wait until can handle it (I can be sensitive)

[@yamigoya8291]

This is why I always ask if people are okay with criticism (IF I have something helpful to say) One time a girl shared a bit of a writing protect on a gc for artists and I was the only one who asked if she would like some criticism (everyone else gave grand praises, which felt exaggerated imho) and she answered with "not from you" and honestly I just sent "lol ok" bc I didn't know how to respond to such an obvious personal attack, specially when we never talked before xD Anyways, eventually she shared another work this time asking for criticism and when she got helpful criticism she started complaining that no one praised her work (which they did, it just wasn't as exaggerated as last time). It was clear to me in that moment that she only wanted to be praised and didn't want to engage otherwise :/

[@Umneriko]

i agree dont be a jerk but also if you post something on the ineternet you should have some expectation that an asshole is gonna make you feel bad

[@ASMRshayla]

It's even more annoying when someone that knows NOTHING about art, anatomy, etc tries to give advice or insult art.

[@Xenono54]

m sorry, but I got more questions after listening, then before: 1. NO kind of feedback is welcome on an art piece on the Internet, unless the author disclaimed so? 2. So positive feedback is not ok too? 3. Why do people post things they make online? Not for positive feedback? 4. Is it an Internet issue? What if No Internet? Would (did) ppl still show their art to ppl? Why would they? 5. How would ppl irl react? Only positive feedback? If not, are ppl irl assholes too??! 6. Would my art teacher be an asshole for pointing out things I did wrong in my art (potentially crippling my interest in art) or if they didn't (potentially, making it so I never improve)?

[@Temperans]

I see a lot of people in the camp of not liking unsolicited criticism and mentioning how they received comments saying "your art is bad" or some variation of that. But you see, to me that is not criticism that is just being an a**hole. When someone says criticism, I picture a person pointing out at the very least what part feels wrong, giving advice on how to fix it being an extra. On that note, I see all criticism whether solicited or not as a potential to learn something new about how to do something. More specifically, I see the difference between solicited and unsolicited advice as the difference on who is being active about giving/asking for help. Solicited advice is always reactive to what the artist wants to know about and as such can often be limited in scope. Meanwhile unsolicited advice is always based on the person giving the criticism feeling like their comment might be good (remember I don't see trolling as criticism). So, they both can be very helpful to an artist that is able to make sense of what the other person is saying. I am also a believer in the fact that just as everyone has the right to speak, everyone has the right to ignore what the other are saying (for better or worse). It's better to ignore the stuff you don't like then to shut down because "someone said mean words on the internet".

[@halleyk7Art]

How do you get advice online? I remember when I was younger, I asked for advice/critique on DA but never got any. I still ask for advice every now and then but have given up because I never really receive any.

[@RubykonCubes3668]

R.I.P. my guy. I for one never asked because i was too shy that it'd come out of nowhere or that i'd come off as annoying. Like, spontaneous critique/commenting isn't the same as asking someone to come over and say what they think. :(

[@halleyk7Art]

@@RubykonCubes3668 Oh yeah, that would be weird. Sorry, I should have specified that the places online I was asking at were specifically made to receive critique. Like DeviantArt’s critique tag or art advice forums/amino.

[@makamiusless1954]

Although I'm okay with any forms of critiques as long as they're informational and helpful, I do fine them irritating when said critism were pointing at a very specific trait of my art style. I can't elaborate it well enough here but say I often draw the mouth of a character very small or delicate (if that's the right word my english sucks-). Simply because I find it fitting and I feel comfortable draw mouths like that, but then sometimes people would just point at it and say "The mouth is too small, ngl". Like, sir, it's *supposed* to be that small otherwise why the hell'd I put all my effort into mastering that one tiny line??? I get where they're coming from and I know that it's irrational to be all fussy over such a small thing but it pushes the button everytime when I try my best to explain to them that this is just how I draw, let it be and they couldn't give a frick about my words.

[@Corvus_Erectus]

This topic is a very Person to Person thing, some people enjoy getting help, some people just dont want it, and some people get help from people who dont know how to help them. I think criticism should always be given (asking first), but PROPERLY, people are too toxic to other artists now (read the comments on any speedpaint on tiktok), and thats not constructive and shouldnt be put in this conversation. You can only go so far staying in a bubble, no one shoudl give attention to toxic comments, but if you cant handle actual help, you need to work on why first, then post stuff online

[@RedHatGuyYT]

man, if i feel like saying something i just sort of say it. it's part of who i am and that's not gonna change. usually when i get criticism i just say random stuff like "oh yeah, his hand looks weird because he had a deep-fryer accident and he's never been the same"