Why MOST art criticism is USELESS and DEMOTIVATING

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Why MOST art criticism is USELESS and DEMOTIVATING. If you try to make everyone happy, you'll only manage to make yourself miserable.
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#arttips #learntodraw #howtodraw
Games I've worked on -
CURRENTLY WORKING ON- Twilight Monk Metroidvania
Fortnite (Environment concept art)
Overwatch (Environment concept art + Sprays artwork)
League of Legends (Character design + Environment concept art, UI + Icons)
Diablo 3 (Character design + Environment concept art)
Hearthstone (Illustration)
Burning Crusade(Character design + Environment concept art)
Wrath of the Lich King (Character design + Environment concept art)
Indivisible (Environment concept art)
Final Fight Streetwise (Voice Acting + Character Design + World Design + Cutscene Direction + Co writer on script)
Ikeda: The Scrap Hunter (Programming + Art + Design)

[@SL2797]

I've always thought that you should ONLY listen to constructive criticism from people who: 1. Are EXPERTS at what you want to accomplish. 2. And actually want to see you succeed.

[@CinzaChumbo]

Without the first, the second may or may not mean anything, but it will be lacking something. Without the second, though... the first means nothing.

[@redandblack641]

Adam Duff hammers this point home in every other video he uploads because so many of his students are or were in art school or got industry pros looking at their portfolios and had extremely negative and mean spirited "criticism" thrown at them. Point out that it's a power play or projection and you will be accused of not being able to take criticism - even if it was unsolicited and the one giving it doesn't even like the type of thing your making. Point it out in a humorous way... oh boy, these types of people will get mad. Got kicked out of a Discord server for doing that to someone who trolled me for months saying an animation was too fast or too slow and mysteriously never got that critique on any other Discord, Reddit, Twitter or Facebook group. There's also those who are PERSISTENT and repeatedly tell you to make subjective changes like copying the current popular indie game that clashes with what you're trying to make or gender/race swapping player characters who already have their design finalized with hundreds/thousands of animation frames drawn. That was from a roommate who eventually moved out... and it started from showing him my current game ONCE.

[@cdewx5749]

Adam and Trent are my favorite mentors. Adam is a very artsy fartsy painter type who gets mad at you for not expressing yourself, and Trent is a practical workhorse who gets mad at you for not putting in the hours. In the end, though, they both tell you to follow your heart.

[@Selwynn]

Great advice. I'd often sought feedback on my stuff from family and friends only to come to the frustrating realization that they're not into and excited about art like I am. The responses were always positive but also uninterested and dismissive. The critiques were even more discouraging. It got to the point where I would hoard my work to myself to maintain that dopamine hit you get when you finish a really rad piece. It wasn't until I found a local art community that I realized there were places for positive criticisms and enthusiasm for what I like and do!

[@bb_Boofus]

I had some very harsh and negative instructors in art school that instilled in me constant doubt in all my creative decisions to the point where I just stopped drawing altogether because nothing was ever good enough and every Idea I had was stupid or generic.

[@carlosquall15]

Many people are too opinionated these days but most of them don't know what they're saying. We have to filter out what we hear and check from whom we hear it. Not all sources are credible.

[@parisulki729]

Every criticism, and i say EVERY critism-take it with a grain of salt. Because being an artist is doing distinctly your thing. So person criticizing your work doesn't know what is going on in your head, and what were you trying to accomplish. And as for giving feedback, this is what you should try to do, you need to understand what other artist intended to make initially, and your feedback should be helpful for them to achive their vision.

[@Zinlor]

Criticism is like dirt. Mostly useless and scattered everywhere. But if ya look and dig in the right places. You'll always find something interesting and some times useful.

[@tjthomas01]

One of my biggest critics at times is ME, self doubt, overthinking, trying to compare myself to some one else can be some things that hold some one back, but your advice is key, show your material to the audience that would appreciate it, it motivates.

[@felix_xb]

1:50 Honestly same aplies to advice. There's only so much you can emulate, copy or assimilate with out paying some cost for it. Often times confusion, disharmony, incompatibility and so on. Having great internal confidence and a self created purpose and respect to yourself and what you do is an under appreciated aspect in most creative work, especially after the influx of hose of [mis]information that is the internet.

[@shraakx2]

I'm glad to hear someone say this. It took me a long time to realise that most people just don't care that much about monsters and creatures, but some people REALLY like that type of artwork. I will add that sometimes it's helpful to seek information from people from different disciplines (asking a graphic designer about the colour balance and readability of an illustration can give information an artist might not notice), but it's best to take it as an isolated data point rather than an absolute measure of how good something is. Ultimately depends on the mental burden of getting said feedback though. Not going insane feels like half the battle in the current landscape lol.

[@harrysanders818]

Seeking Feedback on Social Media Platforms is the equivalent of going out on the street and asking for Feedback from random strangers

[@MrChambers]

This is so true, specially when making an indie game. The amount of unsolicited advice and critique you get on a constant basis is insane. Its really easy to get caught up in it and try to make everyone happy, but Its just not sustainable.

[@RottenSkull]

A colleague of mine likes to give unsolicited feedback. One time he told me that, when he looks at my drawing, it doesn’t look like I draw for years. I drew on a whiteboard with permanent markers just for fun during my break. No hes not into art and yes, I told him to fuck off.

[@Spamkromite]

I got to learn that the hardway, pitching my ideas to people who didn't care about my particular style and characters because it was my first time going on a full fledged project and I needed to see is my efforts were going the good way. The feedback was null obviously, so I dug harder and found communities of people who likes my type of style and characterization, and lo, not even I found people that are a "little" with brainrot for such a style and type of fantasy, but also helped me to get some bearing about how to complete it faster, get an audience and places where to publish it so that my project goes to the correct audience. One can't expect to have an idea and have everyone liking it by default; you need to find the correct audience or your chances to finish the project and or keep yourself motivated will be slim. Now that I have a target audience, I'm more pumped to finish it as they are awaiting patiently for it, and those who are more experienced in animation gives me sound advice. Best decision ever.

[@juanclunac]

This is so true, some friends are just not the right source of growth

[@MarcMcKenzie-qb6or]

Thanks for this, Trent. As a former animator who is now trying to develop my own stuff I wish I had head this advice years ago....but I'm grateful to hear it NOW, because that is what matters. You've just gained a new subscriber.

[@bioniccorndog]

Artists, or creatives in general, should learn to separate their work from self. It's hard, especially early on. But the earlier you can make that separation the better because then you can place your work in a vacuum and truly assess what will make it improve. Then, bad feedback doesn't feel like a personal attack and good feedback doesn't give you that addictive dopamine hit which tricks you into equating other people's thoughts with your own self worth. This is important bc I know from experience that good ideas can come from people in a different lane than you, sometimes even accidentally. And on the other hand, bad ideas can come from people you look up to, or that you deem an expert in the same lane as you. So learn what you like and why and practice rolling with the punches - its all just words until you choose to apply them! In other words: you are YOU, you are not your art. Keep creating, friends!

[@ladyihcobob]

The same could be said about social media comments, those can really send you on a wild goose chase and next thing you know you're doing a bunch of stuff that was never part of your own vision. I wish there was a simple rule to follow, listen to people, don't listen to people, but I can think of a dozen reasons why both can be true and untrue. In the end, you just have to trust yourself because even those with "relevant" advice can be wrong.

[@gregorywatine]

Thank you so much for your advices, coming everytime at the right moment to give us just the push we need, a better point of view on things, and how to evolve as an artist. I wish you the best and i'm waiting for your game !

[@allanredhill8682]

this is insanely good advice. Ofc the fundamentals and basic training are super important but you also should have some trust into your own vision. Be your own art director - get to know people that are better then you but also have similar taste or produce similar work. Their feedback will be 100 times more helpful then just goin to a random portfolio review.

[@sno7599]

this is very true and something i learned not to long ago. a friend of mine i really look up to art wise and me were doing a game jam together and i was trying to match her style and stylesheet. it took me a week of back and forth to get one painting done and i thought i was just doing really badly. but then for the backgrounds i was working with my now girlfriend on them and she was so loose with everything i asked for feedback once or twice and both of them were super encouraging but with those i got 6 done in a week. (not fully, she was doing the linework me the shading but still) and i still ask both of them for feedback on tons of stuff. they are way ahead of me art wise and i have a lot to learn. but i don't' ask them the same things.

[@FatRogSlim]

Many artist (no matter the age and including me) have a very amateurish/noob style and because they mostly have people telling them "oh you are so talented blabla" they can't see the obvious and try to chase a dream based on shit material. They really are blinded by that.

[@JanstonCordell]

You're the man, Trent! I can't wait to get my hands on the Twilight Monk game.

[@FTotox]

I'll say that, if you are making a metroidvania, my only request for this genre is that the mobility is sick. Filter this 😂

[@AndrewMaksymBrainNectar]

Professor Trent...You couldn't have posted this at a better time lol. I'm still making art traditionally in my sketch book but recently I had to hard core siesta on Gaming and Digital Art for College and to get enough rest for my day job. Trent on some of your next videos can you do some more traditional art?

[@Riste.R]

I just finished third year of my art university. One more to go. Sir, I wouldn't be where I am without you videos ❤

[@victorjozek5384]

When i signed up for an illustration class in a high art school, I got interviewed by a teacher who believed when a drawing is printed or photographed, it loses all it's value. Which was basically a huge take on the whole comics industry. He then said my art fits more for a painting class and not his. So I signed up to another school for a painting class and when I met the teachers there, they told me my drawings fit more for an illustration class. Not to say I stopped believing in art school at that point.

[@DigitalinDaniel]

Sounds like Pierre Carpagian and Ongo Gablogian could be best friends. xD I don't really play metroidvanias that much, but the/your art style is badass and the worldbuilding for Twilight Monk is really cool too, I can't wait to see all the creatures esp fishing. I just saw the ingame "monster-book" the other day and I love details like that.

[@blindOni]

Im still trying to rewrite restory the voice in my head due to an art advisor telling me to give up on being an art major.

[@vizeath]

I really love your drawing style...

[@Pewsplosions]

Thanks!

[@South_Wall]

Usually when I ask for recommends or feebback from people who is into things I love, they trying to demotivate to do that cos they don't want another one competitor in that field. Thats a business gatekeeping

[@PhilippSkoufas]

great video as always! are u drawing in photoshop?

[@gundradestroyer4480]

This makes me remember when a friend of mine had criticized me, here's the thing, this guy is an elitist who is not convinced by anything, every idea he had was wrong or was a plus or minus, he constantly told me "what is the joke?" but I had not noticed this before, so I rewrote everything I had done, again it was not enough, I rewrote again it was not enough, more and more insecurity arose in everything I thought, it was like that episode of Bob sponge where, bubbleass hides the pickles under his tongue and bob literally develops an insecurity with everything because because he no longer knows if he is "doing it right", I got to the point where I hired a writer because I no longer trusted myself writing, Currently I have recovered little, thanks to my writer who taught me that I had to go back to doing things for fun since my project was not progressing because I was so worried that everything was fine, the truth is I am not very good at writing due to some school traumas but even so I wanted to learn to write history the level of stress and demands of this "friend" was burning away any desire to continue. As a side note I've realized lately that internet reviews are usually pretty bad and actually help "create better art." based on prejudices before even "seeing what the thing is about", like for example I said that the protagonist liked to draw and I was already crissifying myself because that was cliche, instead of trying to portray what the protagonist is like or because he doesn't comply with "a standard that they never explain", for years I see how people have this idea "that criticism helps create better art", but the truth is I don't see this, in fact I see the opposite, their standards are so high that when they don't They fulfill them or the artists close themselves to criticism without showing improvements because they have convinced themselves (consciously or unconsciously) that they will never be able to do anything better than this. And don't get me started when they hate something for the mere concept and instead of accepting that it is not for them, they pour out all their rage disguised as "analytical criticism" i am think you all know what project has been and is a victim of the latter. i am speaking . . .

[@DjCapnWolf]

I appreciate your honesty, as always. The game looks awesome! I'm not really a platformer kinda guy, but I am a sucker for a good metroidvania.

[@carlosemiralonso7997]

My best friend is capable of doing his work on 30 minutes on the desired app. That's what I told him when he show me his work. Now, do I like the type of work he do? absolutely noo. I known how to keep my personal preferences to myself and just be really helpful with the feedback I gonna throw.

[@45whitedragon]

I get his message, but fans and fandoms could easily be the worst source of feedback. I'd say: have your whiteboard clear and ready and with all possible logical paths to take at different stages. Nothing is ever perfect, failing and readjusting is a skill that is different with each project and medium.

[@dwiprastyo5710]

Hi Trent.. Really love of your view and wisdom on many things.. As a concept artist, is it possible to life as a freelancer? What is you think on marketplace to get a commission like fiverr, artist and client, vgen, etc?

[@TrentKaniuga]

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[@Yoman911nine]

you know who you are, yes you !

[@brainafkstube5393]

Yeah, I played Metroid and Castlevania

[@CountEstradivarius7]

3:33 Still gotta try

[@TrentKaniuga]

I know many VERY wealthy artists too! But 90% of artists wont try to make things that sell. Sadly. PLUS, theres always a bit of luck and opportunity involved. Its just a tough road for many.

[@carlosrobertopadillacabrer4696]

O

[@Mykal06]

Repent and believe the gospel! There’s a loving God who wants to know you and save you. He gave his only son as a sacrifice for us so that we can spent eternity with him in peace and joy. Please consider the state of your soul! Jesus died and resurrected to save you. Believe in Jesus and follow him so you may have salvation. Life is short, please make the right choice today!