444 Some String Walks Into A Bar.
Is there some kind of critique movement going on that I’m not aware of? I’ve gotten more requests for critiques in the last week than in the whole time the comic’s been up.
Honestly, kids, I’m not the guy you want doing a critique. I don’t like doing it, so I always go in with a negative mindset. The thing is, you should already know what’s wrong with your work. If you can look at anything you produce and say “I have reached the mountaintop!” there is something wrong with you. Which is why I find critique mostly pointless. It’s way more productive to come at someone with a specific problem you want to address. If you have such a problem I’d be more than happy to aid you in any way I can. To paraphrase Mitch Hedberg however; I taught myself to draw, but I didn’t know how, so I was a shitty teacher. If I was going to do it again I wouldn’t have recommended myself.
13 Comments
To quote former president, Theodore Roosevelt, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
In other words, f$%k critics. If you don’t know how good you are, don’t ask others, you’ll be disappointed, and if you know how good you are, you won’t care what others think anyway.
I love how Mikes hair looks like a fat tribal tattoo.
I totally see what you’re saying man. As an artist you can look at your stuff and see what’s wrong with it just fine. Even if it’s some small minor mistake that for the most part can be ignored.
In fact you should probably be able to pick up on errors others wouldn’t. You know what you imagined for your drawing to look like, and can tell how close you came to that vision.
If I ask for help with my art it’s usually about something technical, like anatomy or posing or lighting, etc.
I prefer to call tribal tattoos “Douche Stamps”…since every douche I meet seems to have one.
Critiques are -supposed- to be the most pessimistic view. You ask a *friend* “What do you think?”, knowing that it’ll be a positive spin, even if he doesn’t like it and is being honest. You ask a stranger or (better yet) your worst enemy, “Tell me what’s wrong with this. Where’s it crappy?” The whole point of a critique is to find things that they missed. If someone gets angry because you actually did as they asked, you provided criticism, then they need to either harden up, or learn not to ask.
I like helping people reach perfection. Unfortunately, most of the time, perfection is in the eye of the beholder.
I am a Subscriber in Deviant art, and one of the new features was a way to ask for critiques. Now everyone has crit-fever. The problem with the Critques there are, you can already ask people for advice or critiques on your work in the Description box under your deviation.
It’s just a little too much for something everyone should have.
That might explain all the critiquing.
I wonder how many people know the joke in the title and why it’s the title of this comic. *grin*
One of the marks of a true artist, being your works biggest critic.
well arcana I know the joke and its not a bad one if i do say so myself
‘S true. I asked him, and I got smartass comments. It was funny though.
You know, ever since this comic went to color, there’s been something about the way the characters are drawn that makes them look more animated, like they could be from a screenshot of a cartoon rather than just from a still image in a comic strip, if that makes any sense. Take Mike and Brooksie in the bottom frame here, for example. Mike definitely looks like he should be a still image, while Brooksie looks like she was just frozen while in the midst of movement. I think it has something to do with the difference in thickness of their outlines. Some of the characters here are outlined thicker than others, and I think that is what creates the effect. Anyone agree, disagree, think I’m a lunatic, speak up.
I would say you’re exactly right Link, prolly a lunatic too but that’s beside the point.