Things I Like: Critique and Self Improvement (Patreon)

A long while ago, I had a conversation with a patron who was speaking with me about my art. In particular, he was mentioning ways I could improve my work's impact. During this conversation he ended up offering me critique, which is what I wanted to briefly discuss.

A large number of people that I meet tend to view criticism as a form of attack on their person. Some of those people also discard the opinions of others who aren't "professionals" without consideration. I'm sure you've met these sorts of people before. I don't really follow of this sort of behavior.

The previously-mentioned patron I was having a conversation with simply told me that he thought my work needed occlusion. He's not an artist that I am aware of, himself, but that didn't matter. I questioned his statement in my mind and wondered if he was right or not.

That one line he said to me ended up sending me on a self-initiated google hunt to educate myself on occlusion. Several videos and articles later, I discovered he was right. I could feel a massive improvement almost immediately after trying it out in my art. I was actually pretty pumped about it.

Something I've come to learn is that proper critique is almost always beneficial regardless of who it comes from. Your perceived skill level of the person is irrelevant; the most important aspect of good critique is the question you ask yourself after reading their comment. "Is my art too saturated?" might pop into your mind after someone mentions "your colors are very overpowering." 

You might even end up comparing your art to other pieces to test this out.

It has nothing to do with them being right or wrong, but rather the fact that they got your mind jogging on a subject you may not have been considering. You can simply choose not to change your own method if you feel they weren't correct, but at least you questioned that method and it became more iron-clad as a result. I think that's important for self-improvement.

I had been obsessing over contrast and making my images pop before that patron mentioned occlusion, but this one comment ended up taking me on a journey. I don't even know if he knew the impact it had. I was really searching for an answer and he solved my problem without me even asking him. 

I really want to thank that friend. I wonder if he'll realize I'm talking about him, as he's been a long time supporter. I never told him this, but I always appreciated that feedback and he genuinely helped me improve myself.

In short, I wish more people would take criticism on a case-by-case basis. If you receive critique that turns out to not be helpful, at least you considered it and weighed the choices in your head. It's your choice to take the feedback to heart or to ignore it, but I feel like there's so much you can do to improve yourself if you just ask yourself questions and search for the answers to them. That journey or time spent researching often times leads to answers you weren't expecting.

If you read all of this, thanks for your time. I just wanted to spill my thoughts about someone who made me feel happy.

More art to come soon. <3