DA officially does critique now.

[Psychotime]

[link]

But ya gotta be a premium member. Lolz.

[LORD M]

But-but I thought it was all about asspats and buttkissing? Many rages will be had from snapesnoggers.


And the fact that you gotta PAYYYYYYY to be able to both give and recieve critique is laughable, but I didn't expect more from DA to be honest.

[ShroudStar]

What?

Critiques are for everyone, not just for people who can afford subscriptions. Oh man, DA - they are so going about this the wrong way.

[idoru]

Dude you could always critique couldn't you? You had the option of saying "critiques encouraged" or not.... Right? I seem to remember such an option. It's just 90% of people said "no". It looks like all they did was add a fancy system.

[r.mccabe]

I think the meant to say: subscriptions are low so please pay up.

[cmalidore]

Cause having a section for it will make people more inclined to do it? I critiqued just fine in the comment box, never bothered me any.... They really think that rating a person as "fair" or "unfair" actually makes a difference in the feedback?

ConceptArt gets better every day.

[Maridius]

It's in beta now and I'm hoping they open this for all the members since my watch list is dinky enough as it is without cutting off 3/4 of it from using the crit module.

[Max Challie]

I think the meant to say: subscriptions are low so please pay up.

What? They must get something out of all those annoying ads, so I have no idea why they'd require money for a 'better account' and some 'critique feature'. You don't need a 'feature' to give critique.

[HunterKiller_]

Ridiculous.

[Elwell]

Might as well shut this place down, no way we'll be able to compete...

[toddy]

paying to learn how to improve your art.

isn't that what college is for?

[Bill]

paying to learn how to improve your art.

isn't that what college is for?

No Comment

[Mock]

paying to learn how to copy anime better

isn't that what Naruto is for?

I fixed this for you. Because I like to help.

[Bushido]

OMG, if i take this seriusly is damm sad

The sad is not DA, the sad is the people who support this type of thinking

When i see things like this i cant stop to think in this quote of William Bouguereau

"One shouldn't believe in all those so-called innovations. There is only one nature and only one way to see it. Nowadays, they want to succeed too fast, this is how they go about inventing new aesthetics, pointillism, pipisme! All this is just to make noise.

Each day I go to my studio full of joy; in the evening when obliged to stop because of darkness I can scarcely wait for the morning to come... if I cannot give myself to my dear painting I am miserable."

[HunterKiller_]

You know what they should've done?

You get paid to give critique.

Ya huh.

[Zweit]

Is this a joke? I mean, it's a little late for April Fools... How exactly do they plan on enforcing this? Do you get banned for giving a crit to someone without a premium account?

[Brushcommander]

[Crane]

What the hell do they need to beta test?

I can only imagine the errors they would get

'You should learn anatomy, and shading and stop the anime until you build up the foundations a bit more'

>ERROR-NEGITIVE RESPONSE-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-PLEASE PRAISE ANIME-<

[l33t fl33t]

'You should learn anatomy, and shading and stop the anime until you build up the foundations a bit more'

Except, you know, the thing keeping them interested in art IS anime, and not art in general.

[Crane]

Then unless they wise up and see you can get nowhere by copying anime alone, they are fucked, you know, unless thats what they are actually going for, then all the best to them!

[l33t fl33t]

Then unless they wise up and see you can get nowhere by copying anime alone, they are fucked, you know, unless thats what they are actually going for, then all the best to them!

I think you're missing my point. What you're saying is along the lines:

"Well, unless they wise up and realize that they can't get anywhere just by playing rock songs on a guitar and start learning classical musical theory they're fucked."

My point being that:

a) art education has failed to keep up with the times, requiring the student to rely on traditional methods of education
b) keeping people interested in something is more important than anything else

[Darjan Jurincic]

we` re doomed!!!!

..no wait, they are..

[Crane]

I think you're missing my point. What you're saying is along the lines:

"Well, unless they wise up and realize that they can't get anywhere just by playing rock songs on a guitar and start learning classical musical theory they're fucked."

My point being that:

a) art education has failed to keep up with the times, requiring the student to rely on traditional methods of education
b) keeping people interested in something is more important than anything else

Well no, i'm not saying its bad that they want to do anime or its the only thing keeping them interested in art, i'm saying all the people who actually make great anime/manga art actually know the basic and advanced in anatomy, light and shade, color theory etc, this is why they make great anime art, don't get me wrong, i'm a big fan of anime, so i'm not putting it down, i'm just against the metality of 'i don't need to learn anatomy etc, all i need to do is copy the artists i love' cause without knowledge you've got very little to make you stand out.

[algenpfleger]

Crane is right =0

[Jason Rainville]

I remember making numerous posts in the suggestions forum about a dedicated area for critique (part of the forum) Every day there are more and more little art noobs about to start their journey who go to the art scene and ask for crits. What do they get there?

"Sorry wrong forum, you're sharing art so it has to go to the thumbshare."

So they take their art to the thumbshare forum, a pit of writhing pageview whores that want nothing more than to show their art in every thread they can no matter what the thread is about. No one responds to people who want critique there, but every so often there will be a thread titled "Come here for professional critiques!!11" So the poor little noob enters that thread for crits and gets:

"Oh cool I like the colours really nice you're doing good. I don't quite like snakes though so this gets a B-"

... the shit is that?

Then during one heated debate in the suggestions forum, one person said that none of the main boards are for critiques at all, you have to go to the categories to get crits on specific things.... the what? Here there are some kind of super secret subforums existing that are dedicated to anime, digital art etc. I've been there over a year and even after him describing how to get there, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW TO GET THERE. How is a little art noob supposed to find it and get the info he needs?

So now after all that someone is going to pipe up and say "lolz now we have a FULL-ON crit function noob allz you have to do is spend money and makes sure you have lots of people watching your work who regularly comment and also make sure that some of those active watchers are at a higher level than you so that you don't just receive useless noob crits from other art noobs loooolz"


It's just one goddamn train wreck after another. Forget the fact that any person can give a critique no matter what already... except you can NEVER bring it to the forums to get a wider array of crits, oh no...

[l33t fl33t]

Well no, i'm not saying its bad that they want to do anime or its the only thing keeping them interested in art, i'm saying all the people who actually make great anime/manga art actually know the basic and advanced in anatomy, light and shade, color theory etc, this is why they make great anime art, don't get me wrong, i'm a big fan of anime, so i'm not putting it down, i'm just against the metality of 'i don't need to learn anatomy etc, all i need to do is copy the artists i love' cause without knowledge you've got very little to make you stand out.

Yes, but do keep the context in mind. Sure, master manga artists went through a lot of traditional schooling to get where they are. This tyke isn't interested in that route, so what now?

Improvise. Telling him to go the traditional route is likely to leave him disinterested. Thus the only logical option would be to adopt the traditional store of information to the situation. Here is where I think the "whats" become important:

What's the lesson to be learned from still life?
It sure as hell isn't how to become a master apple illustrator. No, it's something else. What? You answer that, and you can adapt the knowledge to the times. The kid doesn't need to draw apples anymore, he can learn the "what" by drawing something RELEVANT to his interests. This is monumentally important, because it keeps the student interested.

[Mr.Delicious]

Yes, but do keep the context in mind. Sure, master manga artists went through a lot of traditional schooling to get where they are. This tyke isn't interested in that route, so what now?

Improvise. Telling him to go the traditional route is likely to leave him disinterested. Thus the only logical option would be to adopt the traditional store of information to the situation. Here is where I think the "whats" become important:

What's the lesson to be learned from still life?
It sure as hell isn't how to become a master apple illustrator. No, it's something else. What? You answer that, and you can adapt the knowledge to the times. The kid doesn't need to draw apples anymore, he can learn the "what" by drawing something RELEVANT to his interests. This is monumentally important, because it keeps the student interested.

Yes. Draw an anime still life. If the kids can't handle doing work they don't want in order to further themselves then fuckkkk em!


and yea, paying to give crits is hilarious

[Sekino]

I'd have more respect for the site if they'd stop trying to cater to 'serious' artists and endorsed the fact that 95% of the site's purpose is visual fanfic for teenagers.

DA people know they are sitting on a goldmine (lots of obsessive people with disposable income). I know I was pretty fanish, hormonal and weird when I was 15 and I would be a hypocrite claiming that all drawings I did at that age were for art's sake (there were waay too many Duran Duran portraits ;P). So if fanish people want a place to exchange drawings and hold on to the thought that they're totally cool and lots of friends like them before real life kicks in, it's disturbingly normal, to some level.

But DA should stop acting like they offer any sort of help or hope for aspiring professional artists. That's just plain misleading and pointless. They're trying to reach out to two crowds that do not mix well.

Like hell I'd want to seriously critique someone as emotional and angsty as I was at 14-15, much less PAY for it. If they're ready for real art opinions, they will probably head this way and read the warnings. I do not want to be responsible for someone swallowing half a bottle of herbal pills because I insulted both their art and their OMG!favoritebest!thing-evaaar (sorry, I'm mean)

[TASmith]

I actually did a serious crit thread in their thumbshare once. It was exhausting, but a fun way to spend summer 2007. They didn't follow my rule though - to get me to crit, they were supposed to give one serious crit of another poster... I could link to it, if someone wants to revive it, although I imagine, the admin might see it now as a form of protest...

EDIT: wow, the system is just way too official - your crit has to be 100 words or more, you have to use their rubric, rating various traits, and how "devious" it is. Then the artist gets to rate it as fair or unfair, and you get sent some bullshit messages, then your total fair crits get numbers like pageviews, and it's another thing to w-hore about.

You could solve 90% of the issues with these kids just saying, study anatomy more. Get a book and a mirror and observe.

[l33t fl33t]

Yes. Draw an anime still life. If the kids can't handle doing work they don't want in order to further themselves then fuckkkk em!

Yes, it's prime time to turn an otherwise enjoyable activity into boring drudgery. How dare those dilettante-amateurs try to enjoy practicing!

They ought to suffer for their art, not enjoy it.