Brutal honesty and love requested...

Jeremy Ross

Hi @Kaela-McCoy, I believe the judges and possibly SVS staff select the top 16, but I’m not 100% certain.

TessaW

I can't speak for anyone else, but it takes a lot of time and thought to give critiques and most of the time I don't feel confident enough to offer advice. There also seems to be a lot of new people around and when that happens, a good chunk of them don't return, they ask for feedback and don't give any in return. That can spread out the balance and focus of the forums as a whole. At least, that's what I think, I could be off base. Also, have you personally been taking the time to offer feedback to others? That can make a big difference in how much response you get back.

As far as your piece goes, my overall impression of it is that the storytelling and focus isn't quite "here or there" and I'm not really getting a strong impression of who the characters are, what's going on, what the mood is, etc.

The candle, the boy, the monster, all have equal weight and focus. Who are we meant to empathize most with? I can't tell. Playing with the size, lighting, values, and sharpness of all the different elements could really help us with that focus.
The candle hints at a moody, dramatic atmosphere with lots of warmth, but it doesn't actually appear to affect the rest of the scene much, yet you've given it a lot of visual weight.
This appears to be set in another time period, but it feels like an afterthought. You haven't pushed it far enough to mean anything to the viewer.

Those are my main criticisms. Others have pointed out the character design and the values could be improved upon.

chrisaakins

@Kaela-McCoy they are chosen by the judges. I think what he was saying is that this one is not in the same category as the other pieces that were picked today because it is lacking in polish.

Laurel Aylesworth

@chrisaakins I totally hear you. It can be really disappointing when you're not in the top 16, which happened to me too. I'm not sure what I did wrong (maybe because it's in black and white? too boring? poor concept? I may never know - lol), but onward I go. I think @TessaW did a great job summarizing why we sometimes are reluctant to give comments. Sometimes all I have time for is to "like" something. She's right about how all the elements have the same weight, so I would actually go back to the value phase of the process to work out the lights and darks and where to emphasize the storytelling. Rendering will come in time. And seriously, if you JUST started painting digitally, this is a GREAT start. Keep going and keep posting! I know I'll try making more of an effort to comment when people ask.

chrisaakins

Thank you everyone! These are exactly the kinds of things I needed to hear. When I get better I will work on some of these things.
@TessaW I really do try to give good feedback to others as much as possible. I don't want to be a taker and not a giver. It seems that some posts get more than others, so I especially try to give feedback to newcomers and those with less feedback. I was really thinking that my pieces were in the "that's nice" category but not turning anyone's head. I wanted to know how to fix that.

deborah Haagenson

First I'd like to say, that with 74 entries, there were many other good pieces besides the 16 selected that were very, very good! I've only been doing this since November myself, I feel like if I improve each month, by my standards that's all I can ask of myself. The work done here gives me so much inspiration. Yes, the bar is set high, but that gives us newbees something to aim for. I may never make the top 16, but I am having so much fun and learning so much! This month I went through all the pieces and looked at them closely. I had my favorites picked, so it was interesting to see how it compared with what they picked. It's also a reality check for your own piece. I hope that helps!

ArtofAleksey

Im always worried my criticism would come off mean in some way And that people on the forums already think im a weirdo but that might be my insecurity talking. But here are some things I’ve noticed in terms of your work and this piece. I hope you know you’re great and i love you dearly.

I notice you submit your piece sometimes in a very short time, I think you should take more time playing with compositions and placement of things before you start the final drawing and rendering. Like i know it’s February but you submitted it yesterday and its not even half the month yet. Take advantage of the time, play with the piece, the camera angles, the feeling you’re trying to go for (is the kid scared? Is he curious? Etc)
The composition, i know it’s a window and you want to show the monster falling in the window so some stuff you can play with is the point of view (do you need to show the the scene from the inside? Why not from the outside?). Does the kid need to be turning his head like that? Why can’t his body be facing the window a bit more and him holding the candle? Also consider giving your piece a bit more breathing room. It’s very cramped, The “ kid” also includes the bed and the pillow and everything hes interacting with So he takes up a lot of space while the monster is super tiny in comparison. You can even make the window larger and dont have to use a square cropping.
Sometimes it feels like you take shortcuts and it comes off as if you are trying to hide the fact you cant draw something. Not saying you cant but it comes off that way. Like for example look how the back arm looks like it’s being cut off and sunk down into the pillow. Also the way the torso and body is angled is a little weird to me. Try that pose on your bed using a camera or a mirror. I do that and it reallyy helps.
Color. Im not the best at color but ill try my best with this one. It’s clear you love to paint and you’re very good at painting. However you use extreme darks and extreme lights. Like the walls are almost black and so is the night sky outside it. You can use darks but maybe not that dark. The shirt is clearly white but the candle is the brightest light source and needs to be a lighter value than the shirt.

Dont feel like you need to do all or any of these but definitely suggest taking more time and playing with ideas and composition more.

deborah Haagenson

@chrisaakins you do provide a lot of feedback and comments. I see your name on posts all the time. I appreciate it too! I'm new here, but I'm trying to do that too. My feedback may not be as helpful because I'm not as knowledgable yet, but I do my best to encourage people and let them know when I really like what they've done. We are all here to learn. Some of us are already working in this field, but you have all been so welcoming. I hope it stays that way. Perhaps if someone is thinking that they are giving more than they're getting it's time to move on.

NessIllustration

@chrisaakins For some reason, some pieces or even some people's entire body is work is sometimes harder to critique than others. Usually I check out posts and if I can immediately identify an area that can be improved, something I'm able to articulate well and that I know would help the piece tremendously, then I immediately comment. And then other pieces, I look at them for a couple minutes and I can't come up with something specific, clear or helpful to say, so I just leave because taking the time to try and figure it out for myself, and then trying to explain it clearly, would be a 30+ minutes job and I have to get on with my day.

Your work falls solidly in that category almost all the time. It's not beginner enough that I know exactly where to point you at to improve dramatically, but it's not pro enough that the one little detail that doesn't work can easily be pointed out. It's a compilation of many different things which you're not doing terribly wrong, and not very well either. Right now you're falling a little bit into uncanny valley territory, where you have acquired a solid set of skills, but it's still not quite polished enough to pull it off. The fact you have a more realistic style doesn't help you, as this would pass more easily if it was more stylized. The boy's face is realistic but not done quite well enough; the mouth is in a slightly wrong position, the eyebrows look carved into the head, and his design is bland. All around the room there are little things which by themselves aren't deal breakers, but put together create an underwhelming whole. The hand is too big. There's no clear focus in the picture, The colors are kind of dull and the shadows grayish, despite the candle lighting which should be an opportunity for warm lighting. The curtains look rock solid instead of real cloth. There's the same amount of detailing everywhere no matter which level in the picture it is, front or back. The monster looks pasted on and remarkably stiff for a character in a falling/action pose. It might look like I'm piling on, but those are all small things when taken individually.

Apart from that, the illustration lacks a certain charm, a sparkle that makes it special. A warm glow from a candle lit scene could have given you this magic touch. Maybe the monster could have been just a silhouette, backlit by the moon. There just lacks a little something to make it special. I notice a lot of your work has that issue, and that's something hard to point out or explain, or teach. I think you're focused on making a good image, not a great image. You're doing the best you can, but at the idea/planning stage are you taking time to figure out what will make this illustration special? I have ideas for new illustrations everyday, but if I don't know what will be special about it, then it never goes past the idea stage.

I don't think you should interpret a lack of comments or critiques as "you suck". Rather, your work is at that stage where it's really hard to critique...

TessaW

@chrisaakins said in Brutal honesty and love requested...:

I really do try to give good feedback to others as much as possible. I don't want to be a taker and not a giver. It seems that some posts get more than others, so I especially try to give feedback to newcomers and those with less feedback. I was really thinking that my pieces were in the "that's nice" category but not turning anyone's head. I wanted to know how to fix that.

I hope you don't think I was calling you out specifically @chrisaakins , (I haven't been thorough in reading through the forums lately, so I'm not as up-to-date on who the regulars currently are) and I'm not judging anyone who doesn't give much feedback to others. I just assume it does play a factor, so I threw it out as a possible reason.

chrisaakins

@Aleksey
Thank you for not holding back. I am in agreement with you on much of what you say. I do tend to work too fast and part of that stems from the fact I get possessed by an idea and want to go with it. I am also impatient with my skill level in illustration. I am much more comfortable with fine arts and inking. I really should take my time (although I confess that is hard sometimes with life and grad school). I do need to play around with composition more. I think sometimes what works in a fine arts piece does not work in illustration as well.

(Believe it or not, I did use a photo reference for the pose, but I guess I did not draw it as well as I should have. I confess, I did not use a reference for the face. As far as his age, I was aiming for gangly middle schooler, not younger, but I guess he needs more work. )

@NessIllustration I always appreciate your time and thoughtful responses. I am an art teacher and I do know what you are talking about. I look at some kid's work and it's good, its just not great. And there are lots of minor things that could use tweaking. Hmmm. So death from a thousand cuts, huh? ouch. You have given me much to think about and work on. From what I can sum up I guess my biggest challenge is finding the right balance between realism and stylization. I either need to go full-on realism or a bit more stylized? Now that I think about it, my Penny piece was more stylized than this current piece and Lee really liked it. Thank you for taking the time to critique my work.

@deborah-Haagenson thank you for your words of encouragement. Thank you @Kaela-McCoy @Kali and @Coley for your positive input as well as your pointers.

I think I will pull this piece and either scrap it or rework it. I really want to convey a kid who heard the monster falling off the roof and wondering what the heck is going on, but maybe my focus should be on the monster and less the kid.

deborah Haagenson

@TessaW Your comment is very fair in light of what you just said and I'm sure your right. I might have been a little snarky in my last post. I'm sorry about that!

TessaW

I think @NessIllustration is really on to something here. I do find I have a harder time pinpointing what might be helpful to you. Sometimes I will see a few things that could be improved upon in your piece, but then I think that there are a bunch of small things that really don't address the bigger issues. . .which I can't quite pinpoint.

I also sometimes question how much critiques on individual pieces actually help with someone on your level. I think a lot of improvement will come from just making a lot of pieces and brushing up an skills behind the scenes. I think larger portfolio critiques are more helpful for artists at your stage. Just a thought. I could be wrong.

chrisaakins

@TessaW I hoped you weren't. I thank you for taking the time to help me out with my art crisis.

@Laurel-Aylesworth Thanks for the words of affirmation. Painting digitally is new to me and I shouldn't expect an immediate transfer of my traditional skills into digital (not that I am a master there either, but am certainly better with them than digital) I feel like I am one of my students who looks at the master's work and then can't see the improvement in theirs.

deborah Haagenson

@chrisaakins I relooked at your piece. I haven't read all the comments, so if this info is a repeat, I apologize. First, I think the guys eyes should have a more surprised look. Second, I think the guy should be moved from the center and turned a little bit, so he can see the monster - I'm not sure he would hear him falling through the air. I really like the candle and the bedding. I come from a traditional background too, so I get the struggle of transitioning to digital.

TessaW

@deborah-Haagenson said in Brutal honesty and love requested...:

@TessaW Your comment is very fair in light of what you just said and I'm sure your right. I might have been a little snarky in my last post. I'm sorry about that!

Ok, whew. :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_cold_sweat: I saw your comment, and was wondering if you were addressing me or not. I wasn't sure! SVS and this forum have given me so much and continues to and I definitely don't feel as if I'm giving much of anything. I looked back at my comment, and can see how it seems accusatory. I am very socially awkward and can be insensitive without meaning to.

NessIllustration

@chrisaakins Yes the "death of a thousand cuts" is particularly hard to critique. When there's just one or 2 things to point out, I write them down and I'm on my way in 5 minutes. On this pieces though (and others like it), I could pick 2 things to point out (for instance the hand too big and the mouth not quite in the right spot) and leave, but I wouldn't feel like I actually helped you any. You could fix those 2 things but you'd still have other issues in the picture. But if I point out every single thing, not only is it going to take me a very long time, but it's going to feel like I'm piling on you. I don't want to seem that harsh to you and possibly hurt your feelings. And as @TessaW has mentioned, a lot of time people at your level are served best by just continuing to practice, continuing to use reference and they will improve over time naturally. So when I encounter a piece that fits all those criterias, I stumble about for a couple minutes not knowing what to say and end up leaving... I'm very sorry if this made you feel like your art was awful, that's certainly not the case! I find that beginners or pros are easiest to critique, and in the middle it gets really hard to do!

chrisaakins

@NessIllustration thanks! It really does help. I also need to figure out what I want. Do I want a painterly style or pen and ink style. I am still exploring and I was happy I was able to paint digitally. I need to keep at it, though. Pros like yourself are a big help, and we appreciate your input.

Kat

@chrisaakins , kudos to you for asking people to give honest feedback. I think many, many of us are just afraid to hurt feelings or (like me) feel totally unqualified to give any feedback. So, here's my totally unqualified thoughts

I really like how you handled the folds in the fabric, and the candle looks great. I feel that the angle of the boys head and body look "off", though. If he were laying in bed on his stomach, his neck wouldn't be so long, and he wouldn't be able to turn his head around so far. I can see the shape of his behind under the blanket, but not his back or shoulders, which makes it appear that he's coming up out of the mattress. I'd expect his left shoulder to be "up" and sort of blocking the view of his neck. Maybe his right arm showing, although maybe you intended it to be under the pillow.

Please take a look at this photo, and maybe it will help to explain a little better what I mean
https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/photo/young-woman-lying-on-grass-looking-over-shoulder-royalty-free-image/200146572-001

I think the monster is adorable, though! He certainly looks as surprised to be falling as the boy looks to see him! And you've done a good job on the fabric of the curtains, too.

I hope that is at least slightly helpful

KathrynAdebayo

Hi Chris. Just want to throw in a word of encouragement. I read through all the comments and feel like others have already shared what I would have said - I actually planned to post a comment in response to your original critique thread, but found it hard to pick out what to mention and found myself saying, “maybe later!” I think your work has been improving a lot over the months, and it’s been an honor to vicariously share in that journey with you. Please continue to share it here, if you feel so inspired to, because it’s very valuable to see your work.

I’m also new to digital, and I’m finding it very difficult to find a style I like while using it. We’re in the same boat.

Just keep sailing.