[Helm]
-snip snip-
http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=459.0that's the topic this topic came from. Some posts there need to be read for this to be understood, but I didn't move them here because they're half theory discussion, half relative critique. Only moved after splat said he doesn't want arguing in his thread and after.
[/Helm]
splat, hope you dont mind....but I have something to say that I care about =/....sorry, but I belive this is an important thing to discuss.
Wow Marco my man...we must be on the same wavelength, I just made a post like that at Tiny's thread....just as hated as yours was :p
I completly agree with Kazuya, there is no point to a crit that doesnt atleast attempt to stick to the poster's original vision, the fact that the crits are never thought out in relation to the intent of the author in this place makes them more like an universal chant to conform to the well known standards and lose all individuality.
In fact, that's the reason why I never post art seriously here, that's why I made that bigass description of my alucard sprite in my last topic, because as fun as it was in the beggining to find a whole comunity where people just want to C&C and get better, in the end that chant for conformity becomes just as meaningless as the ever-repeating asspats.
We are supposed to be pixelartists people, not pixelartisans. The individual vision is what makes the diference between the artist and the artisan, if we keep ignoring it once and again, we're bound to never convince anybody of the claim that pixelart is art.
the problem is that whole idea of C&C as an ideal form of self improvement, like it was the pathway to heaven that causes this.
Some people just shouldnt C&C, and most of the time when you C&C you will not improve. It was nice to belive in those white lies back when this was starting, hen we needed a reason to make people C&C and we had no idea how a C&C based comunity would be like.
But we're way past that phase now, I've said for a long time that Pixelation stands for too little to be able to hold as a comunity nowdays, and this is exactly what I meant.
Now, I'm not blaming that on Flaber or Pegwo, but I really think it's just about time we leave that behind.
Specific crits are bound to be largely irrelevant, tweak that eye, shrink the head, all that will only apply to the current piece, and half of the time it will be product of either a practical reason or an artistic choice the veiwer doesnt understand.
So what should crits be about then? simple. Improving the artist, not the piece. yeah, make crits about the practices that generated the flaws, not about the flaws.....or in other words
critique the causes no the effects.
ideally every crit should tell him what kind of excersises would expand his mind, tell him all about those forms of expression that could help him make his peieces reach a whole new dimension, tell him what practices are necesary and which can be skipped, tell him techniques he can use for any piece.
If you cant do that just asspat, the world doesnt need more people that dont know what they're talking about trying to look like they do; tell him what you did like about his piece with the same care that you would give C&C.
I know firsthand that is the reason several of our most beloved great artists leave this place, because if they'll come they know they'll get nothing more than a chant to stop being who they are.