I'm reluctant to wade back into this, but I think that I have some responsibility to do so.
I think that most of the posters have commented with the best of intentions, but that internet communications are robbed of important meta-language, like tone and body language, that would better convey those intentions. I personally tend to take these discussions a bit too seriously, so purely textual communication can create further problems for me. I also get the distinct sense that there are existing reputations and relationships that add context to some of the messages for the people who are aware of them (i.e. not me).
When I post pics, I do so with the aim of having them seen and enjoyed. So, if someone praises my art, then I'll know that my goal has been accomplished, and I did the right thing in posting it (I've never had the chance to get sick of praise). I didn't expect much of a reaction to this piece, but I thought that someone uploading erotic Gargoyles art should probably post a link at the erotic Gargoyles forum. Obviously, my work has flaws, but I think that most artists have a good idea of what weaknesses they want to correct in future images, and I'm no different. It's possible that a critic will point out some error that the artist hasn't noticed, or reframe a problem in such an enlightened way that it becomes more manageable, but that's uncommon (Kythera's point about Goliath's knee spurs is a good example of the former--it's a useful hint that I can easily observe the next time that I draw him). I didn't ask for criticism, but the greatest thing about it is that it shows that someone really looked at the image, and spent some time thinking about it rather than just rushing past it--the image was seen, if not necessarily enjoyed.
As I said, I take criticism a bit harder than I should, so I was happy to read Jacomo's post. I felt that the coloring was fine, so I couldn't understand why it was becoming such a recurring/redundant criticism (actually, Jacomo didn't say that the coloring was adequate, just that it was less important than the overall impact of the image). I certainly didn't find it rude or disrespectful to me, though I would have understood if some of my critics resented it. As someone said, I'm the one who put my artwork out here, so I have to accept criticism gracefully. As one of the critics, Jacomo is free to be a bit more dismissive than I am.
All of this has raised a debatable issue, though I don't know if this thread is the best place for it. I would say that this pic fails for most of you, in that you don't find the subject matter erotic. The impact is the most important element of any piece of art, and, if that's inadequate, then technical competence is a poor consolation prize. Given that this is erotic art, the intended impact is expressly stated, and all that remains for the artist is to deliver "the goods." Of all the material at the WWOEC (the huge community that hosts my gallery), my artwork isn't very popular, and I think that it's because I put more energy into the creative and technical exercise of drawing than I put into giving people what they want.
Which, at this point, is probably an end to this long-winded post.
I think that most of the posters have commented with the best of intentions, but that internet communications are robbed of important meta-language, like tone and body language, that would better convey those intentions. I personally tend to take these discussions a bit too seriously, so purely textual communication can create further problems for me. I also get the distinct sense that there are existing reputations and relationships that add context to some of the messages for the people who are aware of them (i.e. not me).
When I post pics, I do so with the aim of having them seen and enjoyed. So, if someone praises my art, then I'll know that my goal has been accomplished, and I did the right thing in posting it (I've never had the chance to get sick of praise). I didn't expect much of a reaction to this piece, but I thought that someone uploading erotic Gargoyles art should probably post a link at the erotic Gargoyles forum. Obviously, my work has flaws, but I think that most artists have a good idea of what weaknesses they want to correct in future images, and I'm no different. It's possible that a critic will point out some error that the artist hasn't noticed, or reframe a problem in such an enlightened way that it becomes more manageable, but that's uncommon (Kythera's point about Goliath's knee spurs is a good example of the former--it's a useful hint that I can easily observe the next time that I draw him). I didn't ask for criticism, but the greatest thing about it is that it shows that someone really looked at the image, and spent some time thinking about it rather than just rushing past it--the image was seen, if not necessarily enjoyed.
As I said, I take criticism a bit harder than I should, so I was happy to read Jacomo's post. I felt that the coloring was fine, so I couldn't understand why it was becoming such a recurring/redundant criticism (actually, Jacomo didn't say that the coloring was adequate, just that it was less important than the overall impact of the image). I certainly didn't find it rude or disrespectful to me, though I would have understood if some of my critics resented it. As someone said, I'm the one who put my artwork out here, so I have to accept criticism gracefully. As one of the critics, Jacomo is free to be a bit more dismissive than I am.
All of this has raised a debatable issue, though I don't know if this thread is the best place for it. I would say that this pic fails for most of you, in that you don't find the subject matter erotic. The impact is the most important element of any piece of art, and, if that's inadequate, then technical competence is a poor consolation prize. Given that this is erotic art, the intended impact is expressly stated, and all that remains for the artist is to deliver "the goods." Of all the material at the WWOEC (the huge community that hosts my gallery), my artwork isn't very popular, and I think that it's because I put more energy into the creative and technical exercise of drawing than I put into giving people what they want.
Which, at this point, is probably an end to this long-winded post.
