Ghost

Hmmm, an 'inspirational' piece, be it music, video, graphical or story?

The fun thing about people made art is that they can do things that the game can't.
Some characters get close to what they're meant to be in the game, only very few get to 99%

...

Can I keep her?

Conga Ratz on your piece there it looks sweet!

Nice, the piece is really starting to take shape

I'm Ghost, or ShadowGhost or Ghostie... I've even been called by my real name some times! (though not likely on these boards)


I'm Dutch.
There, I said it.
I used to lurk around the RP and Art forum on the EU side, now I'm mostly just over here in this art section.

I play on Union where I sometimes Roleplay when the mood strikes me.


On these boards I like to observe and admire art and give constructive comments when I feel they are appropriate. I've been accused of having a good eye, so I try to use it to help people while keeping it in it's socket.

I'm also a newbie collector, well, one could say I've been at it for a while but I've only recently started to do it the American commission way.

I sometimes do a bit or re-colouring, mostly skin tone to make a photo look more like one of my green skinned alts. Maybe one day I'll work up the courage to do some colouring for real.

Ooh, lovely!
Love the texture and everything.
Really, really well done in my eyes!
Though I don't know anything about techniques and such...

Congratulations to you both!


And Foomeister? After this loss, you'll be able to revel in the win again!

Ooh nice one!
Congratulations on your Swanzy!

I guess that's that, then.
The pictures are fine and my screen is just dark

still think that using a light background would make the character stand out more, though..

Nice! especially when comparing the line work to the colours.
Made a comment on your page.

What do you use for colouring? Photoshop? CS3?

Critique isn't easy. It's not for naught that schools and training institutes give lessons in it.

Giving critique is all about the delivery, you want to point something out for improvement and you want to do it in a way that the other will listen to.

Getting critique, that's more complex. You have to process the feedback and evaluate it's worth to you.

Let's use an other example than the plunber...
I work in customer ICT tech support, computers are about as close to art as you get... because there's a tone of ways to do things.

I get a call with problem A, I use solution A1 as I have been using for a while and it works for me and my customers.
A colleague of mine hears this and says, try solution A2 because of flaws inherent in A1 with a list of those flaws. I listen to him and decide that solution A2 isn't much use. Not because that colleague is a new and inexperienced Joe off the street, but because my training and experience tell me that he's not right (not that he's necessarily wrong, though)
An other colleague hears our discussion and suggests Solution A3 instead. I evaluate this, and decide that I don't know enough to try that, or that I'd like to test it first before using it with a customer.
A fourth colleague suggests solution A4, but after hearing that, I decide that even though it's a good solution, it's too far from my comfort zone for me to incorporate in my skill package.



Oh my, I forgot where I was going with this... so I'll leave it here and quote myself when I remember....
*goes off to search my brain*

Warning, the conclusion is at the end, if you feel like skipping to that


Communication is an interesting thing.

When communicating, there's the sender and the receiver (oh this sounds technical already), the sender of course sends the message, the receiver gets the message.
There's where it get interesting. This because in only very, very, very rare occasions does the receiver get the crystal clear message, every 0 and 1's in exactly the same place as the sender has them. This because the receiver processes and interprets the message. Based on past experiences and expectations.

That said, there are different parts of a message:
1) the body, what is being said
2) the delivery, how it's being said
3) the intention, why it's being said
4) what was actually meant, wha.. you know what I mean..

What the receiver gets is 1 and 2, from which the receiver tries to determine 4, and possibly 3.

So yes, just pointing out that communication isn't as easy as we all make it seem to be.





On to what I really think and want to say: my opinion.

When something is posted on these forums, I feel free to comment on it, positive or negative. Freedom of speech within the boundaries of the EULA.
So yes, if I see a piece and I want to say "that rocks" I'll just say it. If I think something is "a piece of <self censor>" I feel free to say so in a way that's within the EULA. I'd have to be in a really, really foul mood to actually say that too
IF something is bad, I either take the time to point out what it is about it, or I don't bother posting. IF I do point out what's bad about it, I choose to do so in a civil and constructive way that makes it clear that it's my view and preferably with some praise to soften the pill.
instead of "those legs are too short"
I say: "it looks to me like those legs might be too short"

So yes, I say what I think when I feel like saying it.
Yes, I sugar coat it to bring it as positively as possible as that's how I'd like to get critique, so that's how I give it.



So, long story short on my opinion:
Give praise and point out the things you think could be improved upon (for this piece or a future one), but do it in a nice way.

Edit: so I agree with Red Valkyrja

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*holds up a sign that says: 'lost for words'*

Wow, those do look great.
Also a great tease for the book itself!

Or maybe it was her way of saying "this is my kitchen, and this is cheaper than commissioning artwork for it"