Compromise and self critique

[rajillustration]

So this could apply to novels as well but I'm putting in the comic section. I was watching this reality show with artists on it and could not believe how many artists were unable to know if they met the brief and did a good job at the end of each episode. Completely baffling, each was like "I'm so worried I don't know what the judges will say in critique" when it was like... you do know though. You had training to know this. (and it was probably the show that made them say otherwise but, you know, reality tv) but having such fickle judges made them doubt their own ability despite each being really good at what they do, to the point that they couldn't make these decisions that normally would be easy.

And I bring it up because sometimes I think we do have our blinders on when it comes to self critique. Where its like this is my vision and my taste, I already know it's not a trend so it won't be popular, so does it even matter to push it further? If the judges of the comic are such a huge demographic that I can't possibly hit them all? Do I know anything? Did I ever know anything? Is everyone else losing their entire mind with these book titles that are the length of a short story? Etc etc

And personally I've had to disconnect my ego with my project, to ignore numbers most of the time and trust in my own taste and the long term end goals i have in mind for my projects (because not all of them will be big numbers here, it's fine) but I have felt that for a lot of people (including me) that's been a constant battle. Finding a place of compromise, where they recognize "ah this thing I was doing was a mistake I want to change" and knowing the difference between that and "well this other thing im doing isn't in trend, and i get mixed reviews from it, but I know it's good, and I'm keeping it as is for the betterment of the project"

So my question is, how do you know which is which for yourself (and this is different for every person) how do you like to keep up your confidence in your choices and stay true to your vision?

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

Honestly?

Sometimes my brain spirals like this, too. My style hasn't changed significantly in over ten years (and was recognizable in some art I have that's 20 years old!) Technical things have improved over the years-- anatomy, linework, light and shadow, color, etc. But otherwise, it's been very stable. Almost weirdly stable.

And I really don't have an objective perspective on it anymore. I have no idea if I'm actually good, or if I just think I am sometimes. And I know it's not a 1 or 0 binary-- it's all subjective and it's all on a spectrum. But if an industry pro offered to critique my work, I can't tell if I'd be thrilled or horrified. Finally, someone who might be able to give me meaningful feedback, because I can't see my own forest for the trees anymore! On the other hand-- what if the advice is to change something major? Something I'm not sure I CAN change?

So I stay with what I do. With what I am. I've never been terribly interested in trying out other styles, after all. I love other people's styles. I love looking at them. I'm glad they exist and I want them to keep doing their awesome art. But for me it's a little bit like meeting someone on the street rocking an outrageous outfit. It's not something you'd personally ever wear, but they're killing it, and you're so glad. That's how I am with art styles. I'm that person who's had the same hairstyle since I was 14, because nothing else feels like 'me'.

Anyway, I don't really have any answers either. Just a bunch of artistic navel-gazing.

[Kaydreamer]

This is an interesting one for me, because in my case, I'm not trained. I'm just winging it, and holding onto the rollercoaster.

I've been drawing for years, but it's all self taught. And where writing is concerned, I've even less practice. I'm pretty gifted at dialogue, I can recognise that much; but techniques such as structure, pacing, and foreshadowing are all things I have very little in-depth knowledge of.

So where self-critique is concerned, with art, because I've been at it so long, I can recognise weaknesses and points of improvement quite clearly. But with writing, I'm only just beginning to notice where I could polish earlier episodes, 7 months later. That's distressingly slow to me.

As such, I'm very receptive to critique. But, at the same time, I do know how I want my story to go, and more-or-less how I'd like the art to look. So long as the critique I receive can be moulded to my own vision, I'll do my best to take it on board. (Usually, that just means being more attentive to certain things I didn't know I should be attentive to.) But if the advice I was given meant major deviations from what kind of work I want to create, I won't let it compromise what I know I want to make.

My comic has received way more attention than I thought it would, especially for a sci-fi adventure. So I apparently have decent instincts, even if I don't really know what I'm doing. Hopefully, by taking on board good advice, I can start relying less on instinct and more on actual knowledge and technique.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Finding a place of compromise, where they recognize "ah this thing I was doing was a mistake I want to change" and knowing the difference between that and "well this other thing im doing isn't in trend, and i get mixed reviews from it, but I know it's good, and I'm keeping it as is for the betterment of the project"

I think a large part of knowing/discovering that difference is just experience. Having a lot of exposure to different artists and different bodies of work, from the young and naïve to the old and established.

And-- this is the most important part-- recognizing that they're all just human beings. All the experience in the world won't help you if you start categorically putting artists on pedestals (something I see people do a lot...) or deciding that they're beneath you.
Once you see them all as individuals with certain skillsets and certain circumstances, just like you, then you can see those skillsets and circumstances as separate from their artistic lives, and judge accordingly.

Why should you wonder whether your art is 'good enough' or just 'not popular' when you've seen artists on your level succeed or fail, and/or you've seen artists lightyears ahead of you succeed or fail? When you already know what's popular and how well your work aligns with it? When you've seen good work that was never appreciated during its time, or popular work that fell apart under later scrutiny...?

With enough experience, you should already have an idea of what an artist like you can achieve, how much of it will be directly due to your efforts, and how much of it will be due to the whims of fate. You should be able to see artistic merit as something separate from success and applause, and know how to work on one without the other.
...I feel like it's pretty simple, tbh. ^^;

[crimson_mystery_cake]

For me I know there is still a LONG way for me to go. I still need to work on drawing characters in 3d space. I still need to work on my environments. I draw in a very cartoony style and there are times when I feel I just use that as a crutch.

However for me learning to be a better artist hasn’t been learning to identifying problems. It’s been learning when ignore them and move on. I want my project to exist and I already struggle so much to just finish a project. My goal isn’t for my art to look prettier, my goal now is to learn to make my art faster. Right now I don’t know if that means I need to dedicate more time to my craft or if I need to simplify the art or if I need to find more corners to cut, but this is a skill that I am dedicated to learning. Because it doesn’t matter how good my drawings are if those drawings don’t exist for me to show people.

[migxmeg]

Lately my confidence in evaluating my own artwork (mostly in the context of character art but generally as well) has leapt of a cliff. That's not to say that I don't like my own work/think it's pleasant and likable but that I have a very hard time with the fact that things that looked good and correct a short time ago look wonky and wrong today. That happens enough times -and is more obvious with something like a comic where you can directly compare characters- and I realized I just have no clue what my own drawings look like! Really. No idea .

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Lately my metric for self critique is on a rollercoaster. Things I used to feel confident in no longer seem to matter. Especially once I look at the fact that my comic will never ever meet any one trend or demographic here on Tapas.

So I suppose my compromise is that I just keep doing my best for my own sake, even though it feels like my best doesn't really make for a comic that people will like. I personally know what issues my comic has and what steps I need to take, but even if I do them, will it matter beyond an ego stroke of "I did it, I fixed the issues!" Probably not.

Basically what keeps me going right now is that I enjoy making the comic, and that I refuse to quit.