Artists: how do you feel about comments?

[vlsrb]

Spending time on Newgrounds took me back to a thread I read a long time ago on another forum (I can't even remember which one), and I've been thinking about it for the past few days. The question was basically: "How do you feel about reviews and comments posted in response to your art?"

Part of the reason why I started thinking about this was my own attitude towards reviews and comments (i.e. in art threads on the forum). Personally, I love when people comment on my work and give some kind of feedback. It doesn't even have to be positive feedback - I just feel really content knowing that something I made compelled someone to react to it and write something, even if it's just a few words. Because I think this way, I tend to extend this approach to the comments and reviews I give to other people. If I see something I like, I make sure to write something about it and let the author know what I liked. Often I think about how pleased I feel when someone comments on my own work, and this motivates me to do the same for others, so they can have the same feeling.

This, however, implies that other creators feel the same way about comments/reviews as I do, which may not be the case. To give a specific example, it often happens that an artist I follow puts out a new piece which I comment on, then puts out another one a few days later which I also comment on. And, when I do this, sometimes I hear a little voice in my head saying "OK, that's enough, you don't need to comment on everything you like, people will get annoyed if they see your name pop up again and again in their notifications". There is a risk of coming across as irritating, overly enthusiastic, or even slightly stalker-y when repeatedly commenting on an artist's work, even if it comes from a genuine appreciation of it.

I would be very interested to hear how others feel about this. Do you enjoy receiving reviews and comments from other users telling you what they thought of your work? (Here I'm generally thinking of constructive feedback, reviews and comments that are negative for the sake of being negative are a whole other can of worms.) Do you find it annoying if the same person keeps commenting on every new piece you post? Do you have any other takes that I haven't mentioned above?

[EpiqueCrimson]

I absolutely love when people comment on my stuff, for pretty much the same reasons you mentioned

The idea that someone cared enough about what i put out to take the time out of their day to post a reaction to it is awesome

I personally don't think i'd get annoyed if the same person kept commenting on my stuff, i think it would only be annoying if it got really spammy and something is posted on literally everything i do but commenting on lets say 3 pieces every now and then is no issue for me. I still really appreciate it!

I also don't think i would mind constructive feedback as long as it's fitting to what i put out (For example: If i put out a serious piece, ofcourse i appreciate feedback! But if i post something meme-y that obviously wasn't intended to be really good, i'd care less for feedback on it)

[Thetageist]

Honestly, I want people to comment on everything I post. Since that’s one of the only forms of engagement that I actually get a notification for, I can more easily see if I have any recurring fans, or if the majority of my engagement is just whoever I interacted with most recently stopping by briefly before they move on to the creators they’re actually invested in. Perhaps I’m coming across as begging and I need to earn that engagement instead, but the ways of popular people are mysterious to me and I don’t think I could ever replicate their success by pure chance.

TLDR: If you don’t speak to me, I don’t know if you like me!

[JTBPreston]

When my art gets praised, it feels good. It lets me know I've done a good job. I practice drawing on a near-daily basis and as the years have gone by, I feel like I'm getting better at drawing. Personally, I like my computer-made artwork better than my pen and paper sketches, mainly because I can put in advanced details and correct mistakes more easily. Critism doesn't scare me too much, as long as it's constructive. After all, you can learn from it.

[Oddlem]

WELL!! In general I LOVE getting comments and feedback, it helps me know how I'm doing and what I could improve on

I do have a few pet peeves tho, and it really bugs me when I see someone dropping a comment on something from like 5 years ago. ESPECIALLY if it's critique. Cause I like using feedback to improve, it irritates me cause it's like "Well, why not comment on something actually recent so I can actually use this bit of information". Also cause it seems like they didn't pay attention LOL

I also am not a fan of someone critiquing things that are clearly meant to be fast doodles, I've had that before and it's the same kinda logic as the first point

other than that, I love every fricken review I get on my artworks! I esp love when it's a repeat guy cause it means they care a LOT and that warms my dang heart

[SkilledFella]

I love it when people review my stuff, I also appreciate feedback on what should I improve. When people review my stuff, it brightens my day. I must say that I am proud of being an artist because I should never give up on my dreams.

Just remeber to never give up.

[vlsrb]

At 10/13/23 11:47 AM, Oddlem wrote: I do have a few pet peeves tho, and it really bugs me when I see someone dropping a comment on something from like 5 years ago. ESPECIALLY if it's critique. Cause I like using feedback to improve, it irritates me cause it's like "Well, why not comment on something actually recent so I can actually use this bit of information". Also cause it seems like they didn't pay attention LOL

I can see where you're coming from. When I discover an artist I like and scroll through their gallery, I rate/favorite their earlier stuff but I never leave a review. I always imagine the artist getting a review notification for a piece they posted literal years ago and going "Really? Now?" If I wasn't around to comment when the piece was originally posted, I don't see a point in doing so when the artist has probably long since moved onto other projects.

Having said that, I don't think I'd be annoyed if someone commented on an old piece of mine - quite the opposite - so maybe the whole "the artist doesn't want you to review something they posted years ago" thing is just in my head.

[Waterina]

I dont know because i rarely receive comment so

[shadowfals]

When no one in a space gives me feedback, I feel that no one there likes my work.

I haven't received any comments or reviews on my art on Newgrounds, so I'm assuming this isn't the place to continue putting it. I've removed some pieces in the past year, but I also refrain from sharing much so I have less to remove later.

Too much from someone who does like what I publish would be better than silence.

Of course, I don't want to hear from people who only want to tell me they dislike what I make. That's a waste of time.

[PerKGrok]

I'm generally happy to have comments and feedback.

I, on the other hand, generally hold back a bit on giving comments myself and tend to do that only when the person specifically asks for opinions and when I also think my comments can be helpful.

In cases where my comments seems to be unwelcome, I try to not bother that person again.

[vlsrb]

At 10/13/23 04:15 PM, shadowfals wrote: When no one in a space gives me feedback, I feel that no one there likes my work.

I can understand this line of reasoning, but I like to think that it's a bit more complex than that. I would argue that "no one likes my work" is not the only plausible explanation for a lack of feedback. To wit:

1) People might think your work is perfectly fine or even better than that, but it just doesn't cover themes they're interested in. I've personally encountered heaps of really cool fanart here on Newgrounds that is mindblowingly good, but I feel very little need to comment on it if I'm not acquainted with the media it pays homage to.

2) Same as the previous point, but with art style instead of themes. I've seen a lot of impressive 3D art on Newgrounds - but I'm not really into 3D art per se and don't really feel I could provide any meaningful commentary on it, which is why I mostly refrain from doing so.

3) People just haven't had a chance to see your work. Newgrounds is cavernous and there is so much stuff that flies under the radar, not because it's bad but simply because it gets buried in the endless stream of content.

4) Your work occupies a very specific niche. The quality isn't an issue - it just has a limited target audience. Followers are going to be few but on the flipside they will probably be very invested, seeing as it's difficult to find works that occupy said niche.

That's just off the top of my head. At the end of the day, I would advise not being discouraged by silence. There are various explanations for it that aren't "nobody likes what I make".

[shadowfals]

At 10/13/23 05:06 PM, vlsrb wrote: I can understand this line of reasoning, but I like to think that it's a bit more complex than that. I would argue that "no one likes my work" is not the only plausible explanation for a lack of feedback.

Sure, I agree with your reasoning, but reasoning and feelings aren't the same.

I grew up in isolating conditions in some extreme circumstances. I currently live in isolating conditions in other extreme circumstances. I've dealt with silences for a variety of reasons. The feeling of isolation from being on the other end of that for any reason is tiring. I tend to put my energy into finding where there are better connections.

A community is either making an effort to make people feel included or it isn't. I either feel as if someone who notices that I'm around wants me to be or doesn't. Same goes for my art. I feel that it belongs or I don't.

The answer to your original question as I understand it is that (excepting people without decent intentions), I prefer to receive feedback.

I don't assume someone is stalkerish for responding to most of what I publish. I get stretches of that on social media when I happen to focus on a topic a follower likes. In my experience, the creepiest people are the ones watching quietly—and they're the most dangerous. Even without the comparisons, an honest fan with the courage to share their thoughts is really nice.

[MondoBilby]

I frickin’ love comments! It makes me really happy to see that someone likes my art enough to comment and/or review it.

I don’t mind if I see multiple comments from one person, it just means they must really love my art!

[Lunar-Nebula]

I rarely get comments but the few times I do it makes me quite happy knowing that someone enjoyed what I made enough to say something about it :]

I'd say my only issue is that I never know how to reply back without writing the same few responses so I end up spending like hours thinking of what to reply with only to just leave a reaction and nothing else

[Tenebrare]

I dont care...eeerrr... GIEF COMMENTS NAU EVEN IF ITS FOR DOODLE FROm ICE ages

[Thetageist]

At 10/13/23 11:47 AM, Oddlem wrote: WELL!! In general I LOVE getting comments and feedback, it helps me know how I'm doing and what I could improve on

I do have a few pet peeves tho, and it really bugs me when I see someone dropping a comment on something from like 5 years ago. ESPECIALLY if it's critique. Cause I like using feedback to improve, it irritates me cause it's like "Well, why not comment on something actually recent so I can actually use this bit of information". Also cause it seems like they didn't pay attention LOL

I also am not a fan of someone critiquing things that are clearly meant to be fast doodles, I've had that before and it's the same kinda logic as the first point

other than that, I love every fricken review I get on my artworks! I esp love when it's a repeat guy cause it means they care a LOT and that warms my dang heart

Sometimes I find people’s old artwork while I’m looking through tags for characters I like, and I try to check to make sure I’m not about to comment on an issue that’s already been fixed. If it has, I instead compliment the artist on the progress they’ve made since posting the one I’m reviewing!

[jthrash]

I make nightmare fuel like this SPECIFICALLY to get bizarre comments on my work:

It's by far the best part of posting on Newgrounds.

[Dolorious]

It's like getting (you)'s

[Bundeluxe]

Absolutely love it, positive or negative. If I make something and it inspires any sort of thought in someone's mind, and that thought is strong enough for them to feel like sharing it, that means a lot to me. Even if it's just something short and simple like "huh neat"

[NecroNovaNG]

I very much appreciate it when people comment on my stuff in general, since i take kindly to criticism and kindness to anything i post on here!👍

The only type of comments i dont like are the excessive trolls (for very obvious reasons lol)

[lucifertan]

Haven't posted my art on this site yet but even on forum posts, i appreciate everyone who made the time to reply on it.

If i posted any, my expectation for anyone to comment is none. Voting on it would be good enough for me as long as the score is not too low.

As for constructive feedback, it depends. Happy that they spent time commenting but i would consider if it aligns with my intent and how much work is required to change. So i do feel a bit bad for the commenter when they give me a lot of feedback but none of those pointers address my concerns or my skill level is too low to execute.

I think i would enjoy comments from repeating users more than just one time comments as long as it isn't trolling.

[vlsrb]

At 10/13/23 05:58 PM, shadowfals wrote:

At 10/13/23 05:06 PM, vlsrb wrote: I can understand this line of reasoning, but I like to think that it's a bit more complex than that. I would argue that "no one likes my work" is not the only plausible explanation for a lack of feedback.

Sure, I agree with your reasoning, but reasoning and feelings aren't the same.

I grew up in isolating conditions in some extreme circumstances. I currently live in isolating conditions in other extreme circumstances. I've dealt with silences for a variety of reasons. The feeling of isolation from being on the other end of that for any reason is tiring. I tend to put my energy into finding where there are better connections.

A community is either making an effort to make people feel included or it isn't. I either feel as if someone who notices that I'm around wants me to be or doesn't. Same goes for my art. I feel that it belongs or I don't.

The answer to your original question as I understand it is that (excepting people without decent intentions), I prefer to receive feedback.

I don't assume someone is stalkerish for responding to most of what I publish. I get stretches of that on social media when I happen to focus on a topic a follower likes. In my experience, the creepiest people are the ones watching quietly—and they're the most dangerous. Even without the comparisons, an honest fan with the courage to share their thoughts is really nice.

Thank you for posting this reply, I understand your position better now. I agree that silence can be very difficult to deal with - as you've said, it's almost like your very presence is being denied or ignored. And while I did provide that list of bullet points, often we simply don't know why the silence is there. And it can be so frustrating - if only we knew what was the reason! Then we could maybe address it and do something to change the situation.

Your post (and a lot of others in this thread) certainly makes me question my own commenting habits. When I come across work that I feel could be improved, I tend to shy away from posting a comment because a) I feel bad criticizing people, even though I would never do it in a non-constructive way, and b) I don't think of myself as a skilled enough artist to point out flaws in other people's art. Just goes to show how deep the rabbit hole is: for literally every person who doesn't comment on a work there's countless psychological gears churning away behind the curtains explaining why.

But ultimately, as you said, feedback is better than silence - this I agree with. Perhaps I should keep that in mind when I refrain from saying anything that's not beaming praise. All kinds of constructive feedback need to be heard, because the alternative is, well, nothing.

[BoiledMilkz]

At least they acknowledge the existence of my art.

[HerrGammelig]

comments would be nice if it would help me figure out how in the devil's ass did friend photo get a lower rating than the shitty b&w gammelig sketch that took me literally half an hour to make (friend photo took me 5 hours)

[OnixDark]

@shadowfals @vlsrb

may i suggest you guys make your existence KNOWN by interacting with the rest of us?

because we don't have crystal balls to scry for the existence of people who hide themselves in the middle of thousands of other users instead of interacting with the community (one of you is here for 5 years and if the post count is anything to go by, rarelly interacted with anyone at all. the other one of you is on the right track)

because in a community, you have to give what you wish to recieve. including attention.

socialize here a bit, and people WILL notice you. specially if you show you're an active content creator. specially if you make it known that you like the feedback.

answering the thread's question, since i bothered to reply here:

i'm pretty neutral to them, ig. but then again, so far i didn't create anything that would bait the kind of comment i'd feel like giving a passive-agressive response to, such as people complaining about not focusing on character development when the writer just wants to tell a story where character development is irrelevant/not important or would get in the way of the plot (i check a story out to know what happens in it, so i don't care IF there is character development or not).

but back to the topic, my feeling is more like "oh right, i posted this. somebody noticed. neat! :D now back to whatever i was doing"

[dogmuth-behedog]

Comments are a great part for the artist-fan connection, is very important i guess.

I like the comments of my works by Ovimaniac, Marc-ant and Bastian const.

[SeijiArt]

Critique and insights are what I prefer to get. While "that's cool" is nice to have it also doesn't really help with improving.

[Skoops]

When it comes to artists commenting on other artists, I'm of the mind that praise can be given anywhere at any time, but critique needs to be conditional and contextual. Unsolicited feedback is the role of instructors, mentors and peers with whom you've given the go-ahead, either by attending their classes or just saying that feedback is something you welcome. I consider it overstepping a boundary to give critical feedback without meeting that criteria.

This is for a few reasons, but the main one is that art communities should be supportive first and foremost; unsolicited feedback can cause a lot of needless friction. Flaw-finding and constructive criticism are essential for growth, but not everyone is here to grow. Some just want to express something without trying to improve, and although I personally think that's a shame, it's not up to me and it's not my job to change their minds about that. If it's not something you opt-into, communities have a tendency to devolve into contests about who can roast the most hapless amateurs, new members get scared away, and the whole thing tends to die out.

With all that said, I don't expect non-artists to really understand how dismissive or unhelpful their feedback can be, so although it's annoying to get unhelpful negative feedback, I accept it as something that's just gonna happen, and I don't put much stock in it. They don't know any better, their comfort with throwing criticism around comes from a place of not knowing what kind of work goes into the things artists do. What rustles my jimmies a lot more than that is when other artists (who ought to know better) chime in with criticism before it's been welcomed.

A little side note about the flipside to that: if you DO request feedback, it's bad form to get prickly when you get what you asked for. If you're just looking for idle praise, be honest so people don't make the mistake of trying to help you.

[Grimmsketch]

I always want more of em negative or good cause iy let’s me know that atleast I’m being seen by people ya know

[BastardFromBrooklyn]

I want more.