Commenters' Platform #6 - Comments Given

ProjectComment is a group that provides Guaranteed & Constructive comments for the DeviantArt community. Our mission is to encourage the development of a culture of exchanging constructive comments within the DeviantArt community, for the benefit of all its members!

How has providing comments to others helped you to improve your own art? How has it changed your experience here at DeviantArt?

~ chateaugrief
Every piece of advice I've given through project comment is applicable to my own art.  I remember talking about conflicting lines in composition, and then taking a closer look at my own composition.  I remember talking about character introductions and how some of my favorite authors make that part of a story memorable, and then applying that to my own comic as well.

ProjectComment is a great way to put on my thinking cap and look with a critical eye at the mechanics of good art, and that exercise always improves my own art.  Always.

~ dailydragonlair
Providing comments through ProjectComment has been a wonderful experience. It has provided a real sense of community and interest on DeviantArt, which is sometimes hard to foster online, even in friendly groups. It’s been fantastic to see, not only that people are willing to help other people, but that so many of them seem interested to do it. Never once have I left a comment simply because I wanted to receive one: it’s so lovely to share in this particular community. Not only that, but I get the sense that other people are also commenting because they really want to, and not just to make up the numbers. (I could be wrong about this, of course, but the comments are so constructive it’s hard to think that they are just done by rote.)

It has certainly given me more confidence to test the waters with my writing, and see if anybody enjoys it, or if there is an audience. I have actually started to consider self-publishing the rest of the series, since there are enough people reading it to justify the time and effort.

~ Lupinalia
Some may have read the critiques that I give that are structured systematically by topic. With each critique I give out, I get better at spotting mistakes or errors which will bleed over to my own work as I draw.

This has helped me improve greatly over the years, as I am my harshest critic yet.

~ pawcanada
It's certainly made me more willing to try and give in depth comments to artists I like and follow.

In the ongoing battle of "Commenting vs Arting", it does in turn mean I may not comment on a piece for weeks or even months on end.

~ Zara-Arletis
By reading a lot of other literature deviations from writers of all levels and taking the time to analyze their text, I’m better able to notice the flaws in my own as well as appreciate where and how I’ve improved. I was really nervous when I first started doing critiques. I was worried I would hurt someone’s feelings or that they would think any correction was an insult. Instead, I found that most artists are really happy to get detailed feedback and appreciate the effort that goes into a critique.

I’ve made friends and connections to fellow artists I probably never would have met if I hadn’t been commenting.

Commenter Bios and Art

chateaugrief - Jean Guillet is the artist and writer of the webcomic Chateau Grief.  She also does a California landscape every week.

dailydragonlair - dailydragonlair lives by the sea. Sometimes, this is in a metaphysical sense, rather than a physical one.

:thumb626171490:

Lupinalia - Hello all! I'm Lupinalia, formerly known by the edgy sounding moniker, Darktrified. I am a massive fan of the artist Fumitake Moekibara and have dedicated many years in replicating his style while putting my own spin to it. Though not perfect, I hope that there's at least some sembalance in our works. I’m hopelessly addicted to tea and maintain a small collection of various teas, such as Earl Grey, Darjeerling, Pure Ceylon, Moroccan Mint and more.

pawcanada - I'm a hobbiest artist looking to bring concepts to life and improve my skills so they better match the way I see them in my head.

Zara-Arletis - I started with posting fanfiction on dA and just kind of branched out from there. Now I write all kinds of lit and post the occasional terrible visual art.

Little Sisters Are StrangePart One
Alan was a Perfectly Normal Boy. He made just the right amount of mess, and was just the right amount of rowdy. His grades were all exactly where they should be, none too high nor low. Mother said he was the spitting image of his father, and Father said he looked just like mum. All in all, he had a perfectly normal life with just one, small exception. His sister Essie, or Messy Essie as mum liked to say.
Essie had brown hair, a color neither parent sported with their blonde locks. It was straight too. Wet or dry, her hair hung just so and wouldn't budge no matter how mum tried to curl it. His sister's eyes were dark, almost black, and always brimming with mischief. Nothing like Alan's own gentle shade of common brown. 
Worse, no matter where Essie went, she was into something. Poking this, messing about with that. If it could be spilt or broke, Messy Essie did it. At school, she got all U's. Unsatisfactory, except in art where the teacher loved her pict Strange Companions, Chap. 1It was a cave - definitely a cave. The rank, damp smell of mildew mixed with a sharp, mineral scent gave it away. The darkness around him gave no relief to his eyes, nothing to anchor him in this place other than damp stone beneath him. Dako stretched his legs as carefully and quietly as he could. The numbness in them was quickly replaced by pins and needles, a burning sensation that spread up his calves in waves. Must have been at least three or four hours since he was knocked unconscious. At least I'm not dead, he thought ruefully. Pain was as good a reminder of life as anything else.
Dako couldn't feel his fingers. The bastards that had knocked him unconscious and tied him up had taken no chances. Afraid he might be able to use magic if they left even the slightest room to move, they had placed bags over each hand and then tied them tight. He sighed. Hopefully there was no permanent damage. Dako had too little money to go wasting it at a temple for healing, and less chance of making In and Out of CostumeI met him at the Fantasy Faire. Cheesy, right? He was cosplaying the Dread Pirate Roberts and the moment I laid eyes on him I regretted not going as Princess Buttercup. Not that I looked bad in my sassy wench get up. There's something to be said for a proper corset and thigh highs. When he laid his baby blues on me, he came right over and got down on one knee. Dread Pirate Roberts took my hand and held it to his lips. "Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. Care to try for the sixth?"
I couldn't help it. I just started laughing and he did too. He stood up and brushed off his knees. "Was it too much? I was going for authenticity."
"No, no it was perfect. But I don't think that was one of Westley's lines, was it?" The guy had a soft voice at odds with his perfectly Carey Elwes wispy blonde moustache, but I liked it.
He chewed at his lip. "A purist I see. Well, now that I've boffed my role, I think I owe you a drink. May I?"

How To Nominate

We are always looking for nominations of deviants who you think should be featured! Note astarayel with the subject "Nomination" and the following information:

  Name of Deviant

  Link to their exceptional comments. (This is great way to give back to a user who has given you fantastic feedback!)

You can suggest anyone and everyone at any time and include as many nominations as you want in one note. All nominations will be taken into consideration--if your nomination isn't featured immediately, it may still be featured in a future news article!

astarayel, posting on behalf of ProjectComment