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Aguila
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15 Oct 2008, 4:49 pm

I was wondering what the best way was to genuinly tell somebody their artwork is amazing even if they think it looks like crap.

I guess it is kinda a silly question and maybe my friends are just stubborn artist but I still want to know how others would handle it.



Emoal6
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15 Oct 2008, 5:04 pm

I hope Im understanding this correctly. If you're asking how to let someone who thinks their work is crap know its amazing, be very detailed in your opinion. Tell them how the lines are well shaded to create depth, and the colors are perfect. Tell them the characterization, the actual style is unique and clever(unless they're copying someone else's style, then tell them you could hardly see a difference).

If you're asking how to lie to someone to make them feel better, its not worth it. No reason to sugarcoat when its not how you truely feel. All in all, just be genuine.



donkey
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15 Oct 2008, 5:39 pm

it is a non AS thing to play the "game"

someone says your good, you keep self depracating and putting yourself down..."nah im not that good"
"yeah yeah your really good"

"no really im not"

"yes i think your faberlous" ( they say faberlous, because fabulous sounds too false)

" oooh your just saying that"


and so on and so on.
its an NT trick to keep you telling them how great they are.

same when you offer to pay for something and they try to refuse

"no i couldnt"

"no its ok really, i dont mind"

they get shocked when you say "OK"
your 13 so you can learn to play the game....i need to more often but i chose not to.


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Electric_Kite
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15 Oct 2008, 6:46 pm

Aguila wrote:
I was wondering what the best way was to genuinly tell somebody their artwork is amazing even if they think it looks like crap.


Tell them why it's amazing.

If you say something like, "I love your use of colour. The contrast between that foreground figure and the trees in the background, the way he stands out and seems more real than the rest of the composition, that has great impact," then it demonstrates to the artist that you really are looking at his art and thinking about the peice. If you prove that you've really looked at the thing, your opinion about it will mean more.

If you just say it's amazing, with no explaination, it may frustrate the artist for two reasons. One is that most people will always say, "It's good," if shown somebody elses' creation, regardless of what they really think. The artist doesn't know if you're just being polite, or if you just want him to like you, or if you really like the art. The second reason is that if you don't say anything specific regarding what it is that's good about the peice, the artist doesn't have any useful feedback to help him decide how to improve.

Or, as donkey says, they may just be playing the 'fishing for compliments' game. But in that case, still, telling them a bunch of reasons why it's great is giving them just what they're fishing for, a bunch of compliments.



Keith
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15 Oct 2008, 7:28 pm

Break it down and find something about it you do like and mention that :wink:



Aguila
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16 Oct 2008, 10:05 am

Thanks!

Actually I thought the art was great. I guess I have proved I am no good at the fish for compliments thing. I never really thought of it as a trick to keep them telling them how good they are. I also attempted to tell her/him why the artwork was good but I think I did not go in depth enough.

Again, thanks for your imput.