Oh Tracy gives me lots of hell and I don't think of myself as in the top at all but I am AT TIMES a bit shy about giving critiques as it's one of those holy grail deals. If I have won a contest I could say I have some passage of right ability to give critiques but as an unproven new person it is hard to let go on others but I have this weird bond with Tracy... he gives me bits of hell so I feel it's okay to tell him how I feel..

And I would feel okay giving other people unsolitcited advice on work if they would in turn give it back and not feel like I was picking on them or being that as someone here said that know it all person and a new kid to boot... so it's hard for the unproven new people to let loose but if you guys are okay I can still spot what does and doesn't work I may not be able to pull it off on my own art yet but I can tell the log in my neighbor's eye very easily.. Now how to fix it may not be able to help on that issue.

So are you guys okay with us mid-rankers saying our mind OR is this not yet OKAY? I sure hate to piss off people I don't know well that really isn't my goal.

Now be honest

Here's one with an excellent bit of advice from Rashdog I got about 18mths ago in this contest.

http://photoshopcontest.com/photoshop-contest/1717/red-vs-green.html?l=&o=votes



It went OK, about 5th out of 42, but as rashdog said, the shadow makes it seem to float. It doesn't ground it properly. Now it's not a drop shadow, I actually made it. But it really needed to be darker as it gets closer to the object. This was the sort of stuff I really appreciated as a noob.....and stuff which I never forgot.

I never really got around to an edit though....

me be wrong, that right sounds not to much

Another thing people might be interested in, is showing their chop to someone before the comp opens to get some feedback. You can link to the large to share with others (not the actual entry page though). I saw one the other night and noticed a bit of shadow work that needed fixing.....and I just showed Marco one of mine now and he picked up something that needed fixing, that I hadn't really noticed. It's funny how you get a bit of tunnel vision when doing a chop...and it takes someone else to point something out. Anyway, I show quite a few of mine and I also see a lot of others too. Just something to consider.....

#1 Don't be a lemming

#2 Speak your mind with well chosen words

#3 If you do provide a critique and changes are made, you owe a followup comment

#4 If it's Marco, be extra critical

#5 If an inexperienced person's work has more than a couple of issues, focus on only one or two areas

#6 If you agree with someone's critique, put that in your comment as well

#7 Don't be afraid of critiquing a PSC god just because everyone else worships the baloney being served and washes it down with --insert favorite flavor-- Kool-Aid

#8 Develop a thick skin and prepare to be ignored

#9 See #4

#10 Prepare to be lavished with thank-you's, possibly money, and extra attention

...constructive and graceful as possible... will this work

Works for me!!!

just a bit of advise VOK......the skirt may need to be shorter.........i have turned my head and laptop almost all the way around like the excorsist and still can't see up it. So i think if the dress is removed, and the tool belt is slid to the right just a hair it would improve the whole image. Matter of fact, i think the hard hat and high heel chuck taylors is all that she needs.

ughhhhhhh now is this critiqueing........or not.

Where the heck is Rein.....he has that tablet set to fast......we will have tata's before this thread goes any further.

again:


IN MANY SITES THERE IS A FEATURE THAT EXISTS, this feature says: "accept comments and critics or not", it blocks comments for those who prefer...so no more critics and no more "amazing","congrats","y da man" comments either Laughing Sad Wink



.

So your saying there are other internet sites.......and on the so-called "other" sites they allow the user to accept comments or not,with the touch of a button. AAAAHHHHH hell that sounds way too easy. IS IT A EASY BUTTON?.....now that makes total sense.

Beside's You are Tha Man from that amazing place called France so congrats on your laughing sad winkie.......i think

I like my medicine to go down...real slooow.

Hey Tracy to get back on topic and distract you from your doctor's appointment (although I do like the route this thread is taking).I agree 100% with your attitude ,your positive involvement and your right to give constructive criticism.And I for one greatly appreciate yours and others advice.You learn a lot from others objective points of view,since our subjectiveness to our own work sometimes makes one overlook the obvious or become blind to our own mistakes or flaws.Someone once said (I think it was Plato) that one's own farts don't stink to themselves,or your own children are the most beautiful in the world.After I started reading this thread lo and behold someone posted a comment on my last entry.It was Shaman and he just gave me some great positive criticism on my guardhouse posing entry.He was right,I took his advice,corrected it and I think the chop is vastly improved (thanks Sean).Anyway this all brought to mind something that happened the first week I started doing chops here back in Sept. of last year(2006).It dealt with an observation I made on a winning chop,a comment made on the entry,then a subsequent entry in the forums dealing with this observation and my 2 cents worth.Since its has to do with this topic I thought I would share it with you.You may find it interesting.Due to my perceived futility this was the last time I posted any more critiques on the forums.Anyway keep being the way you are.This site is all the better for it .Here's the link to my forum post: http://photoshopcontest.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=120036&highlight=#120036

The only thing you misperceived is thinking you were futile in your effort. It was a good discussion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking someone's work and altering it for the purpose of learning. I've done it myself and sent a link to people because it's easier than trying to type it all out.