Critique Rules

CRITIQUE TERMS & CONDITIONS
I liked the ones off of SCBWI's forums....I fully agree with them...but they are originally from an article by Linda Sue Park. Visit her site and read what she has to say about critiques, she's awesome at explaining critique! http://www.lindasuepark.com/writing/critique.html

The method I like best is often referred to as “the sandwich.” A commenter begins by saying something s/he likes about the piece, then goes on to point out weaknesses and finishes up with another positive comment -- ‘sandwiching’ the negative between two positives. When an artist hears something good first, s/he is more likely to be open-minded about the criticisms. And finishing with a positive point keeps the critique friendly.

Everyone should offer both positive and critical comments on the piece.

No nasty, hateful, or degrading comments. The point of critique is to build the artwork forward and upwards, if it's not constructive, then it doesn't need to be posted. Excessive use of this behavior will result in cancellation of membership to group. It's simply not tolerated.

No "I like." or "It's nice.". Think about getting deeper in describing how you read the piece. "I like this piece because....." or "This works because....". Don't forget the sandwich rule! Positive feedback, some constructive criticism, then more positive. :)

POSTING

To post up onto the blog, its like any other blog, just start a new post, add the image, give the information needed, and submit. We then review the piece through comments which appear at the bottom of the post.

Post one image at a time for review. If we place up too many images per person I have a feeling this will get way hectic and we'll all go further into craziness.

Indicate the medium and size of your work below or above your image, e.g., Acrylic on canvas. 60"x72". Also describe the project it's for. Sometimes it helps when we know the audience...especially in children's books.

All imagery should be connected and related to children's books. Absolutely no adult imagery please. We all, I'm sure, draw and paint other subject matter (I do high fantasy), but that is for another place. Our focus here is children for children.