Preparing Your Work For Critique
Having your artwork critiqued is one of the most valuable ways to improve and make progress with your watercolor painting. It is also one of the most nerve-wracking things an artist can do!
Preparation is the key to getting the most from the critique with the least amount of distress.
Understanding Yourself And Your Journey
The first step is to reflect on your intentions, goals and where you are on your artistic journey. These answers will establish a starting point for the specific questions you may have in mind and may help understand the areas of concern and suggestions made during the critique.
Selecting Works For Critique
Next, select the work or works to be submitted. This can be straightforward and easy if you have only a few to pick from. If you are more experienced and have a lot of work, it is more of a challenge.
This is where understanding yourself and your journey can be helpful. By knowing where you are on your journey, it is possible to focus in on those things you are presently finding the most challenging. Another important consideration is knowing what were you trying to accomplish with theses pieces? If you are newer to painting, it may be something basic, like mastering a particular skill or technique. If you have more experience, it may be more a more advanced idea like capturing a sense of light, form or space and distance. Maybe it is even more advanced and the work was meant convey an idea or emotion.
Prepare The Work(s)
Make sure the artwork is presented in its best light. If it's being presented in person, make sure it's properly displayed - with mat and frame if appropriate. If it's digital, ensure the image is clear and accurately represents your work. High-res (about 300dpi) scans done on a quality scanner are best. If you are taking photos with your phone, try to flatten the image and square it up in the view finder before shooting the picture. There is a great tutorial on photographing artwork with a phone camera here.
Prepare For The Critique
The person doing the critiquing will (or should) be doing most of the talking. But, you need to be prepared to talk about the paintings individually as well as your process more generally. This would include such things as your creative process, choice of materials, techniques, and the inspiration behind the subject matter.
The work done in the first two preparation steps is really helpful once you get here. It is a good habit to know yourself and your work. Not only is it valuable for critique, it’s important to be able to share these things with others who are interested in your work.
The Critique
Approach the critique with an open mind. Remember that the goal is to gain insights and perspectives that can help you grow as an artist. It can be hard to separate oneself from ones work. Objective criticism is just that - aimed at the underlying - and correctable - issues that prevent the work from being its best.
Listen carefully to the feedback, especially when it's critical. The most critical parts of the critique are those most likely to make the biggest difference in the work.
Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions. Ask for further explanation when you don't understand a comment. Be sure to ask specific questions about aspects of your work that you're particularly interested in getting feedback on. This is where taking the time to review and reflect on paintings before submission really pays off.
Bring a notebook or device to record the feedback you receive. This will help you remember the key points and reflect on them later. The critiques done as part of my Watercolor Mastery program are done online in photoshop and recorded, making it easy to go back and review.
Following these few simple steps will help the critique go smoothly and ensure you get the most out of the opportunity.