Our esteemed founder Mr Hebert posted this over on the Heromachine Facebook page earlier today and I thought I might as well share it here, because he's right, it does perfectly encapsulate what this community is all about.
There's no such thing as bad art, just unimaginative critics.
I do agree, especially at that age. However, I do think it can cost them something if you say their work is great, and it’s not. Yeah, you’re encouraging them, but you aren’t improving them. That that age, I think this is totally right. But I think, at older ages, saying nothing is wrong with it isn’t helping anyone, if it isn’t perfect.
Wow. That is too cool! Thanks for posting it!
Oh, I think Mr. Hebert himself would beg to differ on at least one person: Rob Liefeld….. 😛 😉
Simple art, simple story, and a complex but beautiful truth. Well done, sir, well done indeed.
@ Worf: there are exceptions to every rule, you know. There’s even some evidence that antimatter can ignore the Laws of Gravity. 🙂
@Skybandit: I know, and I agree with the idea of the comic, but, if there ever was a person that shuld not EVER have heard this kind of advice, it’s Rob. You should read the hilarious series of posts from Jeff in the subcategory “I Hate Rob Liefeld’s Art”.
I’m here to say, encourage all encouragers and discourage all discouragers.
@JR: Thanx for bringing this over–no access to Facebook here.
@Worf: Oh, yes–encourage, but don’t flatter, and definitely don’t LIE. I think perhaps that was Rob’s ancestor’s occupation. The Lie Field?
@ Worf: Um, I have read them, and I said nothing that disagrees with your assessment. Adam Sandler and Sarah Palin are also overrated talentless hacks that fall into this category (If you consider comedy an art, and politics as a subset of comedy). Whyfor you wanna argue? Chill!
@Worf- Being honest, I had managed to forget he existed. I’m intrigued as to the fact you’d describe him as an artist though. Surely you need to create art to be an artist and quite obviously Mr Liefeld is not capable of such a thing.
@JR: Well, “art” is a term used VERY losely when it comes to that man. I fear to even call what he does “work”…. Heck I wouldn’t malign him so much if he, at least, could come up with original stuff, but even his ideas are derivative. What irks me the most though, is that he is still employed in the medium and shoving his grovel out there.
Not liking someone’s art doesn’t mean they’re not an artist. And you can offer a critique of someone’s art while still being encouraging, it doesn’t mean to lie — honesty is important and we can only improve if we know isn’t working.
But at an early age particularly, as in this comic, you need to just encourage them, tell them to keep it up, so they can grow to a point where they can decide if they’re ready for critiquing.
Furthermore, we can say things to professionals that would not be appropriate for children. Rob Liefeld is a professional and I critique him as such — I wouldn’t tell a kid, or one of you talented amateurs, the same things in the same ways I would him. If you look back over the OCDs from the past that I ran, my goal was always to be encouraging while still offering helpful guidance on how to improve. I think that same spirit lives on in the forums, and that’s what I was talking about.
If you all worked for me and I was paying you in a professional capacity, my critiques would be much more pointed because we’d all be answering ultimately to a client, who deserves only the very best.