Project Comment Interviews, Issue 70

ProjectComment is a Group of many projects centred around comments, but, more importantly, constructive comments. We offer Members of deviantART a lot of opportunities to get comments, give comments, participate in comment projects, win points, get featured and much, much more!

Every two weeks, we will be interviewing commenters and volunteers at ProjectComment, specifically revolving around their life on deviantART and, the purpose of ProjectComment, constructive comments.

We sincerely hope you enjoy reading the seventieth interview of this series with Abbreviated-Silence!



Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Adalia Angel. I'm 20 years old, and happily married. I've been drawing and painting ever since I can remember. I am now a full-time artist residing in Central Florida.

How did you come to be deviantART?
I was introduced to DeviantART by my best friend Shawn several years ago. He found the works here to be inspiring, and thought I would, too. He was right! Now, I use DeviantART primarily for its abundance of wonderful stock photos. My art wouldn't be what it is today without them!

Why do you comment?
I began commenting simply because I liked what I saw. Over time, I realized that there is a lot more that can be done with it. Now, I prefer constructive comments over "Ooh, that's nice!" Because artists are always looking to expand their horizons and to understand their own creativity better, as well as to improve their technique and execution. Whenever someone leaves a constructive comment on my work, I mull over everything they've said, and consider how I can use it to improve myself in the future. I like being able to offer other artists that same powerful tool.


What are your thoughts on the critiquing platform we have here on dA?
I'm not a fan of the critiquing platform on DeviantART for the simple reason that each and every piece is different, as are the artist's strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy being able to discuss those points using my own methods, according to the piece. To me, the critiquing platform is too formal, and thus makes things less helpful than they could be.

What happens if you don't get the feedback you want on your deviations?
I've found that the number one thing to remember is to have patience. Sometimes it takes time to get your works out there. By all means, don't get frustrated and give up. (I've done that before, and it didn't get me very far) Now that I'm a part of ProjectComment, though, things are much easier. At any point, I have a community of supportive artists and commenters ready to offer or receive feedback, and to me, that's essential for an artist's growth.


Do you have any future plans in terms of deviantART? Any ongoing projects currently?
Lately, I've been favoring more of a nautical feel with my works. I've started working on a series of portraits done in charcoal in a traditional style, but then I add fun, flowing backgrounds to add to the story, usually in shades of blue. It's been a lot of fun watching the series grow. Right now, my plans are to expand beyond DeviantART and into local shows and venues, but of course that just means I'll need to keep making works to post here at the same time!

Can you offer any tips for commenters at all?
The biggest thing, to me, is to be respectful. It's okay to have things about a work of art that you don't like. It's okay to dislike an entire piece. Just remember to consider the artist when you make your comments. Be specific. Make sure to mention things about the piece you DO like, and not just bash them.

As a comment volunteer, I am sometimes asked to comment on pieces that I don't particularly care for, for whatever reason. But I don't tell them, "I don't like this piece." Instead, I find something positive about it, and focus on that. "I really like the way that you did [this], but you might want to work on or try [this] because it would add to the piece [tell them in what way]." Specific details help the artist to see the art from a spectator's point of view, which is very helpful to an artist. But the key word here is CONSTRUCTIVE comments. Not destructive.

Finally, is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and show off your works, or offer your opinions on the pieces that stand out to you. If done the right way, it can help everyone.



Thank you Abbreviated-Silence!

Thank you for reading.
3wyl, posting on behalf of ProjectComment