Project Comment Interviews, Issue 85

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 month, 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 eighty-fifth interview of this series with affectionateTea!



Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Tea, and I draw stuff? That's the important bit anyway, haha. I've had a sporadic assortment of art classes through high school and college, from fine art to digital art and art history, that give me a decent knowledge-base for critiquing, I think. Of course it's completely subjective! But I've learned to spot a good number of the basics, and have developed a sense over time for picking up on what was intended in a piece of art and how to execute it better. (i've been told that more than once, anyhow! so i like to think it's true.)

What is it about DeviantArt that attracts you?
The community, definitely. It's a little hard to get to know the place, you really have to be kind of aggressive with your commenting (in frequency and diversity, not in tone) to make a space for yourself and meet people... and dA seems to have a very young user base, which can result in an excess of drama. but over time I've made some really excellent friends here. And I much prefer putting my art online rather than anywhere else, because I value the distance that it creates between myself and my work. One of the things I hate most is having to stare a person in the face when I show them my stuff. it's too important to me, so if they don't react a certain way I tend to take it badly, haha. I'm a fragile snowflake sometimes. it's much easier when I have time to gather my thoughts and let the people who want to respond do so, while others can just move on without me having to deal with the letdown. devART has been a great place for that! I can showcase my art, and people can drop by and view it, fave if they want, and comment if they feel so inclined.

What type of art do you do and how did you get into it?
Lately I've been doing a lot of digital fan art, because I love fandom and interacting with or contributing to it! I would love to get more into concept art and design, but it's difficult sometimes to get recognition with original stuff. I'm going to keep working on it, though! And I'm also preparing a webcomic with a friend that I hope to start posting in the not-too-distant future. I have original stories to tell, damn it, and I will not be stopped!! Even if it takes me several years, eh heh........


Do you do a lot of commenting in your spare time, and why?
I really don't do much commenting, at least volume-wise... commenting for me actually takes quite a bit of energy. I have to organize my thoughts and explain them in a way that makes sense. If I were to comment more often, it would exhaust me, and my comments would be far inferior in quality? So I take my time, mostly comment on the things people ask me directly about, and take the time to comment thoroughly on them. I also have a really hard time commenting unsolicited, I much prefer when someone mentions they'd like critique, because otherwise i stress a lot about whether the comment will be well-received, and whether the artist even wants to hear what I've got to say. So if you'd like my commentary, feel free to send me a message! I'll be glad to. Otherwise, it probably won't happen.

What happens if your art doesn't get the amount of feedback that you'd like? Do you submit it to groups or do something else?
Ummmm i actually have a really difficult time self-advertising. So... I really don't do much at all, which I know can be really detrimental. Sometimes I'll submit to a group, if it's one i'm in already. Otherwise... I just move on, do a new thing to submit. There's never any shortage of things I want to draw. I want to draw all of the things! But, If I really, really want critique... I'd probably submit it here, honestly. ProjectComment is one of the few places i know of where I can get actual critique, as opposed to the "so cool!!!" "omg otp" etc. Which are flattering, and I appreciate them! But it's not very helpful if I want to improve.


What are your best and worst experiences with the Commenter System in the group?
My best experience was probably getting that feature for my comment a couple weeks ago! It's really lovely to know someone appreciated the comment enough to suggest it, it means a lot. And some of the replies to my comments, where the artist shows that they listened to the comment, and that they appreciate it? Those were awesome to receive. There's nothing worse than putting a lot of thought into a critique, and not even knowing if the poster got the comment/read it/gives a hoot. I'd much rather spend my time commenting where I know the op actually wants feedback.

Could you offer some advice for other commenters?
The main one is, don't be shy! I know a lot of people worry that their advice isn't good enough, or that they don't know enough and can't give quality comments... but everyone's viewpoint is unique. I say go ahead and comment, regardless of how inexperienced you think you are. You'll probably notice something the artist didn't, and even if you don't, it's a learning experience and the only way to get better at commenting is to practice and get more comfortable with it. So go out and comment on shit! You won't regret it, I think. (although you might want to err on the side of gentle -- there are a lot of young artists without much confidence on this website, and sometimes tone is difficult to convey online. Be kind, try to point out good things as well as those that need improvement. Your comments will be appreciated, I'm sure. And if they aren't, learning to deal with... unappreciative... people... is good experience too, right?? Us artists need to thicken our skin a little, i think, myself definitely included. Basically, just do it. Don't let yourself get in the way.)


Do you currently have any ongoing projects online or offline?
Yes! I've got a couple projects i'm working on with various tumblr groups, and i really want to start my webcomic soon. I also go to conventions now and then, for those who'd like to meet me in person! Some of that info is on my profile or journals, but I tend to keep up more with tumblr -- posting there is a lot quicker and more streamlined, and i love the tagging system. Everything is so neat and organized! So go there for the most recent news on what I'm doing. (affectionatetea.co.vu/)

Is there anything else you would like to add?
ummMMM I think that about covers it! Like I said, feel free to ask me if you'd like a critique. It may take me a bit, but I'll be more than happy to do it! And here are some examples of my art:


Thank you affectionateTea!

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