I love this Forum as a way for professionals to exchange technical and philosophical information as well as offer our help to beginning portrait artists. I think that this is a wonderful profession but I am more and more concerned about the low quality of work that I am seeing.
Here is an old example from our Photographic Reference section. Since few of us paint from life, photography is a very important skill for most of us to master. The photographic reference section of this forum is the one place where all of us - both pro and beginner alike - are pretty much on the same footing.
Taking pictures is just plain hard work. But unlike handling a brush, rudimentary knowlege of handling a camera is simply not beyond anybody's skill level.
To take a poor reference photo and delude yourself that it is OK for any reason will probably get in the way of any artist ever making a quantum leap in their quality of work.
Sometimes when I get critical of reference photographs, it annoys and hurts people. I get emails. They let me know.
Also, in the Critique section of this forum, I have seen the same thing too often happen in that trying to help someone will generate anger.
My problem is this...how do we say what we think we need to say in order to help an artist improve their work? In my experience, the only way I learn something is by the mistakes I have made and eventually become able to see. My best teachers always pointed out my mistakes, thank heavens!
In the past I have made a ridiculous amount of mistakes and look forward to making many more.
Offending others and generating bad feelings is not only a crummy and frustrating experience but a colossal waste of time.
Sometimes I feel as if I am picking my way through a mine field. In a Forum like this, is there any way to tell who really wants help and not just a happy pat on the back?
Maybe we should start a list...
Critique and anger don't mix.
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