Reminder for myself - Nothing will ever change unless you start now.

Chapter 1 .......... Some general do's & don'ts on comments
Chapter 2 .......... Difference between a good comment and a poor one [link]

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1. SOME GENERAL DO'S & DON'TS ON COMMENTS

Do’s:

First, before you write your comment (or as your write it), take the time to really examine the piece you’re viewing. Spend at least a few minutes to really take in the view and search for the aspects that made the piece so damn good to begin with. In doing this you’re more likely to notice the nuances of the piece and not only have a better appreciation for the artwork itself, but also from the artist receiving your observant comment as well.

Now, mention what you like about the piece and what the artist did well on (which might be the same thing anyways), such as their craftsmanship, their creativity, or the nuances you’ve noticed because you took the time to really examine the piece. They could be as broad as the arrangement of the background or as subtle as the detail of a character’s eyelashes. Whatever you thought the artist did well on and what you like about it too.

Always be constructive with what you say, especially with critique. You don’t want to ruin the accomplishment of the artist by telling them they screwed up on something and that it’s unsatisfactory. Instead, try to tell them in a friendly, but honest way, that something seems off and then give them constructive critique as needed. This way they know that you mean well and that you’re not trying to be a pompous ass.

It’s always helpful to check your spelling and grammar before hitting the submit button. Not only will this make you appear more professional, but it may also help eliminate any possible misinterpretations as well.


Don’ts:

Don’t write a one worded comment such as “Cool!” or “awesome!”. Such comments are almost entirely meaningless and far too vague for anyone to understand ‘why’ it’s cool or awesome.

Unless it’s somehow helpful to the artist, don’t talk about such things as “that reminds me of the time I…” or other ‘me’ talk. Because more times then not, the artist isn’t going to care. It’s not that you’re unimportant, but just remember that you’re commenting on the art piece and not taking the opportunity to talk about yourself.

Don’t go nuts with the emoticons or write something overly excited like “OMGZ I LUV YUR ART! U R THE GREATEST RTIST EVAR!” as if you were a leg-humping, hyperventilating, crazed fan. Instead, try to use emoticons every so often or to clarify the context of a sentence, and try to keep you’re comments to sounding more calm and respectable (as well as rational). Overexcitement may lead you to be threateningly annoying to the artist and will most likely invoke snubbing or worse.


Understand

Your comment doesn’t have to be lengthy, as long as it’s meaningful. As in NOT just “cool!”, but rather “I thought it was a really cool idea how you aligned the swords in the shape of a skull. You did really well on the symbolism there and the way you colored it fits perfectly with the theme and mood as well.”

If you don’t get a response on a comment you wrote, it doesn’t mean the artist didn’t appreciate it. In a lot of cases the artist may have too many comments to go through, they may be too shy to speak or even not know what to say in return. However, if you asked a question and never got a response (giving them at least 24 hours), then politely ask again just in case they somehow missed it the first time.

But most importantly, is that DA is a community, NOT a competition.* Don’t let yourself think you’re not good enough to comment or that it doesn’t matter when in fact you may very well be the reason why an artist stays on DA. You never know…

* -This applies to artwork as well.

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If anyone has any questions, or perhaps even tips of their own they feel might be helpful, please feel free to speak your mind. Thank you for taking the time to read this.