Art Critique
by Alex Toth

A cut you deep critique of Steve Rude’s work by the late Alex Toth. Lots of value in this post. Read it on conceptart, then come back and we will talk.

Art Composition

Toth talks about the importance of staging. Letting the reader know and see the main characters. Distinguish between main and minor characters. Make sure you maintain a solid sense of space as you move between the panels.

Fakery. You might not be a camera aficionado or care what type of camera tri-pod is being used or know anything about the location to be put off by its inaccuracies. Now imagine someone drawing your home town or something your interested in and getting it very wrong. For me that would be Omaha and motorcycles. Omaha doesn’t get much play in comics but motorcycles get slaughtered all the time. I cringe every time one is poorly drawn, while another reader might not give it second thought. One reader might pick up on the location, another will be put off by the inaccurate portrayal of the attire worn, another will cringe when a prop is poorly considered and implemented in a scene. The comic book illustrator must be fluent in a broad range of topics in to order progress the story or risk distracting from it.

Compare this to a movie set and you can see how many hats the comic illustrator is wearing. Director, camera man, props department, costume designer, location manager, and actor/actress.

Taking Criticism

Who takes criticism well. No one, that’s who. Imagine getting this review of your work back and not walking around blistering with rage. You have poured your heart and soul into a piece and your now being accused of not thinking. It’s insulting to say the least, but that’s what criticism is. Life is too short to waste time with finesse and innuendo. If you ever give a criticism it should be concise and unrestrained. If you ever get a criticism like this then be prepared to listen, grin and bare it. You have to commend Toth, it’s not easy to unleash like that, but in the end you do no favors by holding back.

What is Right if Everything is Wrong?

It would have been  nice to hear what was done well. Even in a scathing review like this something must have deserved a pat on the back.

Application

Receiving a review like this is a gift. If you are fortunate enough to get an uncensored critique by a professional in your field, take it to heart. Get as much of this kind of insight as you can. Nobody became skilled at a craft with their mother as the sole judge of their work.