Beta Appreciation & request for other occasional art betas
First, I'd like to publicly thank ileliberte and crysothemis for their awesome art beta work. They have both improved any piece of art they've offered advice on. I sometimes forget to acknowledge them when I initially post, due to me being sadly scatterbrained. I often have to edit the important things (like this) in later.
Thanks also to others have helped with beta or crit or suggestions in the past year, niki-chidon and talietha in particular.
Last month I finished a piece for Sweet Charity. One of my few provisos (I basically offered to try almost anything) was that I should be able to post it to my sites, at my discretion. I did in fact briefly post it here, but the painting had personal meaning for my client (purchaser) and she asked that I not publicise it widely. On consideration, it wasn't my fandom, and I wasn't fannishly invested in showing it off, so I was decided to keep it private, and took it down.
I'm very proud of that painting, and both Ileliberte and Crys gave sterling beta advice on it. Thanks, guys. My client was happy, and I really appreciate your help!
Second, I'm open to crit, and would love to expand my beta contacts a little so I'm not always hassling the same people (They are awesome, but they also have lives and deadlines and won't always have time.)
If anyone on my flist, or wandering through, would be able to offer some occasional beta, that would be brilliant. In any case, I'm open to crit - all I ask is politeness.
I don't always ask for beta help. Sometimes I'm happy with a piece despite its flaws. Sometimes I don't want to put any more effort in. Sometimes I'm just playing, but I've found a good Beta is so very valuable.
I'd like beta help both to help me improve (painting anatomy is still a problem area, f'rinstance, as is composition) but also because I can easily be oblivious to quite fixable issues, by being too focused on a piece. Having an extra set of eyes point out the things that CAN be fixed, is incredibly useful (eg. eyes misaligned, background missing detail, shoulders too narrow, arm oddly positioned). I often know that something is not right but can't quite figure out what. Then somebody points it out, and suddenly it's obvious.
Because I have moments of Special Snow-flakeness, though, I like to know what works, too *g*. In seriousness, it's very useful for improving to know what you did right.
Thanks also to others have helped with beta or crit or suggestions in the past year, niki-chidon and talietha in particular.
Last month I finished a piece for Sweet Charity. One of my few provisos (I basically offered to try almost anything) was that I should be able to post it to my sites, at my discretion. I did in fact briefly post it here, but the painting had personal meaning for my client (purchaser) and she asked that I not publicise it widely. On consideration, it wasn't my fandom, and I wasn't fannishly invested in showing it off, so I was decided to keep it private, and took it down.
I'm very proud of that painting, and both Ileliberte and Crys gave sterling beta advice on it. Thanks, guys. My client was happy, and I really appreciate your help!
Second, I'm open to crit, and would love to expand my beta contacts a little so I'm not always hassling the same people (They are awesome, but they also have lives and deadlines and won't always have time.)
If anyone on my flist, or wandering through, would be able to offer some occasional beta, that would be brilliant. In any case, I'm open to crit - all I ask is politeness.
I don't always ask for beta help. Sometimes I'm happy with a piece despite its flaws. Sometimes I don't want to put any more effort in. Sometimes I'm just playing, but I've found a good Beta is so very valuable.
I'd like beta help both to help me improve (painting anatomy is still a problem area, f'rinstance, as is composition) but also because I can easily be oblivious to quite fixable issues, by being too focused on a piece. Having an extra set of eyes point out the things that CAN be fixed, is incredibly useful (eg. eyes misaligned, background missing detail, shoulders too narrow, arm oddly positioned). I often know that something is not right but can't quite figure out what. Then somebody points it out, and suddenly it's obvious.
Because I have moments of Special Snow-flakeness, though, I like to know what works, too *g*. In seriousness, it's very useful for improving to know what you did right.