Headsnap said:
The reason that all those people are telling you that the monstrous horror you have created is a "nice pic" is because they are spineless folk unable to muster criticism or they are your friends.
Spine?
I would say they lack time and commitment.
You can't compose proper critique on a whim.
Most people can't be bothered with posting at all, and you are asking them to elaborate further?
And, by your own reasoning, what are they expected to say, when faced with "sausage monsters"?
"You should improve your linework, chum"!?
The whole reasoning is flawed because lgz/joe did not define a target audience for his tutorials.
Better artists won't have much use for them, because they are likely to be over basic level.
Weaker artists won't be able to benefit much either, because they are under basic level.
Unless custom-tailored to take into account individual artists' flaws, most tutorials are just general do's-lists, with little space for insight and personalised help.
And you pointed out that some artists haven't shown any trace of improvement over the past few years, so tutorials wouldn't likely work for them at all.
As it stands, this whole discussion is just a big, convoluted, venting thread.
And it won't get any better, unless we suggest something easy and feasible.
Tutorials are just a tiny piece of a larger picture.
As far as non-artsy people not being in a position to criticise artwork that's a pile of bollocks. I don't need to have scored 400 goals for Real Madrid to tell when a footballer lacks the fundamental skills required to be a decent player.
Well, you can tell what's wrong in a drawing.
But you might not be able to tell how to make it right.
Criticism is telling bad from good.
Great criticism is explaining how to turn bad into good.
That is why not everybody is capable of offering MEANINGFUL criticism beyond "good" or "bad" anyway.
Just as not everybody is capable of drawing a captivating picture, playing a pleasing tune, and so on.
Problem is, if mods were to give a green light to earnest, but untrained critics, a lot of threads would turn into nasty flames, as self-appointed critics blunder blindly from goofy critique to the next.
Not to mention ill-meaning individuals, deliberately exploiting the critic's role to crush art and artist.
You say that weak artists choke the forum with bad art because nobody has the guts to tell them, and their friends are petting their egos anyway.
What can you do about that?
Seriously, if you claim that weak art is choking the forum, being blunt about it won't stop "those" weak artists from posting more.
You'll scare shy types out, and bolder guys will post even more or start flaming, to show you are wrong, and get some ego boosting from their friends.
The only way to deal with choked forums is to flush new threads down.
Pick a decent artist you like, and comment on his/her pics.
This will rotate older threads up, for newer users to see, and you'll get a sleeker more dynamic forum.
Sure, you risk resurrecting dead threads, but at least you are trying to keep the forum... lively.
And if weak artists are really CHOKING the forum by camping threads and bumping their own stuff, call a mod.
They can act behind the scenes, without making a scene.
Most of us can't much.