Self-Critiques
I ask students at RISD to fill out self-critique forms at midterm and finals. This process provides students the opportunity to stop and reflect upon their progress and development over the course of the semester. The self-critiques always have an amazing range of thoughts and opinions: they’re insightful, intelligent, funny, revealing, engaging, serious, and much more. Despite the fact that I’ve taught the same courses several times with the same self-critique form, I’m continually surprised and inspired by what students have to say. This page is an archive of anonymous excerpts.
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Fall 2011, Final Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“I had never done thumbnail drawings before, but now it’s hard to start a project without them.”
“I’ve learned that for me, more of the work should take place in the beginning stages of a project.”
“Persistence, excitement, commitment, and exploration all act as agents that define a piece”
“My peers too made this experience incredible. Due to the high expectations we collectively felt invested and that was invaluable.”
“I have also learned that sometimes what you think is the end of a project is really just the beginning of another.”
“I hope to never peak, instead making my greatest piece right before I die. That would be cool.”
“I learned that drawing is in fact marks on a page, and more than that they are meaningful marks on a page.”
“I can always try harder.”
“I have learned that when developing a piece, you have to be invested from the get-go.”
“Art is unstable and risky, emotional and personal, and without all of these elements there is no connection between the piece and its creator.”
“And, as always, I want to do better.”
“As far as weaknesses go, this class exposed them all.”
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Fall 2011, Midterm Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“My excitement translates into a fearlessness.”
“There’s something about the class dynamic that makes a really wonderful environment where everyone is pushing each other to improve. But, I never feel any sort of competition or mean-spiritedness, which is so cool.”
“Its been so rewarding to see the class’s collective improvement!”
“I’m scared when it comes to taking risks.”
“I guess I’ve realized how little I know.”
“Starting a drawing always feels like opening up this infinite floodgate because there are so many different directions to go.”
“There is such an exhilarating feeling when you over come fear; it is a liberation that inspires further creativity.”
“I think I came in with preconceived notions of what I was supposed do or what the drawings were supposed to look like.”
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Spring 2011, Midterm Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“The more often I face my fears, the more I grow as an artist.”
“Everything I’ve ever thought was difficult was only difficult because I thought it was difficult.”
“I’ve learned that, persevering through fear and self-doubt is essential to achieving a successful finished product.”
“I am terrified of failing to reach my potential.”
“It takes patience, and sometimes you fail.”
“Nothing is permanent and one bad work of art does not negate me as an artist.”
“It is not important to make a good drawing every time.”
“What I’ve learned will stay with me my whole life.”
“No exaggeration: this semester changed my life.”
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Spring 2011, Midterm Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“I reference my classmates so much in my self-critique because I feel I have much to learn from them.”
“I learned that it’s okay to make mistakes because being timid and accurate is not better.”
“If there is one thing in terms of approach that I have learned so far this term, it is that art is not formulaic.”
“I like my work too much.”
“The most important realization that I have had is that I can do it.”
“I feel like I’m finally learning what it means to be an artist.”
“I need to prevent myself from becoming so enamored in detail or the parts of the drawing I’m most interested in, and instead focus on developing the whole.”
“The most important thing is not the final result, but what I learned from the process.”
“Drawing makes the brain work.”
“I want so badly to succeed, to feel proud of a drawing, that I end up with something very tame and, frankly, disappointing.”
“I feel I am learning how to become braver each week.”
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Fall 2010, Final Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“The thumbnails really are the most important part of the entire process.”
“I can pretty honestly say that I had no idea that I could turn out a five foot tall drawing every week, before now. In fact, I didn’t know that was even humanly possible.”
“I have learned it takes a lot of work to fully develop an idea, and even when I think of one good idea, it’s important to keep thinking of more.”
“It’s not all about the technical skills.”
“I have realized that I can’t set expectations for myself about what a drawing is supposed to look like.”
“I learned through this class that art is always paired with the verbal communication of ideas.”
“I guess doubting is part of the process of making art.”
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Fall 2010, Midterm Self-Critiques
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“I tend to be neat and contained and I so badly want to smash my way out of
that but I don’t know how.”
“I’m learning and it’s okay to screw up.”
“It’s really the time for me to let go of my ego and try failing.”
“I have realized that I need to stop making excuses.”
“The only thing holding me back from getting to the point that I want to be
at is myself. I can blame a thousand things, but at the end of the day I am
the person putting the lines on the paper.”
“Crit is so totally badass… I find everyone’s comments really helpful and,
when they’re completely, brutally honest, even refreshing.”
“…no matter how good my technical skills may be, they simply cannot save me from a bad composition.”
“…my idea of success is by the French author, Antoine de Saint-Éxupery. He
believes, “perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”"
“I want to be able to proudly stand behind every piece of artwork I create,
not cringe at it.”
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Summer 2010, Midterm Self-Critiques
Summer Foundation Studies, RISD
“I learned that the decisions you make in the process of development is
crucial and should be reviewed by someone other than yourself.”
“More than anything, I feel like this course served as a launching pad for
further study and experimentation.”
“I never thought drawing buildings could be fun.”
“I am always blown away by some of the things my fellow classmates come up
with.”
“Honestly, I feel like I did my best work when I simply could not care.”
“I feel like I have learned how essential it is to loosen up and try new
things, even if it seems like the results are going to be a horrible,
unimpressive mess.”
“You simply can’t produce a good product without a really good, brave
process.”
“The first good idea is almost never the best idea, and now I try to churn
out ideas constantly, one after the other, through the good and bad, and
record them all.”
“I’ve learned that you can’t be stuck in one thinking stage for a while, you
have to be constantly moving from one to another (and another).”
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Summer 2010, Final Self-Critiques
Summer Foundation Studies, RISD
“Sometimes my style bores me.”
“For the third assignment there was almost no risk, and I regret that.”
“I really need to keep in mind that what I put in is what I’ll get out.”
“I’ve started to realize that accuracy isn’t the key to a good drawing “
“One thing that made a huge difference for me was when I realized that the whole point of me being in this class is so that I could try anything, whether I succeed or fail.”
“I concentrate too much on what my work will look like at the end, and need to concentrate more on the skills associated with that.”
“Hopefully I don’t turn out to be like the aspiring author who just studies grammar, but ends up with nothing to say.”
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Spring 2010, Final Self-Critique
Artistic Anatomy, RISD, Illustration Department
“I have realized that the only limits that I have upon my work are self-imposed, and it’s ridiculous for me to be held back by such restrictions.”
“I feel much more confident with my knowledge of the human anatomy, and am able to draw forms without any reference with success. I also find myself staring at every person around me now, searching for and fascinated by the structures that make them work.”
“This course has reminded me how to look with greater precision and persistence.”
“I believe I learned the most not from a specific project, but rather by observing how easy it is to be seduced by the act of creating a visually satisfying image without considering conceptual purpose.”
“It (my project) kicked my ass, and I liked that feeling.”
“I have realized that I need to work harder than hard, and feel very strong about what I am producing or else there is no way I will satisfy myself or anyone else.”
“How will the spectator be engaged with my work and its concept, if I myself am not entirely clear on what it is I am saying?”
“I have learned the importance questioning every choice I make by asking myself if this decision supports my concept.”
“I’ve also realized how much I am able to accomplish when I am determined, confident and when I put my mind to it.”
“I am now more aware of potential resources that are available to me, from reference photos to models both real and made, and am much more capable of developing an idea that is personal, engaging, and intuitive.”
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Spring 2010, Final Self-Critique
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“My weakness in developing an idea often lies in last minute decisions.”
“I have realized that it is actually better for me to just face the problem directly and not to avoid the situation.”
“One of the major realizations is that I can do anything if I break out of my fear.”
“Though it was hard for me at first to take criticism on work I liked and worked hard on, it was necessary and I feel like I’ve grown a lot for it. “
“In order to get a good, helpful critique, I really need to give people something to talk about. “
“My drawings were very representational in the beginning because I thought that they had to be. “
“For me, before this class, drawing from life simply meant rendering perfectly what you saw in front of you. “
“I have learned that ideas are meant to change and develop instead of remaining static.”
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Spring 2010, Final Self-Critique
Basic Two-Dimensional Design, Wellesley College
“You can’t rush art,and you never know how your project will actually end up.”
“The end product of the final project was quite different from my initial sketch, but I like what resulted out of the process.”
“I have learned that what you think a project is going to be at the start is NEVER what it is going to be when it’s finished. But also, that this is a good thing.”
“I have learned that no plan is guaranteed.”
“Even if you’re not good at it (visual art), if you have a passion for it and are willing to work hard at it, you can make it work for you in the end.”
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Spring 2010, Midterm Self-Critique
Artistic Anatomy, RISD, Illustration Department
“Instead of just giving the viewer information I should give them my opinion as well.”
“I think my work would be better if I gave myself time to go away and come back to revise.”
“I want to learn and BELIEVE my concepts.”
“I’ve learned that it is more important to take chances with my artwork rather than playing it safe.”
“I am going to try to do pieces I really care about from now on.”
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Spring 2010, Midterm Self-Critique
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“My biggest failure was resisting experimentation.”
“I need to stop relying on my past success in order to succeed in future artistic endeavors.”
“Better planning, better result.”
“Thinking about the good idea and finding the concept of my drawing is the hardest part for me.
“Experimentation has been the most important thing for me in this class.
“Drawing tells everything. It doesn’t lie or hide.”
“The biggest failure is that I am approaching the weekly assignments as assignments.”
“If I always do what I’m good at, nothing will change if I don’t change myself first.”
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Fall 2009, Midterm Self-Critique
Freshman Drawing, RISD
“I’ve come to realize that nothing is impossible to draw.”
“I realize that my perfectionism has been limiting me.”
“I need to stop caring about how my work appears to others and what others will think about it.”
“It’s funny how my biggest failure is also my favorite piece.”
“My biggest failure was insisting to continue on a piece which I didn’t like from the beginning.”
“I realized that making it gestural doesn’t have to mean drawing it with no plan and drawing it fast.”
“”I find it very difficult to judge my own work.”
“Half-assed risk taking is worse than no risk taking at all.”
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Wow, Clara. Those excerpts are really interesting and moving. Thanks for sharing those. These young ‘uns are really great people. I feel
optimistic for their future.
Yes, I continue to be surprised and excited by their comments every semester. The honesty is refreshing and stimulating.
It is so amazing site , I love so much YOUR work , and YOUR wonderful sketches .