What is ‘Sit & Crit’?
Sit & Crit is a website dedicated to providing artists with a venue in which to share their artwork and receive helpful critique from their peers.
How do I use Sit & Crit?
Simple, just find a Table that suits you… Sit… and Crit!
What is a Table?
Tables are groups of artists, capable of holding up to 6 people. To join a Table, first find a Table that you like. Tables may be private or have a certain theme or media focus. If there is a seat available, simply click the ‘Sit’ button to join that Table. Your seat at this Table is reserved just for you, until you decide to leave the Table. To leave a Table, just click the ‘Stand’ button. You can only Sit at one Table at a time. (Custom Tables may be specifically requested.)
What is an Easel?
Every member is given an ‘Easel’. Your ‘Easel’ holds your artwork and is capable of holding up to 3 images. Your Easel follows you wherever you go. If you leave a Table and Sit at a new Table, your Easel stays with you and remains unchanged. If it’s your first time using Sit & Crit, you can create an Easel on your Account Management page.
What is a Canvas?
A Canvas is any image you choose to display on your Easel. Most Easels can hold 3 Canvases. Premium Member’s Easels may hold more. You can upload new Canvases via the Edit button on your Easel page. Canvas critiques are attached to that specific Canvas. If you delete a Canvas, you also delete the critiques attached to it.
What are the benefits and responsibilities of sitting at a Table?
Your Table is your ‘Critique Group’. Everyone is allowed to critique any artwork they want, but your Critique Group should be your primary focus. Each Table member is expected to not only submit work for critique, but also to critique the work of fellow Table members.
Feel free to critique as much or as little as your group feels best, and change tables as often as you like. But if you are looking for a starting point, we recommend that you aspire to critique each table member at least once per week, and upload your own progress once a week as well.
Having a group that is familiar with your work, and your goals, is a great benefit and makes for more thoughtful critiques. So strive to find people you want to work with on a regular basis.
Please note: If you are occupying a seat, you are expected to participate at that table. If you are not giving critiques, or are not uploading artwork, consider ‘standing’ so that someone else may make better use of your seat.
What is good Critique etiquette?
Giving a critique can be hard! Receiving a critique can be even harder! Both are skills that take a lot of practice. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. A good critique can be literally life-changing for an artist, but that doesn’t come easily.
Some things you should keep in mind when Critiquing:
1. Remember that you are always critiquing the art, NOT the artist.
2. Critiquing, at it’s heart, is about trying to find the weak parts of an image, and figuring out how to make them stronger.
3. What is considered ‘good’ art, and what is considered ’bad’ art, differs from artist to artist. When offering advice, remember to consider that specific artist’s point of view.
4. Opinions are OK! Sometimes, a simple opinion is all you can offer, and that’s helpful too. It is important for an Artist to be aware of how their audience perceives their work.
5. Don’t forget the good things. Part of a good critique is about steering an artist in the right direction. That means talking about the good parts of a piece too, so they know what to strive for.
6. Be honest, but be polite. Cheerleading is nice, but it is rarely helpful. Being truly helpful takes honesty. Just remember to do so tactfully and with empathy.
How Do I Request a Table?
Currently, we are not yet ready to approve custom table requests. But in the near future, you can use the tab up top to request a private table just for your needs. Perhaps you want to start a regional group for your local friends, or a group focused on environmental art. Or maybe you just need a private table to share work that is under NDA. All of these requests can be accommodated via the ‘Request Table’ link up top. REQUESTS FOR CUSTOM TABLES WILL NOT BE APPROVED UNTIL AFTER THE BETA TESTING PHASE.
What are the Rules?
We only have one rule… Don’t be a jerk.
We’re not going to list all of the ways one might be a jerk, as there’s far too many. Suffice it to say, NONE of them will be tolerated. If we see you being a jerk repeatedly, we ban you. Simple as that. We probably won’t even warn you first, to be honest about it. So be nice.