Rules for Commenting on Comics

The following is not allowed on comic comments:

– Bullying, taunting, hate speech, or abusive comments
– Personal attacks
– Disparaging remarks or insults
– Comments unrelated to the comic being commented on
– Spam

If you receive a comment that you feel is not appropriate, you must report the comment to a global moderator.
How to contact a Global Moderator

We strongly encourage you to bring these comments to our attention as soon as possible before taking other actions, such as responding with additional comments. If you choose to take action before contacting staff, we will evaluate the situation as a whole and will enforce as necessary.
These reports will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but could result in comments being removed, or other privileges being temporarily revoked.

Please Note: Void staff cannot assist with third party reports. Please encourage the individual(s) directly affected by the issue to contact the Global moderators for assistance.

We do accept 3rd party complaints for public instances on the site/server of clear discriminatory language, spam, threats of physical harm, and other issues that require immediate intervention.

 

Guidelines for Commenting or Critiquing

VOID exists as a community to help each other improve and grow. In order to create a positive environment for this kind of growth, we recommend the following guidelines:

Please see the critique level requested on each comic before commenting.
When an artist uploads their comic, they will have several different options for what kind of critique they are looking for. Before starting your comment, review what the artist requested. Sometimes, an artist isn’t looking for an in-depth critique on a specific comic.

Be specific when critiquing
Try to let the artist know specific things in their comic that they can improve. For example:
Instead of “You should work on your line work”
Try: “Your line work looks inconsistent. On page 3 panel 4 there is barely any weight to your lines.”
Sometimes a more generalized critique is appropriate, but more specific examples tend to be the most helpful.

Comment with Empathy
Remember that there is a real person that will read your comment about something that they spent weeks creating. Not every comic is going to be 100% done, or completely polished. Remember that people have lives outside of VOID, and sometimes unexpected life things come up. If a comic is very lacking, it’s usually not necessary to harp on how incomplete the comic is. If something isn’t your cup of tea, that’s ok!

Link to helpful resources or guides when appropriate
If you see someone struggling with a particular aspect of their artwork and you happen to have a helpful guide, link them in the comments!

Critique the art AND writing!
The story, and also the dialogue, in a comic are as important as the artwork. Don’t be afraid to also comment on those elements of the comic in your critique.

Don’t forget to mention the things you enjoyed
A critique doesn’t have to be a list of all the things the artist did “wrong”. It’s encouraged to include things that you enjoyed in your comic. Artists trying new things need to know when things are working just as much as they need to know when they’re not.

You’re allowed to critique people who are “better than you”.
Many people say that they don’t feel like they have a right to critique artists that they feel they don’t measure up to skill-wise. This is simply untrue! No one has to be an expert to point out errors, or make helpful suggestions.

 

Guidelines for Artists Receiving Critiques

As an artist, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or upset by critiques. Keep in mind the following when reading the comments others have left on your comic:

Responding to Critique
If you feel the need to respond to another critique, or if you feel you want to defend your work in some way, to practice charitable listening; give the critic the benefit of the doubt that they are trying to speak in good faith without intent to offend or deride, and respond as such.

Use the Critique Level system
If you don’t want to receive critique for a particular comic, please use the rating system to let everyone know what types of comments you are looking for.

We’re all amateur critics
No one on VOID is a professional when it comes to critiquing comics. Some artists may have experience mentoring or tutoring others, but many are simply going by their natural sense of how to critique a comic. Sometimes that means critiques will miss the point, not be told in the most effective way, or will simply be wrong. Be patient with your fellow artists!

You don’t have to follow every single bit of advice you receive
It can get overwhelming when you receive a lot of advice, and sometimes you may feel that certain bits of advice are wrong for you. Part of being an artist on VOID means learning when to take others’ advice and when to let it be, as well as learning to focus on specific aspects of your comic making process to avoid getting overwhelmed by a lot of different ideas. If something doesn’t vibe with you or is too much for you at this particular moment, you can simply be grateful that someone took the time to offer their advice and move on.