I have often pondered about the problems of critiquing paintings on the gallery or giving feedback. We all post on the gallery presumably to get hopefully good and useful feedback. I, for one, really look forward to seeing what people have said about my paintings and I have received a lot of useful advice this way. However, I find it fiendishly difficult to decide what to say, or even whether to say anything at all, when I see a painting that doesn't sit well with me. The problem is that I wonder if I am looking at another artist's painting from the perspective of it was my painting instead of theirs. If I offer any advice or highlight any area that I feel is wrong, am I doing it because if I was doing the painting, I would have done it differently? Am I basically trying to turn another artist's painting into my painting? Do you only comment on what pleases you and ignore what doesn't do it for you? Could that be the best solution - but does that deny some people some useful feedback about how you, as the viewer, reacts to their work. As I said - difficult. I do think it is important to try and understand what an artist is trying to say about the subject and try and understand why they have approached the work in the way they have. I think that puts one in a better position to offer more balanced advice. Some errors are so glaring (slanting horizon lines, shadows going in different directions, etc) that it is easy to spot them and perhaps allude to them in your comment. Others are harder because they are down to interpretation and even although I might find something confusing about how the artist has painted it, who am I to impose my artistic values and views on another? I have noticed that when people deliberately invite critique, but putting 'criticism welcome', etc above a painting they have posted, you can almost hear people metaphorically rolling up their sleeves to wade in. That in turn makes you wonder that if you don't purposely invite criticism and people don't give it, whether it means that they are thinking it but not saying it? There's a thought to conjure with! I have come to the conclusion that you have to really look at what the artist is all about and then it is easier to understand their work. I tend to enjoy the differences between another's approach and mine and it gives a diversity that I enjoy. I am actually quite reserved about critiquing other's work for all the reasons I say above. I wonder how other people feel about this.