It's very difficult to criticize your own picture appropriately. Most people are very harsh on the errors of their own picture and some people are too soft on themselves.

Posting art online can sometimes be daunting because of harsh criticism that is done incorrectly. There is one key difference between criticism and positive criticism: one is positive.

Example of valid criticism: The eyes look very wonky and the tail's colour seems inconsistent with the rest of the picture.

Example of invalid criticism: The picture's shit , gaaay, etc

There is a difference between criticism and insulting. The whole point of criticism is to address a SPECIFIC part of the picture, because, ultimately, the point is so the artist can actually improve.

Positive criticism is more important, in my opinion. Positive criticism goes like this: Praise , Criticism , Praise.

Example: I like the colour tones on the body; they're very light which gives the image of a positive picture. To improve, the shading looks a bit off, especially where it is reflected from X. However, the picture is good overall and I enjoy your works.

Self-esteem is something that keeps the artist going. The main problem with just criticism is that it may lower the artist's self-esteem, because if it's the only comment and there's nothing positive, what is the artist going to think?

Whereas, if you post positive criticism, you not only suggest key improvements, but you also make them more motivated by telling them what you like about their media. The second positive is to leave on a lighter note to further encourage this.