This issue has been one of the main causes of Devious Disgruntulus (disgruntled deviants) for quite some time. It will be examined in two parts. Part I will examine the side of the artist whose work is being commented on and Part II will examine the side of the commenter. The purpose of these articles is to look at both aspects of the matter, offer some friendly advice and restore some amount of peace.

Let us first examine the angle of the artist who wishes to receive comments before favourites: you’re receiving favourites, but little or no comments, and it’s frustrating because you’d really like to know what others have got to say about your artwork. You’d like to know why they like your work and why it was good enough to be added to their favourites. There are a few things you could do to encourage comments.

Deviation Options
The first thing you need to do is to identify what type of comments you wish to receive on your deviation. Take a good look at your "Deviation Options" before you submit your piece. These are found near the bottom of the "Submit Deviation" page [link] . The type of comment preference displayed will make a difference in the type of comments you receive.

There are four different comment options:
Encourage advanced critique – If you’re looking for ways to improve your techniques, skills etc. this is the option for you. Critique can be defined as "a detailed analysis and assessment" of your work, so prepare yourself – some will be positive and some will be negative.

Allow comments (default) – Choose this option if you are open to all kinds of comments. This would range from general comments praising your work, to critique and criticism.

Discourage criticism – Choose this option if you are fully satisfied with the work you’ve produced and you don’t care for any critique or criticism.

The last comment option is to have comments disabled, which will not be examined in this article.

For more information on comment options please see FAQ #300: What does Critique Preference mean, and how can I change it?

You can also state in your "Artist’s Comments" section that comments would be much appreciated.

If you have your deviation options in order and you’re still not receiving the kind of comments you’d like (for example you have "Encourage Advanced Critique" selected and you’re still getting comments like "ZOMG that’s soo kewl!!!11one") then you should consider taking this next step:

Contact your Watchers
The simplest and easiest way of doing this is through posting a journal:
Give it an eye-catching title that is either very direct (e.g. "ATTENTION ALL WATCHERS") or a mildly evil trick (e.g. "FREE COOKIES" ).
Address your concerns in a friendly manner and state your motives and feelings clearly. If you start off by attacking your watchers don’t expect a great deal of positive feedback. I came across a user who went so far as to leave abusive comments on the pages of deviants who faved his/her work without commenting. This is not the way to approach it! All it will cause is anger and removed favourites. Please try to be civil.
A good example of the correct approach can be found in this journal entry: [link] . She dealt maturely with the situation and got the change she wanted, as she mentions in another journal entry. Comments from watchers increased.
You can also contact your watchers directly by replying to their comments. For example, if a deviant leaves a comment just saying "Beautiful" reply saying thank you but also asking them what exactly they like about the piece. For example, "Thanks so much! but what is it about the piece that you like best?".
Some deviants may be discouraged from commenting if they notice that you do not reply to comments. Most likely you can’t reply because you’re too busy or you receive too many comments in your inbox. In such cases, stating that you appreciate each and every comment and would be most helpful. You can place these statements either in the "Artist’s Comments" section of your deviation or in your journal. A little display of gratitude goes a long way. It also wouldn’t hurt to reply to deviants who take the time to critique your work or give insightful comments when you’ve got the time.

Join a Critique Club
Another effective way of receiving comments/critique is through joining a comment/critique club on deviantART. Here are some of them:

These directories may also be helpful in finding what you need:

Sport a Stamp in your Journal!
If you’re a deviantART subscriber, you can sport these stamps:


Some General Advice
Do not be judgemental. Don’t jump down a deviant’s throat if they your work but didn’t comment without good reason. Please bear in mind that:
i) They liked your work enough to it.
ii) Some people may have limited internet access and may only have the time to the works that they like.
iii) Some people are too shy to comment i.e. they may not feel confident enough to tell you why they like your piece so they it to show a little gesture of appreciation.
iv) Some are discouraged from commenting if others have already commented with the same words they wanted to use.

There are many other varying reasons why a deviant may not comment. If however, you believe that the person faving your work is of questionable character then is the time to be fierce.

For those of you who do not comment because you lack the confidence or due to other reasons, look out for part II of this article, soon to come.

Summary
Always consider your deviation comment options before you submit your deviation.
Contact your watchers in a polite and friendly manner, explain the situation clearly.
Join clubs that will give you the critique you desire.
Display stamps in your journal to effectively get the message across.
Think before you act! (Don’t attack deviants for favouriting without commenting without due reason).

That’s all for part I of Commenting before you Favourite vs. Favourite and Run. Be sure to keep an eye out for part II which is specially for the and run 'offenders'.