FAQ #95: What is the Critique Feature and how do I use it?

I was very excited when the new critique system was rolled out, I thought this was a great step towards promoting the art on deviantART instead of dramallamas.
I have noticed a slight abuse of this new system, or rather, misuse or misunderstanding of its terminology.

When an artist receives a critique they are given the option of marking it as FAIR or UNFAIR. This is in theory a good self-policing system, so that if someone is just trolling with crits then the artists don't have to have them published under their deviations. However, it seems now that if a crit is not entirely praise, it is marked unfair.

Part of this I believe is because of the age group on dA. The majority of users are teenagers who most likely haven't been through a proper art course and taught how to give and receive critiques. It's a hard skill, no doubt, but after taking 5 college level art courses, passing a portfolio review to be accepted as an art major, and as a by-product going through quite a few crits of my own, I feel I have enough knowledge to speak with intelligence about critiques.

What is the point of a critique?
The purpose of a critique is to give constructive feedback on a piece of work to an artist. Constructive feedback should make the artist aware of areas in their piece that could be improved upon. Ideally, the critique should include how to improve, not just that they need to. Contrary to some beliefs, critiques may certainly hold praise for the piece of art. Knowing specifically what I've done right in a piece is much more helpful than a comment that simply says "wow! beautiful!". The flip side of that coin is knowing specifically what could be improved is much more helpful than "this sucks".

How can I give a helpful critique?
There are some good questions to ask yourself to get started giving a helpful critique, and dA even prompts you with the star ratings for "Vision", "Originality", "Technique" and "Impact". If you can thoughtfully justify each rating you give, you've probably given a helpful critique. Some other things to consider are:
What first jumped out to you about this piece? Was it good or bad? Why?
What would you have done differently and why?
Is there anything in particular that detracts from the piece?
Are there other techniques the artist should try next time?

How Should I Receive Critiques?
Graciously!
The person critiquing you has taken time out of their life to give feedback to help you grow as an artist. Even if you do not agree with what they have said, be objective. If you've drawn the head of your figure to small for the body, be able to step back and look at that. The ability to step away emotionally from your work and analyze it is a necessary skill to be successful and improve.
If someone really is truly being a jerk, ignore them and make use of the block function.
FAQ #96: Can I block people from my profile page?

What makes a critique fair?
A fair critique will have at least one of the following:
-Tactfully bring your attention to areas that may be changed or improved
-Point out aspects of the piece that are successful
-Give helpful advice for future pieces

A critique does not have to be all praise and worship to be considered fair. If someone is out right insulting you, that is unfair. But if someone is simply pinpointing areas that could be changed or improved, that critique is still fair.
There is also a certain responsibility of the artist to provide information via the artists comments. If I know I've screwed something up I say so in the artists comments so people know I am looking for feedback on a different area of the piece. If something is a "mistake" but I like it, I say so upfront. If the person critiquing you doesn't know that you meant to draw your Aunt Marge with three fingers, they will probably assume it's a mistake and tell you to fix it.

What makes a critique unfair?
-Insults to you or your work (i.e. "this sucks" or "you suck")
-Unhelpful commentary (i.e. "just stop drawing, seriously" "you may as well sell your camera")
-Generally inappropriate remarks

We can all tell pretty easily when someone is just being a troll or trying to start a fight. If someone is doing that to you, just block them and move onwards.

To Summarize!
Good/Fair critiques aren't always sunshine and rainbows. As long as the person is being constructive, try to remain open minded, calm and objective. If someone is truly giving unfair critiques simply ignore them.

Happy critiquing!