The power of the crit group

I have been lucky enough to have been invited to two crit groups - and I have to say they have proven invaluable to my growth as an artist. Having other artists look at your work with the full intention of making everything they see better is the greatest gift artists can receive from their colleagues! Here is what a crit group has done for the picture I last posted:

This is a MASSIVE improvement over the original drawing. If I had not been a part of these crit groups I would have happily stopped where it was previously and tottered on my way thinking I was hot stuff.

Crit groups make you realize you are not hot stuff, you are actually a lazy bum that is a little too in love with whatever happy little marks you make... They push you because they don't want to see something that COULD be good not quite get there...
vAnd that is such a great great gift! Now back to being chastised again for not pushing harder!!!

Oh and here is another one that has been hugely improved by critique:

Now back to work!