What Makes a Great Art Critique? Use the Summary–Technique–Context Loop
August 2025 · 6 min read
A great critique isn’t a verdict—it’s a roadmap. The fastest way to make your next pass better is to follow a repeatable loop: Self-critique → kritik.ai’s structured pass → peer feedback. All three use the same backbone: Summary, Technique, Context.
The backbone (and why we use it in kritik.ai)
- Summary: Restate the intent and what the piece currently communicates.
- Technique: Specific, observable notes (composition, value grouping, color, edges, perspective, texture).
- Context: How choices support the goal, audience, references; trade-offs and next steps.
kritik.ai outputs your critique in exactly this structure—so your private pass and your public ask speak the same language.
The loop: from draft to confident share
1) Self-critique: Do a quick STC pass yourself (2–3 sentences per section).
2) Run through kritik.ai: Upload, choose tone (gentle / honest / direct), and get a structured STC critique.
3) Merge & edit: Combine your notes + Kritik’s suggestions into 2–3 high-impact changes.
4) Share publicly: Post the improved version with a focused ask using the same STC language.
Example: weak vs. STC (Kritik-aligned) critique
Weak: “The colors are weird and the face looks flat.”
STC (after a Kritik pass):
Summary — Portrait aims for moody isolation; subject should feel luminous against a cool city backdrop.
Technique — Skin shadows skew green, which flattens depth; edge control around jaw is uniformly soft, reducing focal clarity; background values encroach on midtones.
Context — To amplify isolation, separate subject/background by warming shadow midpoints, sharpening a few primary edges (eyes, jaw–cheek transition), and dropping background midtones by ~½–1 stop.
Try next: Warm shadow mix (add a touch of red to the greens), one crisp edge at the eye corner, and a subtle vignette to keep the gaze centered.
Paste-ready template (works for self, Kritik, and peers)
Summary: Intent + what it currently reads as.
Technique: 2–3 specific observations tied to values/color/edges/perspective/composition.
Context: How edits serve the goal; 2–3 concrete next steps.
Optional tone: Gentle / Honest / Direct (matches kritik.ai).
Why tone matters (and how Kritik handles it)
Different stages need different tones. Early sketches often benefit from a gentle read (momentum over precision); later passes might need honest/direct specificity. In kritik.ai, you pick the tone and still get the same STC structure—so you can keep moving without losing clarity.
Turn Kritik output into your public ask
After you apply 1–3 high-impact edits from your Kritik pass, share publicly using the same frame:
Post text: “Summary: moody portrait aiming for luminous isolation. Technique focus: edge control around jaw, warm–cool balance in skin shadows, background value separation. Ask: Does the focal edge at the eye read crisp without feeling cut out?”
Checklist: does your critique create motion?
- Named the goal (Summary) before editing?
- 2–3 specific, observable notes (Technique), not taste-only?
- Clear “why it matters” plus next steps (Context)?
- Tone matches stage (gentle early, honest/direct later)?