Yes, but you dont grow if people lie to you and say a picture is "excellent" when in fact it could use alot of work. Lying to someone and giving them b.s. critiques while voting them into the "hot20" makes the person think that they dont need to improve because they have the words and votes of their friends. I could point out alot of examples where I see this happening. If you want to make a picture just to get applause from your friends, you should do it somewhere else. This was supposed to be a legitamate art site and its not. Its more a trash can full of artwork that wouldnt make it on any other site. Perhaps some of the more "popular" people should at least try to do what Im saying. Post an image at another art site, gfxartist or digitalart.org and see how far you get. The majority of the people here are blind to art, and just because they can upload a picture, they think it is art. Whats the point in having a beginner gallery, if all the beginners are in the poser or 2d hot20s? So there isnt any progress being made.