When people post a WIP (Work In Progress) and they ask specifically for comments and critiques it then is a productive endeavor. Some artists may be experiencing some difficulties either technical or artistic (esthetics) with their creations and ask for solutions when posting a WIP. Some artists gauge their creations by posting a WIP and seeing how much c&c it gets. Some artists just post a WIP to show their colleagues their newest projects, what their up to and neither ask or need c&c. No one is forced to use these comments and critical recommendations. If a critique has true merit to it then an artist should consider it and its source. Unfortunately some critiques and comments are spawned from envy and malice and are not meant to be helpful but used to be spiteful, demeaning and debasing. Some are cleverly disguised and embellished to seem helpful. If one suspects foul, then the next best thing to do is check out that critics gallery and see the type of work they produce to see if they have substance or not. Typically, if the critic has no gallery or offers no link to their work and are unknown, little or no leverage could be implied to their criticism. But if you ask for c&c then you must grow a thick skin and be prepared to accept the consequences. Being prepared doesnt mean you hide in your shell while people pelt you with inappropriate verbiage. If something seems off-handed, say so. Often, matters can be remedied through further dialog. Theres a difference between critique and comments. Whereas critique is an analysis, an evaluation or an appraisal, a comment is a remark, an observation, a statement. Some people just dont know the difference and use the two interchangeably. If you are referring to the Bryce Forum gallery you will see that they call for helpful comments not critiques, theres a reason for that. So people who insist on posting critiques there are to be watched and dealt with accordingly. Overall, constructive criticism and comments can be very helpful to all artists, experienced or not when offered in that light.