. One of the major problems that artists have with art criticism is its often negative approach. Nevertheless, we all need feedback. Working in a studio can not only be lonely, but we can lose our objectivity as far as our work is concerned.
. In his classes, Ryno Swart has developed a very simple rule for ensuring only positive criticism. He refuses to discuss any work that the artist regards as finished. At this stage, he feels, all you are doing is to hurt somebody's feelings. If the work is unfinished, however, any comments or suggestions can only help in the further development of the painting. The artist either follows them or doesn't. This means that Ryno is freed from any need to spare the feeling of the artist, and can make his criticism as to the point and incisive as he is capable of.

. Email seems to be the perfect medium for picture analysis. All the artist has to do is to have his picture scanned, preferably as a Jpeg and email it to Ryno, who can then view it in Photoshop and write some comments right onto the picture surface, with more in-depth analysis attached. He will then usually suggest some steps to be followed and email this package back to you to work on and to repeat the process.
. There is one major catch, though: patience.
. Whereas email is quick, it takes time to have your picture scanned, especially if it is a large piece of work( in which case the quickest option would be to make a colour photocopy and scan that).
. So once you have gone so far as to get a scan done, please don't touch your painting. If any insights should come to you, rather write them down to compare notes once you receive Ryno's analysis. The simple answer is to work on more than one painting at any given time.
. The following aspects of your picture will receive particular attention: composition, content, perspective, proportion, tone, colour, atmospheric qualities, and the handling of the paint. Always though, the feeling of the work will be the one most important quality.

"Interior Spaces" is a less technical variation of Ryno's picture analysis.
. Here's what you do. You do a drawing, as simple or as complicated as you like, of an interior with pictures, and email or even fax it to Ryno. This picture will then be analyzed, not for artistic merit or technique, but purely for its content.
. It is Ryno's belief that we have largely stopped caring for the person behind the art, and that there is a wealth of truth and beauty hidden in every corner of every work. We all admire Michelangelo's Bound Slaves, but we hardly stop to think that they represent an intense revelation of the man himself and that even a superficial examination would reveal some of his deepest secrets to us. More seriously, we live in a time where we have learnt simply not to care.
. Not every work is as intense as this, but we all deserve to be taken as seriously as this.

Picture Analysis forms the backbone of the Ryno Swart Oil Painting Course, but any artist can get his or her work criticised on a one-off basis. The cost of one such critique would be $50. Further details can be got by emailing Ryno at swartart@iafrica.com.

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