to think you shouldn't ask for an 'honest opinion' if you're going to get shirty when you're given it

[freddiefrog]

DH has taken up painting. He's always been arty but has gone into it more seriously now.

He's been doing some painting today and asked for my 'honest opinion' as he felt something wasn't quite right but couldn't put his finger on it

Now, I'm no art critic, but I told him that I thought it was really good but i thought a couple of things were a little out of proportion to each other, hence why it didn't look quite right.

He's now sulking.

Why bloody ask?

Grrrrrr

Yanbu. I hate when people do that.

Clearly they don't want honest opinions, they want you to lie so they can convince themselves later that you 'honestly like it'. Its bollocks.
it sounds like you said it in a nice way, so tell him to get his head put of his arse and not ask in future. :)

Oh god, yes.

Because 'it's just wonderful darling - you are the artiest, most genius like, devastatingly handsome, bedroom demon to ever wield a paintbrush' was what was echoing in his head but sadly he actually got honesty.

Tough - that goes for all blatant compliment fishers - you get what you deserve, stop it.

I do this . In my defence my family are the type to come up with an exhaustive, itemised list, often returning days later to mention something else they've 'just thought of'.

But I love constructive criticism at work - if someone compliments my work without following it up with 'but...' i feel cheated

Yeah but it might be this is the one problem he finds hard to remedy, having tried. Proportions are difficult. People rarely want full and frank feedback, rather a vague suggestion of an area that needs more work. I say this as a perfectionist when it comes to criticising others but who prefers tact when my stuff get commented on. Irritating I know ...

It's a misunderstanding. He asked for your "honest opinion." You thought he meant to tell him honestly what you thought. What he meant was you should say something like, "Honestly, that picture is just amazing. So amazing it makes me want to tear off all my clothes right now and then give you the blow job of your life." See. Simple misunderstanding.

NFK

My mistake. I shall remember next time!

Introduce him to aibu and you'll look like his number one fan

Well he can't be an artist without an artistic arsiness temperament.

Was the banana much bigger than the plums in the still life? I think men make that mistake a lot?

LOL!

Oh dear, he's one of those hobby painters who need to have their egos stroked. If he was serious about his art he would not ask for feedback unless he respected the opinion of the person he was asking and was willing to take on board their comments.

If he cannot take criticism he should not ask for it. As a serious artist he would have to learn to politely ignore comments from anyone whose opinion he does not respect.

A fragile ego in anyone who wants to be an artist is a recipe for unhappiness.

YANBU. I give honest opinions if asked. If you don't want the truth then don't bloody ask. If you want a lie, go to someone else.

If someone asks for your honest opinion then they really mean they want you to lie convincingly.

I wouldn't mind, but he said himself something was a bit off.

I can't be too nice about it, he might want to hang it up in the living room

Sounds a bit like AIBU

Cuttingpicassostoenails- now you sound pompous. The OP's DH sounds like a nice guy!

an aged aunt used to paint - really only because my grandmother did and painted well - she painted a beautiful owl, but it was twice as big as the tree it was sitting in

YANBU

Ivykaty

This is a landscape - sea, fishing boat and a lighthouse, except the fishing boat is bigger than the lighthouse. The appearance depthwise isn't quite right if you see what I mean

It is really good though

He needs to get some perspective on this

!!!

ivykaty

Perhaps it was a cruise ship?

Eww I do hate a sulker. Draw a stick man doing a wee from the boat and then LTB*

*Leave The Botticelli? Bacon?