Im not a character artist so I cant really say professional critique on your work, but...Your highpoly models looks really good and detailed to me, but unfortunately the lowpolies arnt really give back that detail level on some of your characters. Maybe just the lighting or the specular isnt the best. Also, you should show more and bigger images. Maybe wireframes would be good too. And some technical stuff like how much triangles and how big textures you used. And one more thing that hurts me a little. I cant close the pictures with the escape button so the viewer must scroll to the side to click to the X. This is a little annoying to me, but maybe just to me. Anyway, good job!
only 2 things i would prefer would be for the page to go straight to the portfolio section instead of the video and for your icons / thumbs to give me a better idea of what im looking at before i click on it
if the video was a full reel with all of your characters and work i would prefer that to be first
That video, IMO, moves way too slow and shows way too little. Show wires and breakdowns - the drifting camera thing isn't doing your art any favors. It's a time vampire...
It really takes some clicking to look at least at few of your works. You don't need those smaller images redirecting to image itself. Make it easy for people to see your art. Your work is good. Focus on it.
You've got good pieces, but I feel like it takes too long to see an actual full image of one of your pieces. When I click on a character, it should bring me to a full page of screenshots of it. Not a thumbnail page in which images take too long to load.
But hey, look at me talking when my portfolio is a basic ugly flavors.me template :P
Viewing images takes too long. Webpage has taste else, pictures are too small tho, well everything too small in general. Seems to be fine stuff else
Im not impressed at your first video that you put in my face, maybe rethink that. Dont do close up shots from lowpoly trees with no detail (0:00-0:15+-)
Thanks for the feed back. I think from reading these I need to find a larger layout so I don't need to use thumbnails. That will reduce the amount of clicking that people seem to feel is too much. And probably need to make a faster paced video for the front page with more than one character.
Im not a character artist so I cant really say professional critique on your work, but...Your highpoly models looks really good and detailed to me, but unfortunately the lowpolies arnt really give back that detail level on some of your characters. Maybe just the lighting or the specular isnt the best. Also, you should show more and bigger images. Maybe wireframes would be good too. And some technical stuff like how much triangles and how big textures you used. And one more thing that hurts me a little. I cant close the pictures with the escape button so the viewer must scroll to the side to click to the X. This is a little annoying to me, but maybe just to me. Anyway, good job!
Mm, there's some older work amongst newer work, so I can agree that some of the models do kinda suck in terms of baking quality and general textures. You can actually just click anywhere on the image to close it too. :c Maybe I should write that somewhere.
Viewing images takes too long. Webpage has taste else, pictures are too small tho, well everything too small in general. Seems to be fine stuff else
Im not impressed at your first video that you put in my face, maybe rethink that. Dont do close up shots from lowpoly trees with no detail (0:00-0:15+-)
Mm, so needs less clicking and probably bigger layout. Mmmm, I think the video is pretty love or hate for some. I was going for this mysterious kinda feel xD. Like wanted to try place you in the envoirment with the creature, and not have it feel like it's just a monster spinning around in nothing with wire frames flying on it. But then again, I suppose employers will want to see how I constructed it and my topology.
only 2 things i would prefer would be for the page to go straight to the portfolio section instead of the video and for your icons / thumbs to give me a better idea of what im looking at before i click on it
if the video was a full reel with all of your characters and work i would prefer that to be first
Okay, seems to be a repeating piece of criticism, less clicking. xD
That video, IMO, moves way too slow and shows way too little. Show wires and breakdowns - the drifting camera thing isn't doing your art any favors. It's a time vampire...
Mmm, the thing about the video is I wanted to try make the character all mysterious and stuff. But I can agree about being a 'time vampire', I suppose a HR staff whom have been looking at folios all day wouldn't want to sit through my 3 minute video lol.
It really takes some clicking to look at least at few of your works. You don't need those smaller images redirecting to image itself. Make it easy for people to see your art. Your work is good. Focus on it.
Mm, I think I'm going to change to a bigger layout after reading through these.
You've got good pieces, but I feel like it takes too long to see an actual full image of one of your pieces. When I click on a character, it should bring me to a full page of screenshots of it. Not a thumbnail page in which images take too long to load.
But hey, look at me talking when my portfolio is a basic ugly flavors.me template :P
Again, I think I should find a bigger template so I don't need thumbnails and can just display the actual images with an option to zoom in.
I'd strongly recommend getting rid of the videos entirely. They don't show anything useful that is not shown better with static images. There is also far too much filler in every video - a slow fade in and long periods of viewing something other than the character.
As a character artist, you are selling your characters. Concentrate on creating still images that present your characters in an appealing manner, and also present images that show the underlying structure - wireframes and texture sheets. Since you're already using Unreal for the videos, I'd recommend using Unreal as the rendering engine for your still images.
Remember to include your name and contact information on EVERY image - you want to make it easy for the art director to find you.
The thumbnails overall do not represent the characters. For many characters, a head shot or a full-body shot is best, but at any rate the viewer should know what to expect from the thumbnails.
It takes too long to get to your actual art. After stopping your video immediately, it takes 3 clicks to get to any actual art shots. Simplify! This is a template that gets pushed pretty often http://dan-art.com/SimpleSite.html And also take a look at someone like Hazardous' portfolio: http://www.hazardousarts.com/ It's immediately clear what he does, and if I want more info or bigger shots, I can click. You also might want to back out your thumbnails to show more of what the art actually is. I clicked a skull I liked and it turns out it was just a part of a much bigger character.
It takes too long to get to your actual art. After stopping your video immediately, it takes 3 clicks to get to any actual art shots. Simplify! This is a template that gets pushed pretty often http://dan-art.com/SimpleSite.html And also take a look at someone like Hazardous' portfolio: http://www.hazardousarts.com/ It's immediately clear what he does, and if I want more info or bigger shots, I can click. You also might want to back out your thumbnails to show more of what the art actually is. I clicked a skull I liked and it turns out it was just a part of a much bigger character.
As you said you need to fill up the spaces or at least delete the squares you don't have work for yet.
And I also had a facebook profile link on mine before that I deleted, cause really facebook is more for friends and linkedin for professional social networking.
When you went into mine at one point you did see a picture of a friend of mine naked on the couch, I don't think man ass sells you to a company or client
Maybe add a resume page where people can read it and then save it out.
It kinds sounds of stupid typing it out but i've thought it whenever i've watched any of your videos. Your sculpts are great, the proportions are great, the creativity is great and the quality is great. The thing i don't like is that there is too much, it's like you think everything has to have lots of detail when in reality i think you need to give more rest for the eye so that we can focus on some of your nice high poly sculpting. I don't really have much crits for the site i'm afraid, i'm not too good at that stuff myself. good luck dude and keep up the youtube vids please :P
Replies
only 2 things i would prefer would be for the page to go straight to the portfolio section instead of the video and for your icons / thumbs to give me a better idea of what im looking at before i click on it
if the video was a full reel with all of your characters and work i would prefer that to be first
But hey, look at me talking when my portfolio is a basic ugly flavors.me template :P
Im not impressed at your first video that you put in my face, maybe rethink that. Dont do close up shots from lowpoly trees with no detail (0:00-0:15+-)
Mm, there's some older work amongst newer work, so I can agree that some of the models do kinda suck in terms of baking quality and general textures. You can actually just click anywhere on the image to close it too. :c Maybe I should write that somewhere.
Mm, so needs less clicking and probably bigger layout. Mmmm, I think the video is pretty love or hate for some. I was going for this mysterious kinda feel xD. Like wanted to try place you in the envoirment with the creature, and not have it feel like it's just a monster spinning around in nothing with wire frames flying on it. But then again, I suppose employers will want to see how I constructed it and my topology.
Okay, seems to be a repeating piece of criticism, less clicking. xD
Mmm, the thing about the video is I wanted to try make the character all mysterious and stuff. But I can agree about being a 'time vampire', I suppose a HR staff whom have been looking at folios all day wouldn't want to sit through my 3 minute video lol.
Mm, I think I'm going to change to a bigger layout after reading through these.
Again, I think I should find a bigger template so I don't need thumbnails and can just display the actual images with an option to zoom in.
As a character artist, you are selling your characters. Concentrate on creating still images that present your characters in an appealing manner, and also present images that show the underlying structure - wireframes and texture sheets. Since you're already using Unreal for the videos, I'd recommend using Unreal as the rendering engine for your still images.
Remember to include your name and contact information on EVERY image - you want to make it easy for the art director to find you.
The thumbnails overall do not represent the characters. For many characters, a head shot or a full-body shot is best, but at any rate the viewer should know what to expect from the thumbnails.
edit: Also it's been discussed recently in this thread: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122996 The validity of making a reel as a modeller. You may be better off with no reel, just images.
Thanks, based my new site off Hazardous's site. Still a few spaces to fill, but I think it's a lot better than the old clumped up together portfolio.
New: www.liamshaw3d.com (ctrl+f5 if old one still loads in your cache)
Old: www.liamshaw3d.com/index3.html
As you said you need to fill up the spaces or at least delete the squares you don't have work for yet.
And I also had a facebook profile link on mine before that I deleted, cause really facebook is more for friends and linkedin for professional social networking.
When you went into mine at one point you did see a picture of a friend of mine naked on the couch, I don't think man ass sells you to a company or client
Maybe add a resume page where people can read it and then save it out.