[Portfolio] Nathan B - Aspiring Environment Artist

nathanbarrett

Hi all,

First time asking for feedback on here for my portfolio!

So I've finally graduating and I'm currently looking for a job! My portfolio can be found by clicking HERE

I'm looking for feedback on how to make it more attractive and how to make myself look more employable! I've emailed about 30 companies already but with no luck.

All feedback welcome, thanks

Shrike

Overall its pretty decent, there are many things to improve but I dont want to go into detail. I would pump another mesh like you shotgun, (Which is looking good)
Get something detailed and well done and well presentated as addition to show off your modeling skills

A company has an art director to fix your lighting and composition or taste, but he cant replace your modeling, so flex your muscles there with a really well made prop that shows that you are worthy.

I would take the film udk scene out probably, it drags the rest down. Presentation overall is fine.

Also what really grinds my gears is the top of your webpage. This welcome text needs to go and these FB twitter buttons need to be on the right and be replaced with your name "logo" , you need a proper name on top left or middle somehow.

EvanL

Robiq has got to go. Not only is it your leading piece (which suggests the one you think is best and it's not) it's filled with art from other people with no credit. You clearly have assets from Tor Frick's one texture scene blatantly copied over. And even your modular wall pieces are the exact replica of Philip Klevestav's modular tutorial at philipk.net.

If you're going to do something like this a credit is ABSOLUTELY needed. If you're going off of someone's tutorial, at least make an effort to come up with your own concept or even just modify it with your own style and taste. Definitely don't recommend using other people's assets directly.

Artists are constantly looking at the work of their peers to inspire and learn from. It's not even a risk. It will be noticed and it's not worth it.

You're lighting and composition needs work. I think it's completely acceptable to simply focus on polishing your models and textures and show them separately rather than in a scene. If you're going to do a full scene, definitely take some time to work on your lighting and material definition.

nick2730

Like EvanL it's very easy to spot it

RailbladerX

Also I would like discourage you from using videos. just give multi screen shots. A lot of people I know who are in the industry say "don't use videos". just use stills. You want the people looking at you to get in and out as fast as possible.

nathanbarrett

EvanL wrote: »

Robiq has got to go.....

I totally get what you're saying, and you're spot on. My intention was never to steal assets from other people though; I always thought I'd included my acknowledgements on the site, but I obviously didn't. They're there now. The only reason I included this project was because it was created for my dissertation and I did all of the scripting and level design etc. myself.

Could you elaborate on my lighting and composition needing work at all? I don't understand what pieces you're referring to. Thanks for the feedback

EvanL

So in some of your weaker scenes, you have a tendency to produce milky lighting and atmosphere that blows out the scene. Try to think about your foreground, midground, and background. Some of shots everything just seems muddled.

Also try to think about your light sources. How intense are there, where are they placed, and knowing this how much should it affect the scene. You have some light sources that are too intense for what it is, some lights that don't match the intensity of their light sources, and some inexplicable lighting that makes me wonder where is it coming from?

Some of your volumetric effects are also too harsh. Take a closer look at volumetric lighting and try to emulate it. It looks like you're looking at Tor Frick's and vahl's scene. I'd also suggest Jordan Walker's bathhouse. Study how they do lighting, effects, and post process and understand why they made those choices.

For material definitions, make sure they read as they should. Your shotgun isn't too bad. Some of your other materials just read as noise and grunge.

Some of your scenes aren't too bad. A bit of tweaking on them would go a long way. I'd still get rid of the last 2, unless you really go back and re-work them. If you want to show scripting and level design, why not make your mario scene playable and demo that? What Robiq shows about you art wise isn't going to help you especially if you're looking for an art position.

Don't let this get you down. Just keep plugging away!

DWalker

The text to the left of the portfolio pieces is cropped even in full-screen on my laptop. Move the important stuff (i.e. your name and title) to a banner at the top of the site and drop the rest. "Hello, my name is.." is only important when followed immediately by "Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

The shotgun overall feels rushed or like a work-in-progress. The trigger assembly is exceptionally thick and doesn't match the proper shape, while the safety seems to be a button. The metal for shotguns is almost always blued; it should be much darker overall, possibly with some brighter areas on sharp edges where the blueing has rubbed away. I'd also lose the tape and the tally marks on the stock; if you want to add visual interest, then add a checkered pattern to improve the grip. You should also add a rubber pad to the butt. On your specular map, the color of the wooden sections should be the inverse of the diffuse to give the correct color to the highlights.