Portfolio feedback greatly appreciated.

Notes

I've just graduated from the Art Institute and have finally got a portfolio ready to go. I would really appreciated if I could get some feedback on quality, content, and or layout. Pieces that should not be in there...more or less of something....
Just wanted a quick look over by the community before I start submitting to potential companies...
thanks alot everyone...and thanks to Polycount for teaching me what the school did not.

www.Notes3d.net

Brian "Panda" Choi

Take out the ABout Thumbnail on the Front page. No need for that to be the first thing to see when someone's trying to find your art. Just have that as one of the page link above.

Overall, and I'm still fairly new to this myself, looks like a decently strong portfolio at the very least with the environments and vehicles. Part of me feels like you could compress and organize everything better by project, which in this case, seems to be the environments, so lumping breakdowns of the CAT vehicle and Forklift in that one project environment scene.

Shrike

First about your website, essentially it is fine layout wise. Just dont write your about text as big and in all upper case letters. If that font is like that, take another one. Also dont use a stroke on such text. In your vehicules area, you use black strokes, which look a lot better than the grey counterparts on your main page.

Your environments look good, there is room for improvement however. In general I would say texturing is your weakest point. Look up on visual noise. Don t just put detail everywhere, you need clean and high frequency places. Theres just way too much noise in most of your things. Also you need to use proper edge highlighting / drybrushing. The flat surfaces don't get as much detail, the edges do.

Also give your castle environment a new floor texture, that really kills it.

From the vehicles, id definitely cut the drivable civic, it looks rushed, the presentation is not that well, and you got aliasing and is just not on the level of the rest.

For the tank, choose picture nr 3 or 4 for your thumbnail, your current one is giving no good impression

Your starcraft door looks 100% steampunk and 0% sci-fi actually. There is the most obvious texturing problem.

I now see your demo reel, it is nice that your stuff is animated and such, maybe put it first if it contains all the important data and things you cannot see on the images

Notes

Thanks for the feedback guys...
I've changed the font and moved the about me banner to the resum

BradMyers82

Being that your a recent grad, people will sorta expect stuff to look pretty amateurish. Also it is said you are only as strong as your weakest piece. That being said I think its really important you highlight your strong points and totally hide your weak-points.

You have a lot of work you are showing... too much actually. I would focus on environments since that seems to be your main passion and strong point. I would definitely cut the character section. If an employer asks, "hey can you make characters?" You can always show them that, but I'm telling you... showing you can kinda pull off a little of everything is not good. Better to just not show weak stuff. You just want to be really awesome in one area.

I agree with Shrike, about the texturing 100%. Its actually really hard to tell what it is I'm looking at when I see that large cat mech guy. Its because he is detailed out like exactly the same everywhere, with no where for the eye to rest. I actually like that tank the most, because although its pretty simple, everything reads much better on it.

As for what I think you need to work on most... Actually I don't think texturing is top priority, its probably lighting and materials. I notice that your environments sorta have this old school vibe going, like overly basic generic look. Please don't take offense to this, because I feel that actually with a little more work you could make it worlds better. I would work on making stronger more dynamic light sources, take advantage of all the engine effects, and stamping in details and stuff, also try to really nail your materials. Particularly strive to get metal to look correct. I notice that your metal stuff doesn't really have strong specular highlights anywhere.

For a recent grad I think your doing awesome man, which is why I'm taking the time to write this. Just keep at it, and post a wip scene or something here for crits as you go as your next piece. I would love to see it! Good luck!

[edit] Check out Snefer's stuff for motivation, He has posted a bunch of videos of him working too which I'm sure would be really helpful too. http://www.torfrick.com/

Notes

Thanks for the feedback Brad...also don't worry about offending me. I've learned that critiques are not personal, they are to improve the art. Im working on the CAT Vehicle at the moment.
But taking out the character section; Im maybe 50/50 about it...On one hand Ive been told to show your best and leave out the weak when applying for big studios...but smaller ones would like to know that you can be a bit of a generalist. Not too sure one this one...