Website/Portfolio Review

MasterJV

Hello all,

I finished my portfolio back in April and have been trying to find work since, but have had no luck so far.

It would be really great and appreciated if someone could give me feedback on my website/portfolio. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Maybe I need to improve more before going into Freelancing?

I'm still new to all of this and have never been the type of person to accept criticism so well, but I know you have to have a tough skin when it comes to these sort of things.

Here's the link to my portfolio: www.julianvermeulen3d.com

Again, any feedback/criticism on the website/portfolio is welcome.

Thank you,

Julian

Higuy

I'm not a big guy on criticism either man, but here is my first few thoughts when I looked at your portfolio:

1. More complete environments as opposed to just props. You should make environments, even if they are small, to put these props in. For example the mech, I could see that asset sitting in a nice environment built around it, such as a hangar or some kind of sci-fi room.

2. Perhaps try putting some of these props and environments in a game engine like Unreal or Unity. I noticed that the Smurf enviroment for example was rendered in Vray. While you may not be going for the level designer position or similar, you should show that you know how to build those environments in a game development package, using materials and the other real time features they come with.

3. Simply keep making stuff. You have 5 smallish, nicely refined props and 1 nicely built environment, but all of them feel a bit general. You have the skills for sure, you just need to go and apply them to make something that is really cool and will wow people when they look at it.

Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers
Lucas

PyrZern

The website itself is pretty ok. You can have the thumbnails larger horizontally then line them up-down. People are willing to scroll down to see more cool stuff. You can also add City/Town you're in as well as your email address to the frontpage.

I'd love to see more full environment pieces, or at least diorama. Make nice scenes for the battletech and the bridge and the catapult. Gonna look so dope. You can make an Armory and have various kinds of weapons in there as well !

MasterJV

Thanks Higuy, really appreciate the feedback.

I wanted to do full environments like the smurf room but some had told me to just make props because their easier to make and are quick. But like you said just make small awesome environments.

I do agree with you on learning a game engine. I've actually just recently started learning Unity and wanted to render all my future projects in there for presentation. Think I'll carry on with that and maybe come up with an environment idea at the same time

Thanks again for your feedback

Julian

MasterJV

@PyrZern, Yeah I was actually wondering if the thumbnails were too small, I like your idea of it being larger horizontal. And the Armory environment, something to think about and plan.

Thanks for feedback

CarlK3D

I can understand you would not like people tearing your work apart after spending alot of time to getting it look nice but even if you don't go back and fix peoples critiques you can still learn from what people think for future projects.

I'll dot point what I do or don't like, feel free to take or leave what you will.

- Theirs not much point having 2 links that go back to your home page. ie "Your name" and "Portfolio"

- Most employers don't have a lot of time to read through your info so Keep your Info to a minimum. All I see is a block of text x.x hurts my eyes, I need images

- Your background has 2 contrasting colors, the header (Black) and the body (White) it feels cheap to me, most people just go with 1 color or something not so contrasting.

- Something to remember is everyone can do props and most companies will employ an environment artist and get them to do props, atleast that's my understanding. so props like hard surface objects or weapons are generally specific to hard surface artists so you should focus your folio around the area you want/ can get a job in your location

- I like the Catapult, Kio Bridge & Crystal Staff but It would be far more impressive as part of a larger scene not a single prop. I know they take longer to put together but it might be something to work towards.

- Smurf Living Room looks cool but as Higuy has said try rendering in a game engine like Unreal, Unity, CryEngine or Marmoset Toolbag.

Most of your work seems to be pushing toward hand painted or mobile so focus on 1 area you like or can get work in, in your area. Hope this helps, good luck!

Tobbo

Your handpainted stylized stuff is really cool. Like others have already said, you need some environments or at the very least some dioramas of scenes.

The bridge is probably my favorite piece, I can only imagine if you took the time and made a scene with that same quality how awesome that could be.

Now then, I'm not a huge fan of the Doomhammer or the Mech.

The Doomhammer's material definition and textures are not the greatest. I'm also not a fan of the way you have it presented with a orange glow around the silhouette against a bright red background.

The Mech's model is cool but your first presentation shot of it isn't too appealing. The lighting is very flat and the background is just unnecessary and just feels dark, distracting, and out of place.

Remember your only as good as your weakest piece. Don't be afraid to cull stuff out and replace it with newer and better stuff. A portfolio is never really finished, just like your resume.

Personally I would pick up UE4 for $19 and then cancel the subscription and use that to showcase your dioramas and scenes. You can continue using it after the subscription expires without any future updates.

MasterJV

@CarlK3D, thanks very much for your feedback, some really good points you have there and will take them into consideration

@Tobbo, glad you like the bridge, it was in fact my first hand painted textured model. But also some really good points you have there, thanks. I do agree that a portfolio is never finished.

From what I'm getting so far is to make more environments and render them in a game engine, think I'm going to keep pushing towards more hand painted style, I really love that kind of artwork. Also, I think I should really spend time showcasing my WIP on here to get more feedback. I've always shy'd away from it but how am I going to improve if I don't get involved in the community.

So far you guys have been a really helpful and I appreciate that, thanks. Still open to more feedback

Shrike

The website itself looks good, nothing to say about that really

For the work, well you gotta sit down and push out some more assets, especially realistic ones. The work overall is alright for a junior I guess, but there is more you could make out of it. It looks like youre somewhat on the edge in terms of quality of execution, so Id recommend sit down and push out a couple new things, the new is always the best stuff, and youll have much greater chances. Also the mech needs to go definitely. Forget about hand painted. There are few games needing that and if you can do realistic, you can do hand painted aswell - employer logic

I wish you good luck

Torsoaril

Looking good and I have to agree with most of the feedback already given.

I would like to add that in the bridge concept you have a really nice breakdown of the topology and textures along with the final piece. Showing your working like this is really nice to see but you haven't gone into the same detail in your others for example your hammer is just one image which makes it feel empty.

MasterJV

@Shrike, I have been thinking about doing some realistic assets but some have said to pick a style and stick with it. But yeah I think I need to get more new stuff uploaded, like others have said, make some environments or dioramas. I need to improve more.

@Torsoaril, Thanks. With the hammer, I was pretty much just showing off my sculpting really. But you're right it could've been better in a scene or something.