Please critique my portfolio

kevingamerartist

Hi everyone,
I'm aspiring to become an Environment Artist, or even begin as a Prop Artist in the game industry. I would like some feedback on some objects that I have built so far. Before I upload the pictures I have one question, when rendering the images in Maya should I render using Maya Software, or using Mental Ray instead?

Also when I upload the pictures, feel free to critique on what you all think. Please be honest and let me know what could be improved to help improve my work such as adding more details to my textures such as scratches, wear, etc., or anything else.

Thanks!

Bartalon

You should probably render in a real-time engine like Marmoset Toolbag, Unity, Unreal Engine, etc. Mental Ray isn't used in games, and Maya software won't give you game-quality visuals without using custom shaders.

MephistonX

If you want to work in games, you really want to show real-time renders, so viewport shots, in engine shots, or other game renderers like marmoset. This way we can see what your models look like in the environment they are expected to work in.

kevingamerartist

Bartalon: Oh okay, I thought I read on different forums on the internet that the Mental Ray render in Maya shows what it's supposed to look like in game, but I guess not haha. I'm going to be using the Unreal Engine.

Although you say that I should render in Unreal, I have seen some artists use screenshots of what looks like the 3D software that they are using. Or are they taking screenshots of their characters or environment objects in the game engine that they are using?

kevingamerartist

MephistonX: Do you know of any game renderers like Marmoset that are free by chance?

Goeddy

the UDK is free, you will also learn a bit more about engines using UDK as you will have to construct your materials yourself.

https://www.unrealengine.com/products/udk/

Dethling

Also UE4 is "free", you only need to subscribe once, download it and then unscribe again.
You will not get any updates anymore but I think for 19€ it's a good deal.

Brian "Panda" Choi

@kevingamerartist: Most of the Polycount members, when displaying their work as it is in-progress, will just throw screenshots up from the 3D packages they are using, like ZBrush or Maya for example.

When final, beauty screenshots (i.e. What it is supposed to look like in a real video game), they will usually put it into a realtime rendering engine, preferrably one for a video game, like UE4, Unity, or renderers like Marmoset Toolbag 2.

kevingamerartist

@Dethling: I would totally switch to Unreal Engine 4 from the awesome deal they have for it, however I don't think the specs for my laptop could handle it.

@JadeEyePanda: I can put my work in-progress screenshots up and see what you all think. When I render from Maya to do this, should I use Maya Software or Mental Ray?

kevingamerartist

Also by the way thank you everyone for all the quick replies so far, I appreciate it a lot

Bartalon

It might be faster and more convenient for you to just take a shot from Maya's viewport in either High Quality of Viewport 2.0. If it's WIP, there's no sense in wasting time waiting for Mental Ray to render, especially if it's not even what you'll be rendering your final shots with.

kevingamerartist

Hey everyone sorry that I still haven't posted anything yet, I was super busy this past weekend. I'm going to try and post screenshots sometime this week.