Help with my portfolio
Hello fellow artists. So I am trying to break into the game industry a little more and for some reason I am struggling to find anything. I have been told my qualifications are there but I am still not finding anything. I am starting to think that it maybe either the quality of my art or maybe even the portfolio itself. What are your guys thoughts? I have been told that your only as good as your worst piece, but even I can't figure out what my worse piece is.
Please help, any critiques are welcome.
benjaminnolan.com
Thanks everyone!
Please help, any critiques are welcome.
benjaminnolan.com
Thanks everyone!
Replies
*EDIT*
I feel I should go a bit more in depth in some of the exact problems that I see.
One thing is that most of your images are smaller than 1920 x 1080. Most people's monitors are now at least 1080p. Render out some larger screen shots.
The Wires on the Castle Seige wall could use better placed geo. If you are going to be using vertex painting you need to spread the polys a bit more evenly over the surface, if not you need to collapse the wasted geo you have there.
The gun in Zbrush Props look super low poly, but the wires reveal some wasted geo in areas that could be avoided.
The Abandon Mine level is using UE4, but it isn't taking advantage of the PBR shaders at all.
I agree with nooscence, I think you need to update some of your environments, I think the homestead is probably the best looking one out of them all. In the mine piece the rock stands out as something that could be improved, you could probably sculpt quite a nice rock formation which would add a lot more interest
Are you using PBR?
Are you using Unreal 4 / Unity 5 / MarmTB 2/ etc?
Are you baking meshes down from a high-rez?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then I very strongly suggest researching those topics. If the answer to all of those questions is no, then I would look into another industry that lets you 3D model and pay the bills while working on picking up some new skills.
You gotta ask yourself man, is my portfolio as good as the portfolios of artists working in the industry right now. Think of a game studio you want to work for and research the artists who work there and look at their folios. Make stuff until your work is as good as theirs man. Research new pipelines, use new software.
In a nutshell dude, the work on your folio couldn't fit in any modern game. It's simply too dated looking and isn't using current pipelines for authoring game art. Keep at it though man, there are so many amazing tools for the artist these days that it's astounding. Spend the time looking in to how current gen art is created man and then make stuff and you will get there dude. Keep posting work on here. Best of luck!
Also, if the people that said you have the qualifications were professors, they should be drawn and quartered.
I think the lay out is really good but i feel there is alot more work that needs to be done, but that's the joy of art isn't it, nothing is ever done :
Here are some thoughts just off the top of my head, and I'll break down your pieces individually.
I feel you really need to push your material properties
What is your passion what are you trying to do, your portfolio is kinda everywhere.
Why are you using UDK, UE4 is free and better.
HomeStead:
But by far your best piece is the homestead
but you have some texture stretching on the main frame of the house, also everything has the same spec values which looses all the cool texture detail that could be there. The wood on the side of the house is kinda throwing me I feel there are way to many individual wood beams usually they are staggered if they have to use multiple boards to create the wood facade.
I love that its a swamp but i think you need to spend some more time on the trees it feels like a static jumble that detracts for the scene. i also feel that you could do alot with atmospherics with this scene, create a video show that the world is alive and has a story.
also show me the other assets in the scene i see wide shots of the house and the boat....but lets get close up....and show me all the other meshes made that give the scene a story on that note i feel like you could push this more.
Walk in the Rain:
I'm confused why is it raining with blue skys? Nothing really appears wet and the rain effect looks like a screen overlay. You don't have enough rain contact effects to sell the rain. Also the lighting appears as if its floating...I'm unsure what they are. I really feel this scene would benefit greatly from a video.
Castle Under Siege:
Everything seems really low res here and I am unsure what the grey splotches are that are on the archway. the Siege engine could use some love the textures feel rather low res.
Abandoned Mine:
your railway planks seem to have some shading issues due to the fact that some of them appear almost black.The rail way tracks should continue off scene. I am unsure what the yellow block is, I feel you need to work on the transition with the mine entrance and the grass.
Props & Zbrush:
I would take this part off or create some really awesome new stuff
Professional Work:
what did you do for this it is unclear to me.
Please don't take this as me being mean i think there is alot of promise here I would defiantly bring the Homestead into UE4 and push the textures and i feel you have something that is awesome! Are you currently working on any new assets that you plan on putting up?