Kinda got my portfolio ready for now..but no idea what to do next

D_Choi

I quit my job few years ago and decided to study 3D art. It was a rough road picking up some random tutorials, learn new things, make ugly pieces but it was fun. I focused on game characters and finished some of them recently, now I'm at the situation that I have to make money and get experience from real world but I'm not sure how things work. I can see some of job postings but there isn't many of modelling positions I can apply and it always say some years of experience needed
I found lists of game companies in my area (Vancouver), can I just email them anyway? I feel a bit embarrassed I don't have much to fill in my resume argh......
btw, this is my portfolio link - https://www.artstation.com/dchoi

JudeMarv

I was in the same situation as you a few years back. I left my job and spent a couple of months learning art on my own. I had no experience in the industry so I just decided to put my skills and abilities on my resume, as well as my previous unrelated jobs (I was a web developer). I applied to as many places as I could and attended some job fairs. Eventually some studios started contacting me with job offers. I think in the end it simply boils down to your portfolio. Hope that helps. Good luck! Also, my team at EA is looking for character artists at the moment. If you haven't already, apply online.

D_Choi

JudeMarv said:

I was in the same situation as you a few years back. I left my job and spent a couple of months learning art on my own. I had no experience in the industry so I just decided to put my skills and abilities on my resume, as well as my previous unrelated jobs (I was a web developer). I applied to as many places as I could and attended some job fairs. Eventually some studios started contacting me with job offers. I think in the end it simply boils down to your portfolio. Hope that helps. Good luck! Also, my team at EA is looking for character artists at the moment. If you haven't already, apply online.

oh, hello! thank you for the advice! and... it feel so weird cuz I learned from your tutorial and you're...here! love your works! I'm going for EA website now! 

PixelMasher

yea man, your work looks like its coming along. I would start to spend more and more time networking with people in van via DM on artstation, just search by area, ask for advice and just make friends it will help in the long run for sure! go to local CG related meetups and start putting yourself out there if you are not already. One connection can make a huge difference. 

I just finished writing a huge 3.5k word article on the subject I will publish soon, and ill come back to drop a link here if you think it would be of value. Good luck on the hunt man, just be patient and keep making art even as you search, your portfolio is never "done"

pmiller001

When i dont know what to do next, i ask for critiques on my portfolio. Like pixelmasher say, your portfolio is never really done

slosh

Yea, you just keep working on new pieces man.  Your work is very solid for someone who hasn't been in the industry.  One thing that I noticed is that on 3 of your 4 characters, there is not highres screenshot.  I might add those in.  And while your work is solid, it's not blowing me away either...keep cranking!  I wouldn't just email random studios but go ahead and apply even if a job says "needs experience."  Some studios may have a need for jr artists or other roles you might fill.  You never know.  Good luck!

D_Choi

PixelMasher said:

yea man, your work looks like its coming along. I would start to spend more and more time networking with people in van via DM on artstation, just search by area, ask for advice and just make friends it will help in the long run for sure! go to local CG related meetups and start putting yourself out there if you are not already. One connection can make a huge difference. 

I just finished writing a huge 3.5k word article on the subject I will publish soon, and ill come back to drop a link here if you think it would be of value. Good luck on the hunt man, just be patient and keep making art even as you search, your portfolio is never "done"

Thank you! would love to read your article! please share with us once you done It felt alone sitting in my room and watching tutorials. I think I'll start look into those meetups ASAP

D_Choi

pmiller001 said:

When i dont know what to do next, i ask for critiques on my portfolio. Like pixelmasher say, your portfolio is never really done

Yeah, it's a good point, especially in my situation

D_Choi

slosh said:

Yea, you just keep working on new pieces man.  Your work is very solid for someone who hasn't been in the industry.  One thing that I noticed is that on 3 of your 4 characters, there is not highres screenshot.  I might add those in.  And while your work is solid, it's not blowing me away either...keep cranking!  I wouldn't just email random studios but go ahead and apply even if a job says "needs experience."  Some studios may have a need for jr artists or other roles you might fill.  You never know.  Good luck!

Hey...saw your work many times! amazing works and thank you for the advice! Yeah I think I need to work a lot harder to make mind blowing works, hopefully I keep try and might get there someday. btw, is it witcher character you talking about? I though I used same res images for all my portfolio but I'll definitely check that out., Thanks!

slosh

D_Choi said:

slosh said:

Yea, you just keep working on new pieces man.  Your work is very solid for someone who hasn't been in the industry.  One thing that I noticed is that on 3 of your 4 characters, there is not highres screenshot.  I might add those in.  And while your work is solid, it's not blowing me away either...keep cranking!  I wouldn't just email random studios but go ahead and apply even if a job says "needs experience."  Some studios may have a need for jr artists or other roles you might fill.  You never know.  Good luck!

Hey...saw your work many times! amazing works and thank you for the advice! Yeah I think I need to work a lot harder to make mind blowing works, hopefully I keep try and might get there someday. btw, is it witcher character you talking about? I though I used same res images for all my portfolio but I'll definitely check that out., Thanks!

Sorry, I meant images of the high poly sculpt, not the resolution of the images themselves.

D_Choi

slosh said:

D_Choi said:

slosh said:

Yea, you just keep working on new pieces man.  Your work is very solid for someone who hasn't been in the industry.  One thing that I noticed is that on 3 of your 4 characters, there is not highres screenshot.  I might add those in.  And while your work is solid, it's not blowing me away either...keep cranking!  I wouldn't just email random studios but go ahead and apply even if a job says "needs experience."  Some studios may have a need for jr artists or other roles you might fill.  You never know.  Good luck!

Hey...saw your work many times! amazing works and thank you for the advice! Yeah I think I need to work a lot harder to make mind blowing works, hopefully I keep try and might get there someday. btw, is it witcher character you talking about? I though I used same res images for all my portfolio but I'll definitely check that out., Thanks!

Sorry, I meant images of the high poly sculpt, not the resolution of the images themselves.

Oh, yeah that's a good point! Thanks! I'll update that!

ToffeeApple

Yep send out those speculative emails to all the companies you are interested in. Even if they don't have work right now if they think you could be a good fit for the future sometimes they will email you saying keep us up to date with your work - that way now you are building some potential contacts. But if you don't receive an email back from them - still don't be discouraged - watch their website for job opportunities opening up. Makesure you apply to everything you see on job boards or company websites. And apply again if you don't get it. You need to be investing a couple of hours every other day in job hunting - as that job you don't apply to could be the one that you would have got.

Also if you feel you lack experience - pick up some freelance work - that will bulk out your CV. Keep checking the polycount jobs section or Unity Connect or other game engine job boards - that's where I find my freelance work (I'm a full-time freelancer). And trust me it really helps when you go to interview and can list several games you have worked on already even though it's not AAA and more indie. And yeah as mentioned previously get to networking events - I got a job that way once, my friend did on another occasion. So where to find networking events - again Polycount meetup, try the website 'Meetup' I found an Unreal event in London that way. Also there are facebook game dev groups in my area who meetup now and again. You just have to keep meeting people and then those people will say hey come along to this other meetup. Good Luck!

D_Choi

ToffeeApple said:

Yep send out those speculative emails to all the companies you are interested in. Even if they don't have work right now if they think you could be a good fit for the future sometimes they will email you saying keep us up to date with your work - that way now you are building some potential contacts. But if you don't receive an email back from them - still don't be discouraged - watch their website for job opportunities opening up. Makesure you apply to everything you see on job boards or company websites. And apply again if you don't get it. You need to be investing a couple of hours every other day in job hunting - as that job you don't apply to could be the one that you would have got.

Also if you feel you lack experience - pick up some freelance work - that will bulk out your CV. Keep checking the polycount jobs section or Unity Connect or other game engine job boards - that's where I find my freelance work (I'm a full-time freelancer). And trust me it really helps when you go to interview and can list several games you have worked on already even though it's not AAA and more indie. And yeah as mentioned previously get to networking events - I got a job that way once, my friend did on another occasion. So where to find networking events - again Polycount meetup, try the website 'Meetup' I found an Unreal event in London that way. Also there are facebook game dev groups in my area who meetup now and again. You just have to keep meeting people and then those people will say hey come along to this other meetup. Good Luck!

Such a nice advice! Thank you!