[Advice appreciated] Graduate Environment Art portfolio feedback

kierangoodson

Hello Polycount,

I'm a graduate environment artist looking to produce realistic environments and 3D assets within the games industry. I've been applying for positions since I graduated with First Class Honours 3 months ago.

I'd appreciate any feedback or advice regarding my portfolio or the process of getting 'a foot in the door' so I can become a stronger candidate for future opportunities. I've also left my LinkedIn below to hopefully connect with more of you on the platform. 

Many thanks,

Kieran Goodson
www.linkedin.com/in/kierangoodson
www.kierangoodson.com

JordanN

The two biggest things hurting your portfolio are the Cooper and the Padoga. 

I like that you animated your Car, but animation isn't the focus of Enivornment Art. The presentation is extremely dated, the up close shots aren't helping, I can still see visible geometry. 

The Padoga has ok modeling but texturing is non-existent. You mention you do plan on adding them in Substance Painter, but if you were applying for 3 months with the unfinished building, that shows huge red flags that you submitted something that is incomplete. 

You also need to decide right now if your art is actually meant for Games or for other stuff like Movies/Archviz. 

The Savanna is obviously meant to be done in a game engine, but that's only one piece. 

This may sound tough, but I would remove the Cooper and Padoga and start a new with two new pieces, if your goal is games.
Although I do believe your portfolio shows promise, but the quality bar necessary to get an Art job is incredibly high. 

College/University doesn't quite prepare you for that harsh reality, hence why I'm able to cite these problems in your work so easily. 

For reference, this is the type of quality you need to hit if you want to be a Games Environment Artist:

https://www.artstation.com/coreyhill

Take a look at his art. Study how he made his materials and models. Look at the presentation in all his scenes. You have to match that level to get the job.

kierangoodson

Hey @JordanN , 

Thank for your time and feedback.

You're correct in the sense that University really doesn't prep for the quality that's expected in the real world, and in my experience, didn't introduce me to many of the key pieces of software that I'll need. 

I'll hide both assets for now (but can still be found live at www.kierangoodson.com/3d) and definitely check out Corey's work in detail.

What did you find in my work that showed promise just out of interest?

Gannon

Definitely get more work in there, try to tailor pieces to the places you'd like to work. Some breakdowns of a few assets would be nice as well since you're a recent grad it'd be good to show you understand good UVs and topology.

kierangoodson

Working on exactly this. Developing my 3D prop workflow by learning the ropes of Substance Painter and understanding PBR and UV's in general. 
 Gannon said:

Definitely get more work in there, try to tailor pieces to the places you'd like to work. Some breakdowns of a few assets would be nice as well since you're a recent grad it'd be good to show you understand good UVs and topology.