Environment Artist Portfolio Tips

Z_G

Hello, everyone,

I am looking for my first job in the industry as an environment artist. I have decided to create this post to ask you for some tips, if possible.

I leave you here my artstation webpage: https://www.artstation.com/z_rgb

Any comments and criticism will be welcome.

Thank you all in advance.

KatharinaSuhany

Hello there!
I think you made some good progress over your portfolio pieces, good job!
I would maybe consider to remove some of the first pieces you made in your portfolio - they are not as strong as the newer ones.
Also I would show some of the wireframes (and if you want also the unwrap/ texture) if you are showing props so that everyone can see how you handle edge flow etc.
And finally, I would maybe show a different angle of the forest scene. The render somehow does not look as good as the texture shown below and I would also consider showing some of the plants - as far as I understand the scene was build with plants in mind.  
Hope that helps!

Z_G

Hi, KatharinaSuhany

Thank you very much for your reply! It is comforting to have comments, whether negative or positive.

I agree with what you say and I will implement changes to my portfolio based on these tips.

Thanks again and good luck to you too.

poopipe

Your work looks pretty solid to me. 
What it's missing is storytelling and life - The scenes are too clean and clinical - they are like archvis rather than game art. 
 you need to add a layer of history to everything - used coffee cups, spills, napkins etc.  Anything that shows people have been there and used the spaces.  You don't have to wreck everything,  just make sure the viewer knows that they've been used

Z_G

Hello, poopipe

Thanks a lot for your reply!

I think your comment is very interesting. I guess I have to think from the perspective of why a video game character would want to go to a certain environment. What is interesting about the environment? What does a hypothetical character intend to find there? What is the player supposed to feel going there?

Thanks again. I will work on my next scenes taking into account the advice you give me.

YF_Sticks

Hey man,

I think you're on the right track, it just needs more repetition. You know the basics of constructing an environment, so now it's going in there and pushing further. Compare your work (critically and constructively) with people who already work in the games industry. Try to reach that quality. The higher you aim, the better your standard will get. 

From looking at your work (only looking at the ones in Unreal Engine, because they count), your texturing and lighting needs a lot more polish and attention to detail. That will come, just keep at it. Lighting needs a lot of practice. Study concept art and good photography to learn some of the basics and also check out some art fundamental videos on youtube. 

The process takes time, you're doing good!

zachagreg

In which industry? Because currently it looks like you are shooting for the arch vis industry. Which if that's the case YF_Sticks is right on track. Needs maybe one or two more environments and some really nice close ups of some interesting props. Major thing to look into is that the folds and material treatment looks generic. It looks like maybe there was a cloth sim or maybe sculpted but not in a way that gives the asset any character.

The forest scene is the lowest quality on your portfolio currently and isn't doing you any favors for getting into archvis. If you're looking more into games rather than archvis I would take this scene and update it to the standard of current games. Most of your assets for that scene will probably need to be redone in that case. There isn't anything particularly wrong with it computationally just in the execution. Stones look marshmallowey, the AO is super intense, trees are very cylindrical and flat.

In the same way you will also need more pieces tailored to games and possibly to a specific studio you would want to work at.

Z_G

Hey, YF_Sticks

Thank you for your response and for the encouragement!

I will follow your recommendations and also look for those concept art, photography and art fundamentals studies.

Hello, zachagreg,

Thanks for your reply!

I think your comments are very accurate.  I will improve my portfolio by following your advice.

Eric Chadwick

Moving this from Career & Education to 3D Art Showcase & Critiques, where portfolio feedback belongs.

If you have questions about how to get into games, manage your career, etc. then Career & Education makes sense. But for art crits, this section is better.

Lewis_kennedy

since you're an Environment Artist I'd suggest adding in a few more pictures of just your individual models layout next to each other kind of like this. just so people can get a clearer look at the individual pieces to show your modelling skills. you've got some nice work, you just need to show it off a bit more with a few more pictures and some breakdowns of wireframes and textures. also for your forest scene since it's Unreal I'd suggest increasing the lightmap resolution a decent bit to get some sharper and higher definition shadows also some world displacement tessellation on the bricks to make them look less flat, but overall good work, just needs more game focused scenes and maybe just some individual assets on their own to show off modelling and texture skills.