Irons portfolio

IronHawk

Here it is

Please critique away. Thank you.

Things I think I should do and are already on my list.

1. Barrel and pallet probably shouldn't be linked as there not that strong on there own. Heck the barrier for that matter as well.

2. Textures should really be in a scene or at least tiled to show the spec and normals better.

3. Alley scene is still wip. Stopped to work on Fzero racer

- Iron

cholden

Good, easy layout. How about a resume?

Also, one additional strong piece would be great, particularly something game ready such as an Unreal level (or just a scene). You can check out the roboblitz for engine access.

MikeF

The pallet needs more definition in the diffuse, rite now it almost looks like plastic resin. Get some more grain in it

jgarland

All of your props look quite nice, and I could certainly see them in a game. However, I think one, cohesive scene would do wonders for your portfolio. The alleyway, storage room, and the lighthouse look nice, but they aren't very game-oriented.

As an environment artist, you may also be in charge of designing the layouts of levels and giving the scene an overall direction, depending on what studio you go to. Make a whole level that you might see in Counter-Strike, or Unreal. It may not be 100% necessary, but it will certainly impress your employers (and you'll have some full level creation experience under your belt).

As far as the layout of the portfolio goes, it looks great. It's easy to navigate, and your art is available in one place at once. I wouldn't change a thing.

Good luck on your search for employment. I'm sure you won't be looking long.

{scumworks}

Think some more "complex" work would add nicely. Tho portraying your texture skills, stuff like barrels, footballs and cardboxes (examples =D) shows very little of ones modelling capabilitys (as theyre basically standart primitives).

Other then that, it looks fine.

nitzmoff

I agree that you need some actual scenes if you want to get some environment work. Your work is nice, just needs more content.

A question about your subject matter though: Why model such boring things? When I look at a potential hire's portfolio and see a collection of crates, barrels and dumpsters I never get excited. On top of that, they're never memorable. A box is a box when I've seen a few portfolios in a given day. Folks that make barrels get jobs making barrels. Who wants to do that all day?

IronHawk

Cholden – Resume link is there but since you missed it I am going to bold it and up the font size a notch.

Moving forward I like the suggestion to do a scene in engine. I have a few UT levels and a small continent built up in NWN. Nothing next gen so I’ll go that direction next.

MikeF – I agree about the resin look. I’ll make another pass on that one.

Jgarland - Thanks for the compliments. Going to do a small level next based on what others have said as well.

Scumworks – I am going to really detail the normal maps on my FZero racer and will show off the high poly along with the low to start to fill that need. It’s a great suggestion to try some higher detail works. I think doing some mechanical hard surface models should help too. Thanks

Nitzmoff – Like I have told the others my next project is going to be an in engine scene. Thank you for the push in that direction. I picked those objects since there standard game items and were good practice for learning a good workflow for next gen props. My future works will be more focused on more interesting objects. I should say though I am a skater so those objects are interesting to me. I have skated all those objects at some point in my life. Who doesn’t like lipslides on j barriers, or Ollies over the 55 gal drum?

Emil Mujanovic

There's really not much I can say that hasn't been said already. But you have some great pieces in there, just pump out a scene and I think you'll be set.
Good luck man!

-caseyjones

Sean McBride

Looks pretty good man. I agree with everything said here so far.

My only addition is that i feel that the lighting on your normal/specular/diffuse texture maps (on the lower right) could be a whole lot better. Get some dramatic lighting going on. Something with two contrasting colors on each side. Something that really shows off that normal map and specular!

As it is right now i think the top left picture is the final result? its very flat (due to lighting) and not at all flattering to the textures you've painted. Even some more dramatic lighting on the other props could really pop out the detail you've put into them.

keep it up.

Mark Dygert

Good stuff, good layout, I think you need more. Also showing texture sheets for the props shown, as well as wire outlined on flat shaded geometry would be nice. The Light house scene is top notch, if you can pull off that composition with a few low poly scenes you'll be in great shape.

As for the alley scene you need to push just about everything in the scene. It's a generic alley scene and won't stand out apart from the other 101 alley scenes they'll look at.
- More dramatic lighting, it might be good to cast some long shadows down the middle of the scene, and change the main light source color to more of a sunset. Then add a secondary light, maybe above the door. Break up the two long straight shadows coming off of the buildings behind the camera. Buildings have all kinds of ledges, pipes and trim on their corners that will give you an interesting silhouette to work with and cast some better shadows. Shadows of people walking by or someone standing at the opening of the alley looking in would be a nice touch also.

- More junk, boxes, misc discarded items and more things on the walls like drain pipes, fire escape ledges, dirt, water marks, dumpster drippings and trash. Dumpsters are hardly ever placed back nice and neat after being emptied.

- The scene needs a boarder. No not a 15pt black line around the image, but use the clutter to frame the shot. The scene needs a cap visually keeping your eye from leaving the scene. You want people to focus on the props in the scene, giving the scene a "lid" built out of shadows, air conditioner pieces, pipes whatever you dream up, will help keep people looking at the center where your props are. By filling the edges of the scene with junk that is half in and half out of the viewing area you'll create a nice frame.


Good stuff Jesse, keep at it and you'll be in, in no time

cholden

I double-checked (even your html source code), there is no resume link. There are only links to JPG images and your email address links to the main index itself.

Mark Dygert

Everything looks fine in FireFox, but in IE it shows just as Cholden described, very weird.

adam

I like vig's suggestion. It's a good step in telling a story that your scene here could use. But, (!!!) if you're going to do an alley way dumpster scene this had better be killer. A lot of fledging env. monkeys will do a scene like this and just simply place a few props and call it a day. Please consider Vig's suggestions but also put yourself in that scene and see what sort of story, or stories, you can tell.

Go go go!

Mark Dygert

yup I couldn't agree with Adam more (mostly because he is agreeing with me). He brings up a great point tho, you need to help tell the overall game story and sell the scene history. I consider the story telling aspect of things semi mechanical and often dictated by someone else. Things you must contain in your scene for the game to work. Items the player must find or a path the player must be driven toward. Scene history is all about you and what you want to put in to help sell the scene. This along with story telling will drive you to create some really great stuff. I go nuts for scene history and really get into it. I give props personalities and try to give them emotion. Its all fine and good to have a pallet, but wouldn't you rather look at a towering stack of menacing pallets that look like they are about to smash you out of spite?

Start asking yourself questions.
- What kind of door is that? A restaurant? A warehouse? A back door to some night club? Could you crack the door open a wee bit, let some light spill out? If this door is the reason the player is coming to this alley how can you grab their attention with it?
- Does someone come out to this alley for a smoke break? Do they have a makeshift seat? what about a ashtray? Do they have a block to prop the door open with?

- Depending on what kind of place is behind that door determines what kind of trash they toss. Do they recycle? Does the dumpster ever overflow? Are there other cans that get placed here for pick up? How does the garbage man get his truck in this alley so he can lift this dumpster over his truck and into the back? Would he be so careful to push it back where it belongs?

- What would it look like if you cracked one of those dumpster lits partly open? maybe Vick the pizza guy has to put cinder blocks on top of the dumpster to keep animals out?

- What about Hobart the bum that hides his personal effects behind the dumpster?

- Does this alley have a connecting alley to it on the right side? How can you light the scene and arrange the junk to let the player know that?

IronHawk

Casey - thanks for the encouragement bro. If you end working in the midwest dude you have to come up
to Mpls for a skatepark tour.

Sean - Thanks for the crits. I'll take a another look at the lighting and try to get that stuff
to pop more. I'll be taking the crits from Adam and Vig along with yours and put more work into that scene.


Cholden - thanks for discovering IE isnt working for my site.
Damn I'm a newb for not checking that. Going to fix this pronto.

Vig - fantastic paintover. I really like your suggestion to form a border in the composition. Great ideas on
telling a story as Adam also mentioned. I'll be working further on this scene soon.

Adam - Your article came out the same time I hit my stopping point on this scene. I am going to take your
suggestions along with Vigs and push this hard.

Thanks again fellas. Time to throw down.

Mark Dygert

One thing I like to do when starting my lighting passes, is render out a tiny thumbnail, its the same as stepping back or squinting at your art to see what the major color blocks and shapes are doing. Suddenly that stack of barrels is a big block of color doing something much more than the single pieces could do on their own. It's kind of like using fertilizer to burn "U SUCK" into someones front yard, only you don't realize what it says until you go stand on the roof.

This helps greatly with lighting because it lets you see where your focus is and it renders faster, making little changes possible. They are making this easier in Max2008 with the Review feature, going to be great.

IronHawk

cool technique and thanks again Vig. I just fixed those issues with IE for my site.

Funny you should mention burning lawns. My bachelor party involved drawing things in the backyard with gas and lighting them on fire. It's good I have an understanding wife. lol