Crit my Portfolio.

jsteinke79

Hey everyone,

I am relatively new to polycount, but thought that using it to get some criticisms on my portfolio would be great...

joey-stinks.com

This is my first website, and it is certainly a WIP. A few things that I am aware of are a couple of the links non-existent (the second and third tiles in row two), and I have no demo reel up at the moment.

I hope to have these corrected, more content up, and any other corrections that come up through this thread taken care of shortly.

Thanks in advance!!

Joe.

wizo

Hi Joe,

welcome to polycount!

Maybe you should change your web adresse with http://joey-doesnt-stink.com unless thats already taken because your Hi poly work looks cool!

You show nice knowledge about baking and modeling but I d really like to see something finished. Your website lacks color. Id put like a gray/desaturated color on the back ground and make colorfull props so that your work pop out. Right now, my eye doesnt really know where to go.

I would suggest to check out some unreal tutorials here: http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?p=951210 or http://hourences.com/book/tutorialsindex.htm

and learn about UE3 materials and texturing to push your work to push the presentation further.

Keep up the good work, you are on the right path.

Good luck.

ceebee

I'd recommend checking out some portfolios of people who have a fully developed portfolio, or ones that you think look nice, and examining the source code behind those. Your CSS looks a little messy, and it's barely noticeable that you use style sheets when the site is covered in images. I wouldn't use Dreamweaver if you are, as it usually spits out really crappy code. Instead search around for other less bloated WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get" functional similar to dreamweaver but less crappy) editors like TopStyle or just Notepad++.

The only images you should have on your site should only be a header for your name/title if you're using a more unique font and blending styles for some effects (right now they don't really compliment the text they just kind of make everything look blurry)
...and the thumbnails/main images for your portfolio pieces.

I'd recommend swapping out the navigation for a CSS navigation bar that you can style to fit your color scheme. These can also have rollovers but they won't be nearly as large filesize wise as image rollovers.

Also, definitely work on a different color scheme. Find a better one here: http://www.colorschemedesigner.com/

You want colors that are unified but also complimental. Dull red, bleak yellow, and grey isn't very appealing to the eye. I would get rid of the grey all together unless you're going to use a greyscale color scheme.

Other than that, I'd say pick a different thumbnail than the pencil sketch portrait or whatever it is on the front page to something a little better like the last building on your sketchbook page. Also, fix the background image so it either scales or tiles dynamically depending on the resolution, right now it ends right in the middle of my browser since I have a widescreen monitor (most people do these days).

Welcome to polycount by the way, hope this helps.

renderhjs

cant see shit in these renderings

use a better light setup,- add more brightness and color in the rendering. Instead of a white light maybe go for a light orange one that better fakes the sun warmth in the rendering.

some thumbnails like this one fail to work


all in all all you portfolio pieces lack COLOR, they are all just grey and at most just unfinished pieces.
Your resume is nicely structured just to say something nice.


So what to do?
- work on some textures
- make brighter (proper) renderings that are visually readable in shape and content
- fix the thumbnails
- maybe reduce the header logo (it takes like 30% of vertical space screen) - its simply to big
- change the button fonts (times new roman? - almost as bad as comic sans - never use that font every experienced designer will see that right away)
- rename "home" to portfolio or gallery - home is so 90's which is past

like anyone else that picks default windows fonts , here is a good free resource to get good fonts (not just fany, but actually readable and functional - which is more important as fancy in a portfolio)
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=501&page=1&nb_ppp_old=10&text=Type+your+text+here&nb_ppp=50&psize=xs&classt=pop

Snight

joey-stinks.com is a horrible URL for an artist trying to break into the industry. Keep it professional and just have "yourname.com". If you stink why would I want to look at your work or more so actually work with you?

Orgoth02

You need to texture A LOT more! Modeling will not get you a job. Why does it identify you as a Graphic Artist...I am not sure you know what a Graphic Artist is or does. If you submitt this to an employer it will get rejected. Change it to "3D Artist". And Snight is 100% right about the url name, it is a joke and I wouldn't even look at it.

BradMyers82

Yeah, I know you are probably trying to make something memorable with the url, but honestly; your url will only hurt you. I had the same issue with my first URL, and ended up switching it to a more standard version. It's sort of boring, but much better.

Anyways, I believe you CAN get a job with just high poly work, but your going to have to be amazing at it if you go this route. You would need work like X-Convict or Kevin Johnstone for example (look them up here on Polycount if you don't know them).
So yes, you should start texturing stuff more, checkout this tutorial for starters:
http://eat3d.com/texturing

Also, I suggest you start modeling more normal stuff instead of sci-fi for a little while. Trying making cars, helicopters, buildings etc. These sort of models you can get good references of, and people will be able to tell if you built them accurately. It's too subject to personal opinion when you model things that don't actually exist in reality. Especially when you are starting out.

Good luck man, and keep it up. It looks like your headed in the right direction.

jsteinke79

I would like to sincerely thank each of you for taking the time to critique my website. I agree with each point that was made, and have begun to revamp my website.

Brad, you were correct in that I was thinking that the URL would be catchy....this thread has proven otherwise, and I have already registered for JoeSteinke.com as its replacement.

I also realize that each prop should end up fully textured. I threw most of them up to have a bit of content, and am aware that they are not complete.

Thank you all for pointing me in the right direction, and I will continue to post my progress.

Joe.

(I would also like to apologize for not following forum etiquette and incorrectly titling my portfolio thread. I just got around to reading the rules thread.)

low odor

I doubt the Url matters....If someone like Pior had a portfolio @ www.usuckmonkeyballs.com he would have no problem getting a job...of course we can not all be Pior...but it goes to show you that your work is the most important.. just my 2 cents on that

The thing that struck me most about your work was the lack of color......

ceebee

I agree with the domain name. Who gives a shit as long as the content is good. I think what throws it off is it's an insult to yourself instead of some random gross phrase or something.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/ for example. Nobody cares about his domain because he's awesome at what he does.

BradMyers82

Not to take this thread off topic or anything, but when Ben Mathis made that site I think it was far less competitive in the game industry. Also, he has a really good reputation and he has successfully made this his logo so no one would really question it now.

Point being, with how hard it is to get a job in the games industry this day and age, you don't want anything that could potentially deter employers even if it is something as stupid as a url. While the url may not actually hurt him, it certainly won't help. And to be honest, people trying to break into the industry these days need all the help they can get. Anyways, I think its better to be safe then sorry and simply make a new url as jsteinke79 has apparently already done.

Mark Dygert

I seem to remember he also registered another url that was much more tame for just that reason. I forget what it was, but it was debated and he realized that even as mighty as the PoopInMyMouth brand(tm) might be it could hurt his chances at landing employment.

Ahh remembered what it was, www.mr-chompers.com looks like he's using to pimp photography.

Bronco

lol, Ive met Ben several times and he has told me several stories about his URL.

The best one being that he met with an art director at a company he had applied to a year or so before at E3 or GDC (one of the gaming Expo type events) anyway the AD guy was like 'Hey,so your Ben Mathis, PoopinMyMouth...ya know when you applied to us,I didn't even check your site becuase I thought it was a joke,I threw your apllication out straight away, it wasn't until afew months later one of our artists commented about it and I was proved very wrong, but why have a site named that?" you get the general jist.:).

John

StJoris

I like your highpoly stuff, it's pretty nice! I would lose the drawings and up the presentation on the highpoly stuff, really make it shine Yes that would work very well.

Personally I'm not really a fan of arbitrary decorative lines here and there, like underneath the buttons and to the side. I'd advise bigger single colour shapes instead of many tiny lines and forms with contrasting values.

Not sure if you are aware but there is white to the right of your site, but maybe that is part of the wip-ness.

whats_true

To much grey. Finish those pieces dude.

DarthNater

The only thing I can add to wasn't already said is to deepen the contrast on your textures. You'd be surprised at how much life a little contrast can add, especially to concrete.

Cojax

First thing that popped in my mind when I saw your site was "unfinished work". Presentation is poor. Put your stuff in the best possible light as you can. Simply put, this isn't good enough, you need to push your self as an artist if you expect to get a job in this industry. Best of luck!

Sage

yeah you stink as a graphic designer.... that site will never get you a job that way.. for graphi design I mean. Get rid of that title.

bluekangaroo

ceebee wrote: »

I agree with the domain name. Who gives a shit as long as the content is good. I think what throws it off is it's an insult to yourself instead of some random gross phrase or something.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/ for example. Nobody cares about his domain because he's awesome at what he does.

lol poop, I was just gonna say his url could be "joeyeatschocolatecoveredturds" as long as the work is good

but thats just me...just like some1 else said, an art director could look at it and dismiss it right then n there, where I would laugh and actually check it out...you take a risk, its up to you