Feedback [Website Porfolio] AndrewChason.com, and presenting Assets
polycounter lvl 17
I -like- my current website. I think it shows my casual and whimsical mood. My friends know I would love to work on ANY game, but more so those that inspire imagination not just a Gears clone. So, my CURRENT SITE reflects that.
One problem is, my site isn't -done- (will it ever be?), and I am trying to make a push to get a job somewhere in Texas before the summer. As such, so people can take me a bit more seriously, I have made THIS Mockup. The element space is wider (1000px from the original 960px). It is more "neutral", but lacks personality. However I hope it allows for the art to speak louder than the site.
So, what are your thoughts. Please be kind but constructive.
The LAST question is one about presenting 3d assets well. I have seen LOTS of people present asset sheets, but what is considered BEST practice. The one on my Mockup is something I did quickly just to have something to show on there (that's why the textures are turned, I was just working on layout and presentation).
Do I really need to show texture sheets? Should I show off the highpoly models, so long as the bakes look good on the low? Do potential employers want to see renders or screen grabs from UDK?
If you have some examples that don't take you long to find of some of the BEST examples of showing off assets, please let me know.
StrangLet seems to get away with just showing off the model, but then again, with the MassEffect work he just did the textures.
How much of showing everything is professional vs. the insecurity of feeling like you need to show it all?
I look forward to feedback. I thought about putting this in Technical Talk, so if you think it belongs there, please move it.
One problem is, my site isn't -done- (will it ever be?), and I am trying to make a push to get a job somewhere in Texas before the summer. As such, so people can take me a bit more seriously, I have made THIS Mockup. The element space is wider (1000px from the original 960px). It is more "neutral", but lacks personality. However I hope it allows for the art to speak louder than the site.
So, what are your thoughts. Please be kind but constructive.
The LAST question is one about presenting 3d assets well. I have seen LOTS of people present asset sheets, but what is considered BEST practice. The one on my Mockup is something I did quickly just to have something to show on there (that's why the textures are turned, I was just working on layout and presentation).
Do I really need to show texture sheets? Should I show off the highpoly models, so long as the bakes look good on the low? Do potential employers want to see renders or screen grabs from UDK?
If you have some examples that don't take you long to find of some of the BEST examples of showing off assets, please let me know.
StrangLet seems to get away with just showing off the model, but then again, with the MassEffect work he just did the textures.
How much of showing everything is professional vs. the insecurity of feeling like you need to show it all?
I look forward to feedback. I thought about putting this in Technical Talk, so if you think it belongs there, please move it.
Replies
What on earth does this mean?
Your portfolio is good in that it shows off your 2d work immediately. everything else seems redundant: what would go in digital art that couldn't go in 3d art or game art? Why have a webdesign section at all? Don't have active links to pages that aren't there, it makes me feel like I've wasted my time! And your site design is very clunky; Your background is distracting, theres big black chunks on the side. Your text is large, in times new roman, and black.
I guess my biggest criticism is I dislike the design of your site. It looks too unprofessional, it doesn't have a strong style or theme. Lots of thick borders, terrible text and too many links.
I'm not sure what you where asking for in your post, but here's my take away advice:
> You need a simple clean redesign that shows off your stuff quickly.
> ONLY show your best work. Focus on showing off what your aiming to get hired doing.
> Read up on the many many many portfolio threads here. They all say the same thing: Keep It Simple!
Edit:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39516
If you could take the time to comment on it that would be appreciated.
The "too many links" comes from portions I intend to fill in, and soon, I can see why that would be off-putting. The 3d section is something I am building now as I have assets for it, but am considering how I should show them off. *see my messed up, now fixed, first post.
Most of my experience in gaming has been with 2D, GUI art, sprite creation, icons; etc. I'm not bad at 3d, and would much -rather- be making props and environments. I will do either or both. Whatever gets me a job.
Seems every other person I talk to is of 2 minds. One says you should find ONE thing and focus on it, and the other says it's good to know a little bit of everything. I have done Audio Engineering, Video Editing, 2d, Web Design, Sprites, Level Design, Game design.... For a smaller studio, I might could be a boon. I think the difference might be studio size. Bigger studios need you to be a specific tool in their toolbox. I am not saying that's a bad thing though.
The "Digital Art" would be for the few concept Digital Paintings I have done. Not 3d, but not 2d Game art.
In regards to my current site you said
I don't see black chunks. What resolution are you viewing it at? What browser? I may have forgot to tell the background to repeat on the X. My text is large? I never considered that to be too large. What is wrong with Times New Roman (it is said to be easier to read). Yes the text is indeed black. In fact, if your resolution is so high that you can see the black bars, but the text STILL looks large then you May have your browser zoomed oddly.
However all this should pale in the fact that I redoing it all like THIS; what are your thoughts?
I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, but are those object space normal maps? Or some decidedly 'curvy' tangent space normals?
I did my bake In Mudbox with "settings for Max".
Changed the lighting as suggested on the UDK Boards.
Still working on the stairs. I am going to try to export the superhigh-mesh out of Mud into Max. My Max normally crashes when I do this though (I hope 2011 hold up better?).
Something like Xnormal? I never could make heads or tails of that program.
::EDIT::
Flipped. Wow. Why would Mudbox DO that? Yeah, that is looking MUCH better. Pics soon.
I mean the map still -looks- like rainbow colored cat-crap; but it plays very nice with the model now.
To make your normals look not like Rainbow, you must adjust your smoothing groups, or at least change the angle of them to something like 60º or 80º, play with the values till you get smooth enough results, the more grey flat tone your low poly is, the better, when it gets shadowing or gradients on the corners or in the middle of a plain it means that you overdone your smoothing angle.
Max and Unreal both use -y. Mudbox, by default has it set to +y for Maya compatibility. Just change the "compatibility" setting to 3ds Max in the "Normal Map Output" settings for the extraction in Mudbox.