Question on environmental artist portfoilo pice
Hi all
So for the last 6 months or so i have been going back and forward between charter artist and environmental. As it turns out I really like architecture and layout, so i have decided to go with with 3d environmental art.
Now here comes my question, what am i meant to do for a portfolio piece ?
It was kinda obvious to me with a charter but not so much with an environment.
So i thought i would wright out my thouts on what i should do and then all off you can tell my i am doing it all wrong :P
1. Think of a game acritype that i want to design / illustrate for
2. Make a consent for the area (hand drawing)
3. Think of how it would be used in game (top down layout)
4. Concept draw each major piece that will be made
5. Lay it out in 3d from a top down point of view
6. Build up the Low polly version of the items (so i can see the lay out in 3d)
7. Render it and then draw on top of it to see where and what detail want to add
8. Make the high polly version of all the stuff and then texture it. (the long part)
9. Remake the low Polly environment with the new items(so i can see the lay out in 3d)
10.Add the detail parts (this will be done as one stage)
11.Light it
12 Render and present ?
That is my thinking so far if you guys can think of any think of any thing that i missed out be grand
Cold
So for the last 6 months or so i have been going back and forward between charter artist and environmental. As it turns out I really like architecture and layout, so i have decided to go with with 3d environmental art.
Now here comes my question, what am i meant to do for a portfolio piece ?
It was kinda obvious to me with a charter but not so much with an environment.
So i thought i would wright out my thouts on what i should do and then all off you can tell my i am doing it all wrong :P
1. Think of a game acritype that i want to design / illustrate for
2. Make a consent for the area (hand drawing)
3. Think of how it would be used in game (top down layout)
4. Concept draw each major piece that will be made
5. Lay it out in 3d from a top down point of view
6. Build up the Low polly version of the items (so i can see the lay out in 3d)
7. Render it and then draw on top of it to see where and what detail want to add
8. Make the high polly version of all the stuff and then texture it. (the long part)
9. Remake the low Polly environment with the new items(so i can see the lay out in 3d)
10.Add the detail parts (this will be done as one stage)
11.Light it
12 Render and present ?
That is my thinking so far if you guys can think of any think of any thing that i missed out be grand
Cold
Replies
Also aiming for a studio you think you could realistically work for is a good way to design a portfolio peice in the style of that studio to show them you can do there style and are interested in there studio specifically. This is in no way a requirement. Modern/Realistic stuff is generally best as you can use real world reference, as concept art in itself for Sci Fi/Fantasy is a beast in its self. And studios can see, oh hey he made a mail box and it looks exactly like a mail box in real life. Sci Fi and Fantasy its more of, oh hey I guess thats suppose to look like that but idk so it can be tricky.
See above, and lots and lots of photo reference!
Generally more of a designers role as they will block out the scene to see how it plays and you will art that bad boy up. Focus on more of a player perspective with like 2 different camera angles of the same scene. No need to design a level layout but having a plan of where everything goes is great.
Concept or get a lot of photoref if its something real world realistic.
See number 3. Blockout from players perspective.
Yes, always good. To many people just make a high poly of an environment piece and then make more and realize none of them fit in the environment, or look awkward with the others.
Do a quick lighting pass first after block out and then you can do a paintover. Also this is the best stage to post on Polycount to start getting valuable feedback! Also put it in UDK if possible. HR value stuff in a game engine far beyond Max/Maya renders as it shows you know how to work with an engine pipeline from start to finish.
The long part/the part where most people give up. Also realize. As an environment artist you more then likely will not be doing high poly props. Contrary to what most peoples personal portfolio would lead you to believe. The unique 1 to 1 props are generally outsourced or handled by the 3d prop artists. As an environment artist your main responsibility is to create the very large world the players will play through, and be as efficient as possible.
You will mostly be using tiling textures to create lots of instanced assets that can help you create these large environments. You might do some high poly work but it pretty much be limited to hard surface/sculpts for your tiling textures. Of course this isnt a 100% you dont do any unique textured assets but generally thats handled by 3d prop teams.
Yup replace all those blockout assets with the nice new pretty ones.
Small detailed assets can change a boring empty coridor with 1 or 2 large props into an environment with a lot of character, feel occupied and really help it stand out from the rest of the empty, boring 3d environments.
Finalize your lighting, best to do a block out of lighting when doing your initial blockout. Helps so much. And just remember. Great lighting can make bad scene look good and bad lighting can ruin what could have been an amazing scene.
Get some sweet screen shots and some detail break downs like collection of assets used, texture samples of the really good ones, and a few wireframes are always great. Again game engines like UDK presenting your work are a HUGE plus.
Good luck Cold
-Anthony
It would be a good idea to look at how artists do it too, Coldeath. I think Autocon's work is a good example along with some other ones like for example this; http://www.brameulaers.com/
Good luck with your project, Coldeath.
Autocon,
You brought up a few things that i had not thought of and that is brilliant.
I will definitely have to learn UDK to show my project in the best light.
The only thing that i might not be able to do is "design a portfolio peice in the style of that studio" as i am not to sure where i will be living in the next year. I also live on Finland so there is a more limated selection of studio's.
One of the other points, is that I was hoping to go for a style that is high Victorian crossed with the middle ages, Would such a stylization have a negative effect on a portfolio ? As i guess this could be considered fantasy.
With all of the stuff you are planning to do, you're covering 3-4 job descriptions. That's great and all, but will you do each of those aspects better than an experienced pro? Or at least as well?
I'd recommend focusing on exactly what you want to do. If you want to do game design, then do that. Make top-down maps and block-outs in Unreal or another widely used game engine. Or if you want to do concept art, do that. Show thumbnails, preliminary concepts, final concepts, and paint-overs.
If you want to be a modeler/texture artist, I'd recommend doing a very small set based on real-world reference. Re-create reality. People will recognize your accuracy with real-world objects that they recognize. This could be a very small scene, and not necessarily a whole level. Use photos for reference. Demonstrate that you can re-create the scene shown in the photo in 3d.
If you do have a specific company that you want to work for, or already finished the suggestion above, then you might want to deviate to match work in a specific style. Doing something stylized can be fun, but people might also find it harder to evaluate your skills unless you show them the concepts/inspiration. In any case to be seen as a professional, you need to demonstrate that you can bring a concept image to life and do it accurately.
I would like to be a environmental artist, My strong points are 3d modeler and Texure well i am ok but i am getting better. As far as i understand, (witch might be wrong) that means i build up the world form concept drawing and lay out plans form a designer. But as Autocon said
" The unique 1 to 1 props are generally outsourced or handled by the 3d prop artists. As an environment artist your main responsibility is to create the very large world the players will play through, and be as efficient as possible."
So i theory i would not be making all the props but as this is for a portfolio, I will have to say that i can do all this all well.
I have to admit that this is getting a bit confusing on what i should do. I am of two minds right now.
1. I make the something from concept to final product. That way i can show off all my skills or there lack of :P This would test me on a few different levels but it would be a good over all pice that i can say i lernt from and if i do it right it would be very nice final piece.
2. Take a picture of a local area and then re make it in 3d showing off me modeling and texturing skills. This would be a much more direct approach to a portfolio piece. (the only main drawback i can see from this is that i will be showing no creativity in this ).
O boy i am bit confused now on what to do :S I am thinking of my portfolio http://tobiaslotz.daportfolio.com/ and what would benefit me more. Going to have to think a bit on this. but thank you Ryno for the feed back it is much appreciated.
Simple props like lightposts, trashcans, etc., are more likely to be outsourced. Larger models such as buildings, or cliff faces that are semi-integrated into the landscape are less likely to be outsourced. Some companies outsource lots of stuff, others outsource almost nothing. It is quite common for a company to cherry pick the more important or interesting stuff to do themselves, then send the less important stuff out-of-house. (Or if the company is very small or has artistic limitations, it can be the other way around.)
In any case, there will almost always be an internal artist who wrangles outsourced work, and dishes it back out to in-house artists to give a second pass. This can be a very critical job.
I'd definitely recommend doing a few small props. If you can't do this, you won't get hired to do larger tasks. Then, make a larger scene/level area where they might be logically placed. That way you can demonstrate various skills that an environmental artist needs (i.e. prop art, terrain, larger structures) in one cohesive beauty shot.
So your portfolio could be a couple of shots of your small scene, then images of your individual prop objects.