Ysalex Portfolio Critique

ysalex

I'm throwing myself out there, hoping for a portfolio critique. I posted this once before, a while back, and got a lot of help. I took some advice, some I didn't, but I appreciated all of it.

My portfolio is here:

www.yurialexander.com

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It's a little light on content. I'm hoping to add a couple more realtime characters that I'm working on, plus a thumbnail gallery of projects that I didn't want to put 'up front' -- stuff like advertising posters I've done in 3d etc.

And then, finally, I'm going to add click throughs on the images to allow people to see the project details on for each piece, construction shots, concepts, high-polys etc.

At any rate, advice and comments much appreciated.

SgtNasty

When I load your portfolio with a full screen web browser, 1280 x 1024 resolution, most of what I see is text.



The general design just feels sort of loud and obnoxious to me. I can see that you were going for a style, sort of minimalist but stylish. I don't think you accomplished that yet though. I'm not a graphic designer so I'm not sure how exactly how to fix that, sorry.

cholden

Reposting this after a month? Well...

the header is ginormous, and takes up a whole page of wasted space.

no pics have your name of them.

The way you've done your resume is silly, (split up into multiple PNGs). Use text, include a downloadable PDF of DOC as well so employers can maintain a copy.

ysalex

Thanks Chris, much appreciated. Should I be putting my name on pics on my own site? Didn't think about it. Is that so if people save the images they'll know where it came from?

Ace-Angel

Yes, you can't believe how many people might like your work, save it, and a few months later, looking for inspiration come across your work and want to ask permission but can't because your forgot to put your name on it you bloody twat!

Put your name on them, like NOAW!

ysalex

Ace-Angel wrote: »

...you bloody twat!

Whoa, didn't realize that was such an important thing. Thanks for the input.

I suppose always imagined that it was a bit ... big headed, of an inexperienced/average artist to do, since although I'm not awful, I'm not particularly good either -- so why should i expect that people will be downloading my work?

But I get chris's point, and it makes sense, perhaps I was overthinking it a bit.

Ace-Angel

Nope, just don't be obstructive about it, and put your name and it's all fine.

Also, just because your think your work is bad or not good doesn't mean some artist can't see your piece and think "Hey, you know what, if I remixed this with this and that, I could get a new inspiration. Your Hipster girl for example could inspire a new character fan-work for Jet-Set Radio.

ysalex

Nope, just don't be obstructive about it, and put your name and it's all fine.

Well, thanks Ace. I'll keep working on it and post updates. I'm not sure what I need to change yet, but it's obvious it's not working for people.

Alberto Rdrgz

the Jpeg of your hipster girl is real blurry, i would fix that. It hurts a good piece.

EVIL

To much focus on white space and typography, not enough focus on your work. your layout should enhance the focus on your work, not subtract from it.

Buttons to project details don't work so remove them until you have working pages.

You also say your portfolio consists of personal and professional work, but all I see is personal. Save that header for when you actually have professional work to display.

Remove the chromatic aberration, sure its a nice effect but only when used subtle and appropriately (game is rendered in a style where you would expect such an effect). Recruiter want to see an as honest possible view of your skills so don't hide behind fancy effects like depth of field, bloom or other post effects.

Skillmister

I just loaded your site up on some crappy monitor in the library and couldn't even see any images without scrolling.

Darkleopard

The thing that struck out to me the most (besides the font) was the first at the very bottom, she looks like she has..well a little to much bulge in the lower area. Im not great at anatomy but it just looks off to me

ysalex

EVIL wrote: »

You also say your portfolio consists of personal and professional work, but all I see is personal. Save that header for when you actually have professional work to display.

So if I have been payed to do some of the work presented, is that enough, or do I have to have an industry job full time to say it? I also plan on adding some of my non real-time payed work at the bottom, which is another reason I chose that phrasing -- but perhaps that's not enough. I don't want to be seen as a what ... maybe as dishonest? Certainly not my intention.

EVIL

professional work is work that you have done as a profession. so work that is put into a product: game, movie etc. doesn't matter if its released or not.

ysalex

That's kind of what I thought. So why object to the use of that term here?

Ex-Ray

Just be clear and label what's what, so there is no risk of uncertainty.

Your work is good and I think you should scaled down the 'graphic design' emphasis and just let you work step forward and do all the talking.

Also you text alignment makes me cry.

ysalex

Ex-Ray wrote: »

Just be clear and label what's what, so there is no risk of uncertainty.

... I think you should scaled down the 'graphic design' emphasis and just let you work step forward and do all the talking.

Also you text alignment makes me cry.

Thanks -- that seems to be the clear overall message here, and what I will do.

EVIL

ysalex wrote: »

That's kind of what I thought. So why object to the use of that term here?

I have no idea whats personal and whats professional. so to me they all look like personal projects

ysalex

Thanks EVIL, I'll work on the things you mentioned.

Blind Boy Grunt

i actually like everything about the site ysalex!

ysalex

Thanks to everyone so far. I wish I had more time to work on this. Here are two more possibilities, I wonder if people prefer them more or less than the current. I reduced the header and changed up the colors (a bit), and kept other things.

If you click on them and then zoom in, you will see what size they would be in a browser window.

Snader

At ~440 pixels, I say you've still got an unnecessarily large header. It's even larger than the one on Polycount, and that has a bunch more information in it.

You have three links. That's all.

ysalex

Thanks for the input Snader. How about this?

Dnna1

Start slowly are interested in this.