Assets or environment

razzta91 · Aug 2013

Hey guys

Im currently working on my portfolio.

If I should work on something for my portfolio what would it be, I mean props/assets or a whole environment.

what do you guys think?

cholden · Aug 2013

That's a very open question. What are we dealing with here? (current portfolio)

Though I prefer full scenes as a complete diorama presentation.

razzta91 · Aug 2013

Im about to look for a job so it should be used for that

J0NNYquid · Aug 2013

What type of job? Do you want to be an Environment Artist, or do you want to be strictly a prop/asset artist? It would also help if we could see your current work, as Chris said. In general I think it's probably better to show you can do more than just props, but if your props are amazing, and you know you just want to do props, then by all means, keep doing props.

We need more information on what you want, and what your current situation is before anyone will be able to say, you should do X over Y.

razzta91 · Aug 2013

Thats the problem, I dont really know what I want to be

Here you can see some of my work

aajohnny · Aug 2013

Environments are probably the best bet... they contain props too

It shows a more broad skill-set (Lighting, composition, etc. ) plus I've seen more openings for Environment Artist rather than prop artist.

Snefer · Aug 2013

Then again, 90% of the time someone writes "environment artist" they do mean prop artist. Its also often called world artist vs environment artist. People who do props are not often called "prop artists", its usually "environment artist" or just 3d-artist.

Wahlgren · Aug 2013

What aajohnny said, It's also very likely that you'll get punted from prop to environment fairly soon aswell anyway.

schneller · Aug 2013

Echoing the environment sentiment. You'll have lots of chances to make props, and also get the benefit of using those props in context as opposed to isolation. If you aren't sure which direction to go in, exploring environments should give you a good feel for making unique vs. modular assets so you can figure out what you enjoy the most.

Also, something to consider is whether you're looking for a studio position or freelance. Based on my observations, props are generally easier and less risky to outsource to a freelancer. But don't take that as a hard rule, as there are probably artists that can prove otherwise.

Geezus · Aug 2013

Decide on a vignette to create and create the assets for it. Showcase your vignette with beauty shots and showcase each hero asset separately. If you decided to take a modular approach to your vignette, showcase the modularity of the pieces together.

PixelMasher · Aug 2013

the last couple games I have worked on 70-80% of the assets were outsourced whereas the level artist team was about 15 people strong, placing, lighting, composing environments etc. I would focus on a couple really strong environment pieces that show: lighting, composition and texture knowledge.

MainManiac · Aug 2013

If you're an environment artist that has a good grasp on props/lighting you'll be more useful for a variety of projects

razzta91 · Aug 2013

Okay guys.

thank you for your input.

I will try to make an environment scene

razzta91 · Aug 2013

Then I have another question for environment.

Is it "okay" to make my environment out of a concept I find or should I try to make my own concept?

schneller · Aug 2013

Yes it's ok, just give credit to the concept artist. In a production environment you'll often have to work off others' concepts. Depending on the situation you may have more freedom, and therefore would need some design skills.

Justin Meisse · Aug 2013

I'm sure some people will say it's going overboard but I try to contact the concept artist beforehand to make sure they are cool with it.

IchII3D · Aug 2013

razzta91 wrote: »

Then I have another question for environment.

Is it "okay" to make my environment out of a concept I find or should I try to make my own concept?

Its a mixture, its important you can demonstrate what you intended to achieve. To help understand here is what I look for in a portfolio and why.

Composition, Mood and Lighting - They can independently put a beautiful scene together.
Technical Ability - They would be able to get straight to work without any help.
Reference - When given direction they would execute it accurately.

Also just to add, something you can't really demonstrate in your portfolio but a lot of companies care about an artists attention to design. Its a balance between loving what you do and wanting to make the most visually stunning environments possible, but also to make the best games possible. Its important to understand the compromises you need to make to give the player the best experience. But generally speaking that's something that will come with experience.

razzta91 · Aug 2013

thank you for advices

Now im ready to make something cool

Assets or environment

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