Portfolio Help
polycounter lvl 8
So, I am one of 'those'. I try and I try, but can't seem to get anywhere. Be it applications or my art in general. Quite demotivational, as you might imagine. I'm sure most artists feels frustration.
I have a website/portfolio site
http://retrodungeon.net/
(Note the images/games section)
I need some help. Mainly wanting to apply for 3d artist/generalist roles.
What can I do to improve?
Is there any hope?
It's a tall order and probably no 'quick fix' solution. But I appreciate it immensely.
I have a website/portfolio site
http://retrodungeon.net/
(Note the images/games section)
I need some help. Mainly wanting to apply for 3d artist/generalist roles.
What can I do to improve?
Is there any hope?
It's a tall order and probably no 'quick fix' solution. But I appreciate it immensely.
Replies
Characters -> Make 2-3 good looking character - highpoly->lowpoly-> shademaps, and good texturing. Or you can have hand painted ones too, but they need to look really good, and if you have just hand painted stuff, thats also not good.
Props/Environments -> the same as what I wrote about the characters, and you should render them in a game engine, in real time. Sorry if these sounds harsh, but you wanted guide. I hope these help, good luck !
- Your site is really slow by the way, and the images are just hardly loading at least to me, however I have 100mb internet connection, so I don't think that the problem is in my side.
But I'll keep trying, for sure. Might open a thread for the mentioned project for input and help. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11238180/Oldfart.png
I really, really do need it.
Thank you, Obscura . I'll look into the site being slow.
I'd keep on really trying to dig deep and improve. I'm not saying being a generalist is bad, but you have to realize that your competition is people that focus all of their efforts on a single genre or style and have become masterfully good at it. They have a curve that is really hard for a generalist to catch up to. I'm just afraid you're trying to spread yourself out too thin where quality is more important than quantity. You can do what you want, this is just something to think about. I know there are others on here that will disagree with me.
Don't worry about what you think studios are looking for. I'd again focus on what you love doing, dig deep and become a master at it.
As far as the Portfolio goes:
I'd actually make a portfolio website. A portfolio website should be showcasing your artwork in a clean concise easy to read manner.
With the site you have now there's too much scrambling and noise trying to find the actual portfolio. If you have different styles and want to showcase them off, I'd separate them in their own sections.
This just makes it easier to read and navigate. The last thing you want to do is put up additional barriers.
Hang in there!
I hope this helps and best of luck!
This isn't a portfolio. While it is a site with content you created, it appears as a game developer or art house. As opposed to an individual's pieces presented in a fashion to get a job.
The page title should be "your name" - "position you seek"
Then the content broken into two section: Portfolio and Resume/CV. Wipe everything else.
Current Home page is a blog. It's OK to include a blog section, but it should be 3rd on the list to the previous two mentioned.
Games page could be part of the portfolio, but requires serious organization. Currently the list of games you click and go to ANOTHER link. You have to go direct to content. Burying links in another link is web design death.
Images, there's a bunch, but what's the point? Again, unorganized mess.
Condense the Games and Images page into a single Portfolio page. with 6-10 of your best pieces. Just because you made it, doesn't mean we need to see it. Only your best FINISHED work.
About, remove replace with Resume/CV
Donate, on a portfolio that's gross. Remove.
Beyond that, I'd ditch the header, and give this site a neutral background so it doesn't clash with your content. Once reorganized, folks can take a 2nd look at your content to see where it really needs to go. Right now, it's just so unorganized I have no idea what you are or what you want to be.
OK, I'll see what I can do.
I appreciate it, Tobbo. This week has been nothing but self and external hatred towards me.
I'm afraid to ask, but, is there anything 'good' I should emphasize? Got a lot of wrong and I'm uncertain what pieces to even show, for instance. Is there like a template I can use? I feel entirely inadequate.
http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryPortfolio
As far as what to show, it really depends on what kind of artist position you want to fill. Really only you can answer that question. What kind of art do you enjoy making the most? Realistic characters? Cartoony characters? Environment levels? Props? etc. (The list goes on)
Something else to keep in mind with your portfolio is that you should be replacing the material and updating it constantly. Really only your best work should be shown on your actual portfolio. When you finish a new piece of artwork that is really great and you are really proud of, it should replace your weakest piece on your portfolio.
I'd also only put finished work on your portfolio. WiP gives the impression that you don't finish things.
If you want, you can keep an archive of all the work you have done and/or your WiP pieces on a blog.
Don't have images that load way too slowly. From what I was told, those who do the hiring have to sift through hundreds of applications, so they have to be able to see what they want quickly with the limited time they have. They will get tired and frustrated if they have to search through your site before they find what they want.
Anywho, good luck!
Polycount's giving me honest insight. And I want to create a few real quality pieces now.
I've had no introduction in school to either portfolios or websites so fresh in a lot of ways.
I'm looking at that page, Tobbo. Thank you. I'll keep that in mind and specialize a bit more.
I'll be keeping my not so good work here. http://littlenorwegians.deviantart.com/gallery/42262154 If you see anything you think is better than what I currently have in the images section, feel free to tell me. I am very blind to the quality of my own work.
I am working on the front page, but I have updated the site now
http://retrodungeon.net/
Feel very free to give me more input.
Otherwise just keep at it. One of the worst things you can do for yourself is create a false dichotomy where like there's people who are "good" at this and people that aren't, and then place yourself in the latter group lol. It's not quite that simple, no one just magically has innate abilities at anything, it all comes with time and effort.
That being said, you'd be surprised how fast you can progress in the quality of your work once you nail down a few fundamental principles of 3d art.
http://retrodungeon.net/
Not finished, but better, right? Cleaner?
Thank you, Count Vader. I've been having a bad, bad week (and it's just Wednesday) but I will most certainly keep at it. I soak encouragement like a sponge. I'll be coming to Polycount more often. Get some proper critique and step by step processing so I learn these mentioned fundamentals I am missing.
Second, keep your head up. It's rough. Everyone has gone through layoffs, unemployment, no job leads. It happens. Pick yourself up and study youtube, vimeo, polycount, etc. and keep practicing. There's so much stuff out there with talented people offering tutorials that its pretty much just an excuse now to complain. Either you like doing the stuff or you dont. It's up to you to decide. Its not going to come magically, it takes a lot of work. If you want it just keep practicing!
Good luck!
And I'll keep trying, Progg. And I'll keep posting on Polycount and listen to critique and appreciate any help or tutorial given!