Critique my Portfolio
polycounter lvl 7
I'm looking for any Criticism or Tips on ways I can improve my portfolio. I'm happy with the layout right now and can only think I need better work on there.
I've split it into 2 sections Left Side - for Hard Surface Work (Guns, Vehicles, Robots for Applying for Simulation or Bigger Games Studios). Right Side - Hand Painted Work (Since AUS is mainly Mobile and I think traditional Art is really important in this field)
I've been working on adding things to my portfolio for a few months now so new work will appear there from time to time.
Let me know what you think - Portfolio
I've split it into 2 sections Left Side - for Hard Surface Work (Guns, Vehicles, Robots for Applying for Simulation or Bigger Games Studios). Right Side - Hand Painted Work (Since AUS is mainly Mobile and I think traditional Art is really important in this field)
I've been working on adding things to my portfolio for a few months now so new work will appear there from time to time.
Let me know what you think - Portfolio
Replies
Also the Reaper's Rifle is no where near as good as the AK-47, I wouldn't include it with your portfolio.
I think this image would make a better thumbnail for the bike http://payload196.cargocollective.com/1/13/422701/6226228/-1%20Game%20Shot_1100.jpg
I will end up removing the Doom Rifle when I have a better piece to show. thinking of doing the M41A Pulse Rifle from Alien.
I'll try out that Image as a thumbnail also.
I see what Zac is saying about conflicting styles, I personally don't think that's a bad thing, especially when starting off as no doubt you'll want to experiment and learn (like me
I'd maybe split up your personal projects from your professional/uni/group projects (maybe a different page).
Optinium's portfolio was a big influence to go with Weebly. I like I idea of having a Blog as well as a portfolio in 1. means I can get rid of my Website and put all my tutorials onto the blog part of my portfolio.
Still need to fix the Fonts though. Thinking the left side will use 1 Font and the right will use another since there 2 different art styles
New Weebly Portfolio
The integration of sketchfab may put you on the bleeding edge of portfolios. This is something I really like.
Thanks cholden that means alot to me
*update*
I've fixed most of the Thumbnails. the Hand Painted Assets will be changed when I have more Assets to add to the thumbnail. there's only 1 atm. I'm working on a few more right now
First, your name is almost klark kent, thats awesome.
Second, I dont think having different styles in your portfolio is a bad thing in any way, its not like people are go go "no, I dont want to hire this guy for low polygon work because he is also good at highpolygon stuff".
I think diversity is GREAT to have in a portfolio, as long as everything is good quality it doesnt matter what style it is.
two real crits though, change the thumbnail for trolley troy and the tron bike thingie.
@jsargent At this point its a choice between Stylized stuff Such as your Aragorns Quest piece & Rabbids Rumble and Hard surface work such as Gun & Vehicles. I guess Environments refers to the Stylized stuff more then hard surface but I've found it hard with my current skill set to put one together that looks any good or works. Thus I have been painting textures and small props to build skills.
Btw your portfolio is sweet, basically the same kind of style I'm trying to create
I plan to do More Written & Video Tuts in the Future
Tutorials
These short, basic, already existing tutorials are probably hurting your cause more than helping it. You even go so far as to post a YouTube video at the end of several tutorials stating, this is where you learned how to do it. Otherwise indicating, that it does a better job of explaining the process more than you can. It also comes across as simply copying the process for the sake of making a tutorial while not bringing anything new to the table.
I don't mean to be so negative and I hope you don't take it personally. But it comes across as half arsing it. These should be the last thoughts you want linked to your portfolio site.
If you want to keep doing the tutorials that's fine. But I'd recommend doing it on a separate website. Because from an employers standpoint, it's really not helping your cause.
With that being said, I think you could spend your time more wisely by learning and making mind blowing artwork instead.
I read 10 Tips To Improve Your Portfolio Website Forum and I get the same feeling about the Tutorials working against me so I guess I could just Remove all the ones that are to basic, Already exist & are just plain copies. I want to get rid of my website as to make my amount of sites minimal but it does contain Posts I want to keep in the Future & there are a few that I learned by myself/ without Video Tutorial (nGUI for Unity comes to mind)
I'll revise that Tutorial section tomorrow, thanks for the Input Tobbo & Yeah My primary focus atm is producing Art.
Any more Thoughts would be great!
I'm with Tobbo on this. I would remove the tutorials entirely. I think they are actually a negative on your portfolio. Looking at your resume, I don't see any experience so to me the tutorials, although helpful, lack credibility. I have never heard of anyone getting hired based off their tutorial writing skills. Put it on a separate blog if you want but on your portfolio? Toss it.
With that said, I love your hand painted textures and I would like to see you go more that direction. You have two guns, why not create a weapons section and add them both? I like the sketchfab thing, it's actually REALLY sweet that I can see your model, but remember that not everyone will have the time nor patience to use it. Get your best shots up front nice and big. You have SECONDS to make an impression when someone looks at your portfolio. Blow them away!
I think I'll focus on Painted Textures & Props for now.
I also want to Learm Modo & make more Guns/ Hard Surface Pieces. I might try to Incorporate the Gun's I make into an Environment Since I need experience making Environments to (Hand Painted Environments are freakin hard to make work
Another thing I would consider is your presentation, using a darker background than your subject will help it pop a little better and allow us to get a better look at what's going on, if you don't the background and the gun both try and get your attention.
I added some crits for the rifle in the image. Another one I didn't add is that it looks very blocky and not really too functional. I don't know if that's in the concept but it is my impression.
As far as your portfolio, I would try and pick one font you like and use it all over instead of many different ones.
By sculpted I mean remove this
and the one under it. Maybe even the bricks, the wood at the top is ace though.
I am not trying to be a dick, just trying to say the things I think are true to be helpful.
Looking at your portfolio make me feel bad since I've also been doing 3D for 2 Years my work is no were near that level. You must have worked really hard. Also I love your Portfolio Design
*Update*
- Changed up the design a bit
- Removed all the Light-boxes/ Enlarging
- Removed some of the 2D Textures like Alex suggested
- Combined all Hand Painted into 1 section
- Created a Template for Thumbnails (as seen in Tr-Zero, Hand Painted & Trolley Troy)
- Added M9 Beretta Render & SketchFab Embed to Hand Painted Section
I'll keep the AK & Rifle for now (Still need to created new Thumbnails) but they will be swapped out when I get back into making more guns
Just keep at it man.
That's why I got a site, I could have it be however I wanted, i had a carbonmade and I couldn't stand it.
- Brought out Domain & Removed all weebly crap
- Added Ninja Attack! Its the only good Environment I have atm (I applied for Star Wars BattleCry so I wanted at-least 1 Environment there)
Opinions are always welcome
carlkent.com
Your portfolio layout is nice, I'm glad it's a no nonsense website with art straight in your face. I think your work is pretty good for a graduate straight out of school but there's still plenty of things that keep it from being that instant wow factor. I'll list them in points below for you.
1) The problem with the AK is a couple of things. Your wood looks really worn out but the metal looks like it just has a little damage on it. I would recommend putting some dents in the normal map, scratches in the specular and more subtle detail added into diffuse. Essentially I just think you need to work on your texturing and material definition. I feel like you have an unnecessary amount of shots of the AK as well, if anything just a high poly, wire, texture break downs and baked low poly should be enough. The same goes for Doom Gun you have in your portfolio as well.
2) Your hand painted stuff is cool, but I really think you should put it into a full environment since it's okay to look at them individually but again they lack that wow factor when it's just individual pieces.
3) This may sound really harsh and painful but I would advise scrapping the sections of the games you've worked on and just starting new scenes and just polish 2 or 3 of them and showcase that in large. If the artwork you've done in a game looks just okay, then it's better to just not showcase that at all because that's what employers will think you'll be able to provide them. For example if I see badly mapped textures & environments that looks just meh, it just casts unnecessary doubt on your skills.
Hope I haven't been too harsh, I think you've definitely got potential but just keep it up man and you'll be great in no time. Good luck!
I've Removed a few Images from both the AK47 & Rifle Pages.
As for creating Hand Painted Environments I've tried it before in the past but Its hard to get the Colors and Style to suit/ blend well. I've only been looking Hand Painting for the last 2 months so I'll be building up on Props to get used to the technique before taking on the big pieces. I started with simple objects & 2D Textures (Barrel, Pumkin) now I'm working on 10 Packs of Weapons to try to get a consistent style of Texturing (Guns & in the future Swords, Cars & Planes hopefully)
Once I have the 1st 10 Gun Pack Finished I'll remove Trolley Troy & Make a section just got the Gun Pack
Thanks for you thoughts & nothing is ever to harsh when your trying to help.