Got my portfolio website up and would like peoples thoughts
polycounter lvl 6
Hi guys I have got up version one of my portfolio and would like to hear peoples thoughts about it.
www.clintonellard.com
I know the artwork still needs a lot of work and would like to replace it eventually but feel free to post any thoughts on that as well.
Thanks for your time!
www.clintonellard.com
I know the artwork still needs a lot of work and would like to replace it eventually but feel free to post any thoughts on that as well.
Thanks for your time!
Replies
The contact page seems superfluous. Your e-mail address is readily apparent on every page and includes a quick-link to mail you, so there's no real reason to include a separate page that's mostly an alternative form of electronic mail. You could move your phone numbers to your about page or resume page (see next paragraph
You should have a link to a proper resume/curriculum vitae. I know you have most of that information on your linked-in profile, but it's still better to have an actual one on your site; extra-credit for including a pdf version.
The formatting on your about page is a bit awkward; the simplest solution would be to expand the photo slightly so the linked-in link is properly aligned with the rest of the text. You might also want to change the photo to a monochrome (b&w) version; it might fit better with the rest of the page.
The first paragraph is awkward. In general, try to get somebody to proof-read the text. In the first sentence, I'd remove "around"; it adds ambiguity. Add a comma between friendly and cooperative, although in truth one implies the other so you can remove one. Remove the passive phrase "being able to work" and replace it with the more active "working". The same is even more true with "constantly want to try and improve"; "I am always improving my skills and learning new techniques" is much more active. You need either a conjunction ("and") or a period between "art" and "enjoy" in the final sentence.
When you get to your final artwork, make sure you include samples for each of the major skills listed in your about page - for example, baking hi-poly models into lo-poly versions.
I don't think the turntables of your props add anything; I'd probably remove them in favor of equivalent still images.
I'm not a big fan of the current trend of rendering 3D models in front of unrelated 2D photos. I find a nice neutral gray or gradient work as a better background for showcasing artwork.
Videos, in general, don't add much for a static artist, but I must confess that I found the rail cars being filled with dirt strangely compelling... At any rate, the first image on each page should be the best still image of the project.
The list of skills used on each project feels crowded with the current design of "skill - skill - skill". Space is currently cheap on the web; go ahead and give each its own line. Also, "diffuse", "specular", and "bump" are not proper nouns, so there's no reason to capitalize each.
You've included your name and title on each image, but not your e-mail address. You should probably also indicate the game engine used (Unity on a few of those, I believe.)
And those lightbox takes forever to load something. I suggest getting rid of em. Open images in new tab as default. (_blank)
I'm always amazed at how good the Polycount community is at giving their time and skills to help people out in a professional and friendly way.
Thanks Bek, PyrZen and particularly DWalker for taking the time to have a look, I'll definitely try and make the changes you guys have suggested when possible.
I find the site very cramped in some areas, maybe add an empty line beneath some of you images to separate them out more.
If you are going to use background stills I think more contrast between the asset and the background would get more attention on your work, or just remove the background as stated by DWalker.