3D Artist Portfolio Critique
Hi everyone !
I'm new here and would love to get some feedback from the community.
I’ve been working professionally as a 3D artist for about four years, mostly on AR/VR projects where I create realistic props and assets. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about specialization. Most of my professional experience is in props, so that’s where I feel the most comfortable. But I’m also very interested in environment and material work, especially stylized ones. But I have much less experience with full environments so far (I have made one larger environment piece, though). So considering my strengths and the current job market, I’d also be curious to hear what direction you think would make the most sense to focus on (prop artist, environment artist, or material artist).
With the current situation in the industry and my goal of eventually working in AAA studios, I’m also wondering whether my current level is strong enough to realistically aim for those kinds of studios.
Brutal honesty is very welcome ! Thanks a lot for taking the time to look!
My Portfolio : https://www.artstation.com/mickaelscherlen
Replies
Your large environment, however, suffers from very flat and inconsistent lighting. In a way, it looks more 2D than the concept. You did set additional lights and rim lights for important pieces, which is good in principle, but it's only partially motivated by the environment and overly strong in places, resulting in a collage-like effect.
The light and bounce light in the background is washing out the shadows. Top, left side, right side, bottom of the floor and walls have almost the same values in most places, and foliage-wise, only the bit right above the waterfall shows clear shading and depth. Many of the other plants and flowers look like they could have been stamped in with a 2D brush.
Color-wise, you have a yellow main light,including the godrays, lots of yellow(ish) stone and yellow background fog. If your secondary light is cooler (which isn't a must, but is a staple for a reason) it's hard to make out because of that. Either way, the foam of the waterfall probably shouldn't be as white. It might be technically unlit, but currently it also looks unlit.
If you want to keep the yellow stones, you could also come in with a cooler main light and have the bounce light be warmer to get a separation this way. It might even be worth a try to only make the godrays quite a bit cooler than they currently are and see how that looks. And it can't hurt to try a cool(er) fog in the background as well (doesn't necessarily need to be blue if you want to keep a warm atmosphere, going to neutral is already cooler than yellow).
So as a general feedback, the props look good and the environment would look better if you opted for a more neutral and maybe simpler lighting for the time being. Lighting does overlap with environment work, but it's not always required.
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback, I really appreciate it.
I’m aware that lighting is one of my weaker areas at the moment, and it’s something I still struggle with. I feel much more confident in modeling, texturing, and materials overall. When it comes to lighting and more technical aspects like fog, god rays, and balancing values, I often have a hard time judging things correctly.
That’s actually part of why I’m questioning my direction right now. I feel more comfortable and confident working on props and materials, and less so on full environments, especially because of how technical lighting and scene composition can get.
Do you think this kind of gap is something that can realistically be improved to a solid production level with time, or does it usually indicate that someone might be a better fit for a more prop/material-focused role?
Thanks again for taking the time, this is really helpful.
Thanks a lot for your message, I found your perspective really interesting and it actually resonates a lot with my own thoughts.
I didn’t mention it in my original post since I was mainly asking for portfolio feedback, but on the side of my current 3D work, I’m also building an indie game project with a friend I met during a game jam. We’ve already made a few small projects together, and we’re currently working on our third game outside of jams.
Interestingly, those projects aren’t really 3D-focused. I do use 3D to speed up some workflows (for perspective, blockouts, base meshes, etc.), but the games themselves are often 2D, and right now we’re working on a pixel art game. So in a way, I’m already exploring that “build your own thing” path alongside my current work.
The question you raise about building your own projects versus pursuing a more traditional studio career is something I’ve been thinking about a lot, and discussing with my partner. In today’s industry, which feels very saturated and competitive, I do sometimes wonder how realistic it is to aim for AAA versus trying to grow something more independent over time. It feels like a balance to find between stability, long-term growth, and creative freedom.
Your message definitely reinforces that reflection and gives me more reasons to seriously consider that path alongside the more “classic” one.
Regarding specialization, I also agree with you. I feel like I currently have stronger skills in realism, mainly because that’s what I’ve been doing professionally for the past four years. But at the same time, I’m naturally more drawn to stylized work.
I think it even shows in my realistic pieces, which tend to be quite saturated and bold, sometimes drifting slightly away from strict realism. I feel like my artistic instincts lean more toward stylization, in terms of shapes, colors, exaggeration, and lighting.
So I’m starting to think that, in the long run, it might make more sense for me to gradually move toward a more stylized direction, even if my current experience is more grounded in realism.
Thanks again for your thoughtful input, it really helps and gives me a lot to think about.