Good and Bad Portfolios

Looking at current environment artist portfolios, analysing them and how they present their work and what I will need to do for my showreel.

The focus is to sell yourself as an Environment Artist and that is what the portfolio should display, looking at environment artists’ portfolio’s they have between one and three different environments usually, showing that you can work on various types of environments such as nature themed, urban and sci-fi styled. This is much better than just filling a portfolio with one type of environment, this may come across as you being a one trick pony and an employer may not be confident you can produce the same quality when you are out of your comfort zone.

The Portfolio website must be easy to navigate and the ability to save images, this is why it is important to have the website address on each image so they know where it came from. It is important that the contact information and name is easy to find as well as CV/Resume downloadable.  

1. Be clear what job you are wanted - focus the art on that area
2. Clear, clean website - all images should have name, email and website address on it
   because people save images off portfolios and forget where they got them.
 - show wireframe, polycount, texture maps, applications used
 - have image thumbnails clickable to take you to the page with about 3-5 images of the scene/prop
 - Good navigation, back button to go to the next page, home page, previous page
3. Make sure the viewer will remember you're portfolio
4. Have a consistent visual style on the website, some sort of visual identity, so people will know its you straight away
5. Have a proper website name, sort as possible and easy to spell and email address

Examples of good portfolios

http://johngotch.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.damianlazarski.com/
http://www.ezmeow.com/En/Modules/Gallery.php
http://spencerkern.com/index.html

Here is a great example of a good portfolio, I have been focusing my research looking at how environment artists display their work, do they use showreels for their environments? how well do still images work for environments and other elements like that. 

The reason I like this portfolio so much is because of the clean layout, and all the information is on the screen that you need. You have the artists name right at the top which is large and easy to see, along with their intended job role. Along with their contact information on every page.

It is clear to see where the art is, where the resume is, the navigation is pretty simple. Many online portfolios are now using thumbnails like Damian Lazarski uses to preview what the art is, then when clicking on it you are displayed with many images on that environment. So when designing my portfolio website I intend to adopt this layout.

Helpful resources 

- Resumes & Portfolios: The Naughty Dog Way
http://www.naughtydog.com/site/post/resumes_portfolios_the_naughty_dog_way/

- Your portfolio repels jobs
http://www.jonjones.com/2005/10/07/your-portfolio-repels-jobs/

- 10 Tips To Improve Your Portfolio Website
http://grimmsorg.com/10TipsToImproveYourPortfolioWebsite.html

- JonJone's Info Dump on Portfolios & Resumes!
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122273