Past portfolio development/general discussion

[JohnM]

Hey all,

I'm really excited to talk to you all on Saturday. I will have a lot of prepared material, exmaples, and the best advice from my career to share, but I also want to see what you guys might hit me up with so I can think about the topics before hand. Reply to this thread and let m know if you have specific topics you'd like me to cover.

Your portfolio is really the key that gets you into all the cool places you want to go. How it's presented is really the most important choice you'll make when you submit it to a potential client/employer, and you really only get one shot to impress an Art Director, it's very hard to overcome a poor first impression.

This is really about giving you personal advice, that's current, relevant to you, and what Art Directors are looking for today. I'll discuss how to tailor your portfolio for the different fields of entertainment. What are the MUST HAVE's for a young artist starting their careers, or for a Senior Concept Artist looking to make that next jump. You need to put together the right portfolio to get the jobs you want. I see the same mistakes over and over, I'm confident that if you listen to what I'm telling you your work will be given the best chance to make the impression you want.

I'm going to discuss each field of entertainment I've worked in, the topics I'm going to cover in depth.

Portfolio:

Presentation
Organization
Piece Selection
Resume and Cover letter
Social Networking, how to find the Art Directors that can land you the jobs you want.
Personal presentation
Phone interviews
Onsite interviews

How to structure your portfolio if you have no experience.
What you need to do if you have some experience but are not getting the jobs you want. We'll also review sample portfolios from some working professionals.

There will also be 1 hour of QA at the end where I answer your questions directly.

I'm going to be checking in on this thread daily preparing, so please let me know questions you want answered.


JM

[BOMACHADO]

Hello John! That's an honor to meet you.

My question is: The industry takes freelance jobs on the web, by international artists? Or just personaly, with citizens from the same country?

My work sucks actually, but this class wold be nice for the future. My objective is to get in the industry somehow, and I don't know nothing about how it works. This class is pure gold.

Thank you!

[navate]

Hi John, thanks so much for taking the time to do this lecture. :) I'm looking forward to it.

I’m sure you’ll cover these, but I have a few questions about how art directors approach style and versatility.

How much versatility is needed in a portfolio? Do directors expect an artist to be able to do a little bit of everything, or do they prefer people who specialize in certain areas?

And stylistically, does having a “brand” help or hurt? How far should one go when catering towards a particular job/industry? I’m a recent grad preparing my portfolio; my work has professional polish but I worry about my stylistic niche. I wonder if I should keep doing my thing and hope directors like it, or deliberately create stuff that will appeal to “the masses” and fits in with the industries' current look/feel.

Thank you. :)

[JohnM]

Awesome questions.

While the focus of the talk is your portfolio, that really leads into a lot of these types of subjects, inlcuding your goals, it's hard to properly plan your portfolio unless you have clear goals. You'll hear me talk a lot about the entertainment industry throughout, and if you are a novice artist who is thinking about working professionally it's definitely worth your time to participate. The real day to day of working as a concept artist is not what many people believe it to be, certainly in video game development. It doesn't mean it isn't an awesome way to make a living, It's just different than people think.

Bachmado's post is very common, I want in, but have no idea where to start. It's actually a lot easier than you think. Where to start is directly related to much bigger question...What is your goal? What do you want? Definitely a topic I will cover, your portfolio should be a direct extension of your goal.

My portfolios (plural) have always directly reflected what my clients were buying. I would always tailor them before sending them out, change the order, emphasize pieces, exclude pieces, or even work on a piece to add to make myself more appealing to that specific client.

I'm going to talk about websites, there's a good and bad aspect to them you need to consider, but it's all tied into your goals.

I think Navate's issue was very much my own issue years ago. I had a very niche style of work, and that really did limit the number of buyers for my services as an illustrator, BUT, I also became known because there were few people that did that type of work...so it's a double edged sword.

I'll definitely cover this topic extensivley about style vs. versatility in a portfolio.

Good stuff!!!

[Rist]

You've won me over! I'll join!

The thing with my art is that I work in the now, rather than what I truly want to achieve. Ever since I was around 13 I wanted to become a concept artist, but recent years I've been distracted by other forms of art and not been able to properly build an illustration/concept art portfolio. I hope some of the advice from the lesson will clear my mind a little on this issue I have at the moment. Just looking at the work in my sketchbook describes a more fine art style rather than an illustration/concept art. I guess my tutors had a hand in this ;) But I do enjoy the illustration field much more, its just doing the right work, and for me to do that I need the right goals.

Thanks mr.Mueller for taking the time to help us!

[Corrath]

Thats my Question right there, WHAT DO ART DIRECTORS WANT TO SEE?

I'm sure that question gets very deep in itself dependent on the position for which he is hiring.

I would tailor my entire portfolio to that desire of the art director if I knew what it was. I want to be a CHARACTER ARTIST, from beasts to females. From Men in a full battlesuit, to Demons wielding hellish weaponry.

Even with that desire John, (Or whatever route any other artist wants) and if I am able to present professional fully polished pieces to that regard; WILL THE ART DIRECTOR STILL WANT TO SEE PRIOR EXPERIENCE, OTHER SPECIALIZATIONS (such as landscape, scenery etc), OR VERSATILITY (such as character 2D paintings, and also the ability to model and texture them)?

If you were me, how would you best spend your time? Because thats what it boils down to, I think.

[ekoshock]

Hmm. Not sure how relevant or intelligent my questions are ... but what about 3D skills? Do you think it is neccessary to learn them and present them in a portfolio for the entertainment/gaming industry? Also for companies asking for both 2D and 3D skills in a position, would you guys make an exception for someone and hire them if they had really good drawing and paintings skills but no experience with programs Maya/3Ds Max?

I ask because I see alot of emphasis on drawing and painting (which is very neccessary and important) in digital art communties such as this forum and alot of schools that specialize in concept art, such as the Gnomon School of Visual Effects concept art course, don't include that in the curriculum (at least in their case, just a class covering the basics at the very end). But quite a bit of gaming and visual effects companies ask for BOTH drawing and painting abilities PLUS some basic knowledge of modeling, animating, etc when looking for concept artists.

So yeah, I'd like to hear your opinion on this.

[Droid]

I'd love to get some proffesional advice on making up a portfolio, I'm starting my final year of high school tomorrow, but I have the grades I need to get into Edinburgh College of Art already.

Obviously I need a portfolio; I've never actually thought, "This is for my portfolio" I just dabble in different styles and techniques and keep everything somewhere in my room.

I want to know whether I can leave school now as I want to, and find a way into art college soon.

A year out, working part time and working on my folio?

Or is school a better idea, with my Advanced Higher Art course and £30 weekly off benefits?

Although I'm up to A.Higher now, the course is focused entirely around self portraits in realism style, and I know that will hinder me getting into art college. As well as the fact that I don't like realism, preffering stylised ways of working.

I'd love to watch the lecture, but I'm new to this, do I pay to get in?

Is it live on site or what?

Thanks,

Xeno.

;)