an illustrator's portfolio issues

[Ehlin]

Hi everyone,

I'm a third year student at an Arts and Crafts Academy in The Netherlands. We're building our own portfolio today, and soon we will be visiting some bureaus to get good critics on them. As an illustrations student, I'm very interested in conceptual art for games and movies.

Unfortunately, 90% of our division always ends up as editorial illustrators. Therefore, 90% of our assignments are in that general direction...

Long story short: I barely have any CA-worthy pieces in my inventory. I do have some pretty fine model drawings, and maybe 2 or 3 pieces can be used as examples of good control on color, painting and Photoshop skillz. But due to my demanding teachers, I have almost no properly finished CA that I make outside schooltime...

I would like to ask you all to advise me on what to put in my portfolio. What do you, proffesionals put in? Or what would you like to see in mine? Should I buckle up and start doing some nighttime shifts on finishing some homemade pieces? :painting:

Much thanks already for listening, Ehlin

[nancy_kelpie]

I'm afraid it's nighttime shift because you can't really show editorial work to a potential game client. If you're just graduated they will probably understand it and maybe give you a chance. So it's not impossible, just easier if you do have a game portfolio.

Maybe you can also do some collaborations with game students (maybe even for student points?) There are a lot of game students, they have a lot of assignments like "make a game", but they don't get any drawing lessons, so they need art. Maybe you can do a collaboration with them. I'm not sure in what city you study, but in Groningen, Utrecht, Leeuwarden and Tilburg are game studies I know, maybe in even more cities.

If you're really good you can also start freelancing. As a student you probably need a parttime job anyway, so why not game art? Too bad your website is unfinished, maybe if you send me some examples I can help you.

You can also try to get involved in the game world already. Maybe sign up for www.GlobalGameJam.nl? If you sign up you make a game with a team of 4 or 5 people in just 2 days (students and professionals!). It's completely free, even free food. So you have 2 days of fun and drawing and after that you have something for your portfolio! You also learn a little about game design, programming, etc. from your teammates which is always handy. You don't need a team, they will put you in a team.