Let’s talk Game Art Portfolio 🎮
I get asked a lot about what should be, included, excluded, the focus, etc when it comes portfolios and how they can be used to get a job in the games industry.
Hitmarker | Gaming Jobs has an amazing guide here: https://lnkd.in/ge7unsrF
I’ll summarize some things they list and a few of my own thoughts.
🏹 Showcase what you want to do/work on.
Starting off with a clear focus is critical. Do you want to work on weapons, environments, characters, narrative, etc? Whatever the focus, make it clear. If your skills range across different styles, organize them on different pages/sections. If there is specific expertise you want to be known for, make sure that’s clear.
👯♀️ Match the Studio’s tone
Your portfolio doesn’t have to be an exact replica of the studio you’re interested in, but your work should show you understand the style, art, and direction of the studio.
⚙️ Tools
The work looks great, but how did you do it? Always list the tools used, even a description of what your process or approach was. This is especially important to align with the requirements of a job description or what the studio uses.
👤 Credit what you actually worked on
This is my add. I once interviewed someone with an incredible portfolio, but when me and the team dug deeper into it, we learned that they only worked on a corner of the environment they showed us. Pretty much just refined a piece at the end of the process. Don’t claim the whole thing if you didn’t do the whole thing. Be honest with your work.
🤐 Careful with confidentiality
Another one of my adds. I’ve also seen people add things to their portfolio that was part of a confidential project OR even things their project rejected. If it’s still confidential, keep it that way. Avoid leaks and respect the work that is being done.
🔍 Get feedback
It doesn’t hurt to get your portfolio reviewed by others who can give you constructive feedback to the look and feel, what else to include, what to exclude, how something reads, any additional best practices to showcase your best work.
Reviewing portfolios, like resumes, can still be subjective and I’m always learning. I won’t claim I’m a subject matter expert, so let’s ask the community! Those with portfolios who’ve successfully utilized them in your career, what else would you add?