“I used to worry about making my portfolio perfect. As I’ve discovered, there’s no such thing.” That’s Nathaniel Hubbell, a professional visual effects (VFX) artist. And when it comes to career advice, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Hubbell has been sailing the seas of professional art for over a decade, and readily shares his tips to help you navigate your own career successfully. Read more »
If you’re like most artists, your online portfolio has one or two pieces you aren’t totally proud of. And if you’ve been asked about them in a job interview, you may have fallen into the trap of explaining, apologizing, or making excuses.
But according to Brent Watanabe, a Seattle-based new media artist, you should aways stay positive when discussing your portfolio. “Don’t make excuses or apologize for your work,” he says. “Present your work with pride, while remaining open to, and learning from, criticism.”Read more »
“Wow, how did you do that?!” According to professional concept artist Eliott Lilly, that’s the reaction your portfolio should evoke from the art directors standing between you and your next job.
Lilly has been a concept artist in the video game industry for over a decade on hit games like DOOM, F.E.A.R, and Black Ops. He also runs a concept art career website, and has written two best-selling books to help artists create “wow” in their own work.Read more »
“As I review animators’ portfolios, I often look for animators that can wear multiple hats.” Indeed, if Mathias Takacs is as whimsical as the characters in his 3D animation portfolio, he may be wearing actual hats himself — witch hats, pirate hats, or tall furry gorlatnayas.
But when he’s evaluating job applicants, he’s specifically vetting artists for a diverse skill set and stylistic range. Because artistic breadth, not just technical depth, is required to excel in the competitive world of video game art.Read more »
Skill level, originality, and the x-factor. When you apply for a job, those are the three key aspects that art directors look for — and if your portfolio doesn’t have all three (including the “x-factor,” whatever that is!), you won’t get hired.Read more »
“Draw every day.” Those three words of advice appear simple on the surface, but they’re the foundation of a long and successful art career for video game concept artist Caleb Parrish.
Parrish has been creating gorgeous interactive game environments for nearly twenty years. He’s worked on art teams for over a dozen video games, including blockbuster franchises like Spiderman, Assassin’s Creed, and Spore. He’s also been a consultant and technical resource for game teams, to maximize fidelity and performance on resource-limited devices like mobile phones and handheld consoles.Read more »