Navigation
After breaking down and analysing a few independent examples of portfolios made by successful environment and material artists, I drew up a basic but solid flowchart that suggests how my own site could be navigated. The viewer will begin on a blank page, consisting of just the show reel, that will serve as the home page. A direct connection to the best work in my portfolio is an effective way of attracting the right attention from the right people. However, this show reel will have to be updated regularly to a high standard and can become inconvenient while between projects. The user will then be able to move into 3 sections of the website that include projects, environments, and materials. The projects page will comprise of collaborative assignments and group work; this would be the least busy page after the show reel. The environment page will only be made up of 3D assets and completed environments, as the page title suggests. And finally, just like the environments page, the materials section will consist of only finished materials. Each page under the show reel will contain a grid layout of attractive thumbnails, as discussed in the previous task.
The second plan is far more comprehensive than the first, being almost entirely different from the start. The viewer will begin on a homepage titled ‘Portfolio’, which will be made up of a grid layout of my best work with appealing thumbnails to attract the user. Afterward, the visitor has the option of opening the following pages: about, resume, contact, resources, artstation. As suggested by the title, ‘About’ will be a webpage strictly dedicated to a brief introduction of myself personally and professionally. The ‘Resume’ link will open a PDF in a new tab that displays my qualifications, experience, and relevant skills, as any CV would. ‘Contact’ could either be a form linked to my professional email address or a simple but formal block of text consisting of my contact information, and/or social media. Now the ‘Resources’ webpage will contain links to various websites and services on which I will sell assets I’ve created – this could include: Cubebrush, Gumroad, Unreal marketplace, Unity marketplace, CGTrader, and/or Turbsquid. Finally, the ‘Artstation’ section will open my own Artstation webpage in a tab or window.
Wireframe & Block-out
The process of wireframing refers to the design period in which a developer can determine the information hierarchy of a webpage so it’s easier to plan the arrangement of content, and user experience. Wireframes are simple layouts that outline the placements and approximate scale or specific page elements, from navigation to site features; they ensure that each page has a purpose, a logical sequence of navigation, and a focus, which is extremely important in a portfolio.
Portfolio
As discussed before, the viewer will begin on a homepage titled ‘Portfolio’, which will be made up of a grid layout of my best work with appealing thumbnails to attract the user – this plan is evident in the wireframe inserted about and the draft below. This means the potential employer will view the most important aspect of the website first, making it the focal point of all viewing. The draft below depicts a grid layout of final renders from the single projects. However, in the final publication, each project will be represented using only one thumbnail. When hovered over, the title will appear over the cropped image, and once clicked, a webpage focusing on that single project will open. This helps place the best work at the forefront of the portfolio and saves plenty of room for new content.
Show Reel
Although I don’t currently have enough finished work to produce a show reel, it is definitely something I will need to consider for the future. At this moment in time, I won’t be including a show reel on my portfolio. However, once one is created, it will become the new homepage, and will be the centerpiece of the whole website. A direct connection to the best work in my portfolio is an effective way of attracting the right attention from the right people. However, this show reel will have to be updated regularly to a high standard and can become inconvenient while between projects.
About
As implied by the title, ‘About’ will be a webpage strictly dedicated to a brief introduction of myself personally and professionally. Here, I will experiment with using a photo of myself, a possible map of my approximate location, and include information about my associates for better context and understanding of past works.
Resume
Here, I will ether use this title to open a PDF in a new tab, or I will use whatever the provider has to offer regarding displaying resumes. The CV should include general information, such as contact numbers and emails, education, work experience, and other qualifications. Portfoliobox.net allows the use to adjust sliders which can represent specific skills required to work in the games industry, such as proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, or Unreal Engine 4. The draft inserted below is a mock up that I didn’t bother to finish because I deemed it a waste of time at this stage – instead, the information reflects a member of staff at the provider organisation.
Contact
The ‘Contact’ page could either be a form linked to my professional email address or a simple but formal block of text consisting of my contact information, and/or social media. There’s not much else to add to this field as I’m aiming for a simplistic outcome, where the potential employer will have easy access to any important information, and so I will be avoiding any form of clutter.
Resources
Now the ‘Resources’ webpage will contain links to various websites and services on which I will sell assets I’ve created – this could include: Cubebrush, Gumroad, Unreal marketplace, Unity marketplace, CGTrader, and/or Turbsquid. And so the draft below will instead consist of a grid of platform logos – once clicked, the user will be guided to a different website where my content is for sale. This content will include tutorials, materials, models, and guides.
Creating the Portfolio
As discussed prior, in task 3.1, I’ve chosen to use both ArtStation and PortfolioBox to host and display my best work online. As I’ve already got an active account on artstation.com, I will be focusing on my presentation and the contents of the portfolio rather than the platform itself. On the other hand, as I’ve not used services on portfoliobox.net before, I’ll also be studying the platform itself as I upload my bodies of work.
A portfolio is a dynamic collection of records that reflect an artist’s accomplishments, skills, experiences, and attributes, which highlights and showcases samples of work, along with life experiences, values, and achievements. The personal information an artist incorporates into their portfolio can greatly reflect on the artist’s abilities as an individual as well as become a useful tool in marketing their skills to employers, corporations, colleges, and universities. A portfolio does not take the place of a resume, but it can emphasize an creator’s abilities, and what they can offer in their chosen field.
ArtStation
After visiting De Montfort and Hertfordhsire University, and after studying both student and professional portfolios in Unit 11, I’ve come away with a mixed idea of what makes an effective portfolio. Individual employers’ and organisations’ values regarding portfolio work vary vastly and so it would be best to tailor my webpage, as a student, to appease the party I aim to join and meet their own personal and professional standards. After speaking to the Game Art BA course leader at De Montfort University, it would be in my best interest to include plentiful traditional art and life drawing to a high standard, so that I’m able to meet and exceed their criteria to apply and join their higher education course. On the other hand, although Hertfordshire like to see evidence of life drawing in students’ portfolios, they are more interested in generalised work and experimentation in their chosen field; they’re not looking for ideas generation, and hold final products to a much higher standard. As of 17.06.19, I have chosen to pursue my Games Art BA at Hertfordshire over De Montfort and should therefore focus on demonstrating my abilities in different areas of games development and art rather than one specific area. As they’ve requested to see traditional sketches alongside my obvious interest in environment art (3D), I will spend the second year of level 3 developing my traditional skills so that I’m able to show that I am somewhat proficient in the fields the organisation desire most. However, I wouldn’t need to sacrifice my aspirations in 3D art to focus on life drawing as much as I would if hoping to study at De Montfort. I have yet to visit Staffordshire.
As of now, my ArtStation account is home to my best work, including my first year final major project and Greek shelf diorama, as well as some ideas generation for columns and a simple piece of digital art. I plan to add parts of my collaborative summer project (with Nathan Rose) to this body to demonstrate the advanced skills I hope to learn over the course of this project. For example, I will create a post of the first 3 materials I have or am planning to make, as well as my work with UE4’s blueprints to achieve animated and interactive foliage.
Notes
I have chosen not to include any parts from Units 1-7, as suggested by the Google Slides provided here, because I feel it doesn’t reflect my best work whatsoever. Therefore, to be able to add these sections to my portfolio, I’d have to start them from scratch. And even then, I would consider them to be clutter. Again, I will probably not add the dynamite detonator (from the summer holidays task) unless I were to add it to a finished diorama – the brief doesn’t ask students to texture the objects they model and I’m not comfortable adding unfinished work to my webpage – again, I’d consider this to be clutter. On the other hand, I have made it a goal of mine to spend 10 minutes sketching something I can observe with my own eye, each day of the summer holidays. I’m hoping that I will be able to present a set of my best sketches in my portfolio, by September; and then again, I will repeat this in winter; and finally again before my interview with whichever university I apply to. However, as of 17.06.19, I have nothing to display in regards to life drawing. Last but not least, I plan to add parts of my collaborative summer project (with Nathan Rose) to this body to demonstrate the advanced skills I hope to learn over the course of this project. For example, I will create a post of the first 3 materials I have or am planning to make, as well as my work with UE4’s blueprints to achieve animated and interactive foliage.
Level 3 Year 2 