How to build your portfolio for a Concept artist position

Hello Steemians !

This post is to clarify some things I should have known when I got out -gently shown the exit path- of Art School about Portfolio making,3 years ago, while looking for jobs. It is also some advices (sometimes crushing advices) I got from great artists in the last couples of years.

What to put inside your portfolio ?

The short answer :

• Your strenghts
• Your mind process
• All of the above tailored for that particular studio you apply to.
• What you love doing
  
  
  
  Krum Design sheet for Equinox (https://finalequinoxgame.com/)
  
  

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What do I mean ?

Your Strenghts

Show what you are really good at.

If you apply for a 2D game artist position (where you will have to render assets), be sure your rendering skills are on point. Show off your skills at lighting, texturing, rendering, anatomy ... From an external point of view, it should show where are your strenghts.

Keep in mind that the person reviewing our Art can be the lead artist or art director but it can also be the Human ressource's recruitor who doesn't know sh*t to technical skills (that's the harsh reality, sometimes you're the best but if your portfolio doesn't present it properly, you're doomed haha).

So show only your BEST pieces and for each one ask yourself : "What do I say through this piece ?" (This is critical)

For exemple take a look at The Annunciation (c. 1472 Oil and tempera on panel, 98 x 217 cm Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze)

Here, Leonardo Da Vinci shows through this painting how a beast he is at drawing anatomy, characters, animals, environments, furnitures, grass, trees, perspective (which was new stuff then)... Be like Leonardo. This is what he says through this painting.

The most important thing from this also is to never ever show our flaws.

If you want to be environment artist, your perspective has to be on point. Same if you want to be character specialized, your anatomy has to be perfect.

Showcasing only your strenght also means it is better to have 3-4 Awesome paintings than 15 bad ones. Ideally, don't go over 15 paintings, it is a good amount of work to get an idea of your skills (Over this and it will deserve you).

Your mind process.

One of the most asked questions I have seen at THU and GDC was "How did you get there ?". The second one was "How long did it take" ?

Be sure to show every steps of your process in your portfolio. From thumbnailing to rendering.
What happens in your head ? Why did you take this decision over this other one ?

This is critical as your lead or recruiter can understand your process, how you work and what he can expect from you in a certain amount of time. It gives more a day to day experience kinda. It also shows your creativity and your reference processing. Which are fairly important. Especially if you apply as concept artist where creativity and problem solving are the main tasks.

If Your goal is to work with animators and 3D artists, how does your art adapt to the 3D artist or animator ? Think pragmatic. How will your character be animated, keep that in mind. It will then be easier and faster to work with your teammates.

ReDesign for mobilegame Jetpack Joyride, Thumbnails and process

Tailor for the company you want to work with.

Each company is different and is willing to see different things in your portfolio.

Riot wants to see highly polished stuff alongside researches, concepts, animation concepts and mock-ups of your concept into the game, how it fits in.
Some other company don't care at all about polishing and just showing them concepts and a lot of different ideas and iteration will give you the job.

So do your research in which company you want to apply for, what they are looking for, how you can fit in (don't apply for Activision on Call of Duty franchise if your portfolio is full of characters supermario style). And tailor the best way possible your art accordingly.

Orthographics for 3D modeling, team project

Do what you love doing

Because you will spend your time in this company to work on what they hired you for.

And they will hire you based on your portfolio.
If you love doing fantasy characters but you show Sci Fi, you might end up in a position painting space ships only and might no feel fulfilled. Plus, your art portfolio will be greater if you show what you love, what excites you.

This is where you will detach yourself from the others. Where you express yourself.
Technical skills are impressive, but your heart is unique =)

Your portfolio is a part of your heart sent to someone else, so show him the best.

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Last bonus thing, Opt for Artstation as online portfolio, you will simplify the recruitor's work =)

To sum it up : Express yourself to the fullest, get all this energy and focus it to one particular studio. Ask yourself questions like :

• Why is this in my portfolio?
• What does it show ?
• What does it add to my application ?
• Is the style and presentation relevant to the studio I am applying to ?

Thank you for reading it, I hope you found something interesting ! And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask here or on Discord I will be more than happy to help !
Cheers ! Have a good day =)