Pyxel-Perfect Portfolios #2: ENVIRONMENT ART
Working across gaming recruitment is a truly exciting experience across the board, the people you meet and the processes you find yourselves involved are always going to keep you on your toes. At Skillsearch we genuinely pride ourselves on our ability to assist artists and developers along the recruitment trail, both through helping them across the interview process and advising them on their portfolio approach.
From a recruiter’s perspective, hunting for top quality environment artists is always super enjoyable, as the portfolios will often hold numerous treasures from within our favourite games. Being able to spend the day traversing stunning Unreal Engine landscapes and exploring the endless possibilities is always exciting, however, from an employment point of view, there are a few things that we know will always stick out in a positive way.
Environment Art as a whole discipline is not just creating a nice grassy field, it is forging manoeuvrable levels that encapsulate players throughout their gaming journey, modelling for props, hard surfaces and foliage that enhance that landscape, along with texturing, lighting, and many other individual elements. We have gathered three top tips to make sure your portfolio stands out in an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace.
Showcase your speciality, it is a wide old discipline
Every environment art role will come with different challenges, some will be more focussed on level art, and some will be more based on modelling. The most important thing to do here is to make sure that your profile represents what you spend your time doing. There is nothing more frustrating for an employer than expecting to speak to a more specific set dresser & level artist, only to find out they have worked primarily on props.
Stack your portfolio posts and tell us what you did
ArtStation is fantastic for portfolios as it allows you to stack multiple images in each thread, as well as providing a description, which is why it has become the industry standard for art-based portfolios. Utilise this by showcasing all your available work from each scene, include multiple angles, the specific elements you worked on and provide a comprehensive description. This leaves potential employers with no doubts on your capabilities and range. It is also worth adding game-specific logos to cover photos, so people can see the quality of projects you’ve worked on immediately.
Keep your portfolio updated, screenshots will go a long way
The second you have material available and free of NDA’s, there is no reason not to have the evidence of it on your portfolio. A portfolio is designed to show off the best of what you have done and the quality levels of your recent projects. In a AAA space especially, your most recent projects are likely to be the most relevant to another employer’s upcoming project. Keeping your portfolio as up to date as possible will also show potential studios that you are on the ball and able to stay on top of your own workflow.
These three simple tweaks to your portfolio, in our experience, can make a huge difference in your appeal to your potential future employers and at Skillsearch, we are always happy to help advise you further.
Are there any specific art-based roles that you would like portfolio advice on? Feel free to get in touch through my LinkedIn or by sending me an email on JRM@skillsearch.com
Keep an eye out for the next instalment in our Pyxel-Perfect Portfolios series coming very soon...
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