Technical Art Portfolio Tips
Making a Technical Art portfolio can be very difficult, I've put together some tips to help out
When it comes to Technical Art portfolio's there are a lot of pitfalls. Especially when the role is not so clearly defined, and confusion as to what makes a good show of the tech art role. I'm going to go over a bunch of issues I’ve seen whilst interviewing candidates for Tech Art roles.
Tech Art is more than modelling
In our line of work, we often focus more on evaluating and refining meshes rather than creating them from scratch. While modelling is fantastic, what we're really keen on seeing in your portfolio is more of the technical side of things. If you are showcasing a model, it's super helpful if you can include textures, UV’s, LOD’s, and even bones if they're relevant, along with how it all comes together in-engine. That way, we get a clearer picture of your technical prowess.
"Game Ready"
A note on models being "game ready", simply rendering a model in Maya isn't quite the same as being ready for the games. You really need to show the technical details of an asset, and it should be shown in a game engine (doesn't matter which one) to show that you understand the process of getting a mesh in to an engine and how to make it look good within the constraints of a game. You do not have such constraints when you are just rendering in Maya.
LLMs are a tool
If you are going to use an LLM for your code, and you show it, at least get rid of the "foo" and "bar" names... This has happened so many times in junior portfolios.
def foo(bar):
addition = foo + bar
return additionUsing an LLM to lookup functions or re-writing to improve code readability is fine, but don't just copy & paste the damn code people...
As the interviewer, it shows a complete lack of proofreading your code and incompetence that you think you can get away with just copying the entire code.
In recent studies, it has actually been shown that using LLMs like ChatGPT has caused a drop in code quality, https://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2024/01/25/copilot-research.aspx
Showing off code projects
Do you need to show code? No, but you need to somehow explain how your tool/script works.
Sometimes posting code isn't the easiest thing to do. Especially when your work falls under NDA, just look at the recent work on my portfolio But there are steps to mitigate showing of code and still proving out your technical skills.
The best way I have found it linking your tools hosting page (GitHub, Azure, etc) with a fully completed markdown.
Markdown
If you don't know markdown, then I highly suggest you learn, as it’s the standard for writing documentation and allows other programmers to easily understand your documentation. If you are using Art Station for your portfolio, then you can post a link to your GitHub in the artwork description, the more technical viewers wouldn't mind going to look at your work on GitHub.
https://www.markdownguide.org/
Tutorials/courses are welcome, additions are king
Engaging in tutorials and courses to bolster your skill set is commendable, but it's essential to go beyond replicating exercises verbatim. Adding your own twists and enhancements to tutorial projects showcases your understanding and creativity. It's not just about following steps; it's about applying learned concepts in novel ways to solve unique challenges.
Seek feedback past your teachers
For the students reading this, while tutors provide valuable guidance, seeking feedback from industry professionals offers a different perspective. Industry veterans can offer insights rooted in practical experience and current industry standards. Don't hesitate to leverage social media platforms to connect with professionals willing to share their expertise and provide constructive criticism.
Focus
Crafting the perfect technical art portfolio is difficult, there are a lot of skills within tech art that you could show. But the most effect portfolios have some sort of focus on a particular skill. Such as rigging, tools or shaders. If you do want to show off more, I’d recommend ensuring that you split up your portfolio based on what you want to show.
In the end
In the end, it has to all come together into a solid portfolio you are pleased to show to people. It doesn’t matter what platform you show it on, as long as it’s easily accessible. In my case, I use ArtStation.
But others want to create their own website, or just use GitHub or even just a link to their Google Drive. Whatever works best for you and gets your work shown is good enough.
If you’d like to know more, or ask questions, feel free to follow me on my socials https://linktr.ee/scottwoodhams or leave a comment below.