Archive for September 13th, 2009
THE BASICS #4: Too Much, Or Too Little? Which One is Best?
Ah, the age old question: Of all the work I’ve done, what should I put in my portfolio? I know…ALL OF IT! *BZZT* Wrong. I’ve seen some stellar pieces in an artist’s portfolio that build confidence, only to be followed up by an obvious class project that kills momentum. The artist did the stellar work, it showed his skill and ability, but the next one….just slows it down, instills doubt, questions surface.
There isn’t a perfect number, I’d say between 10 and 20. If you have less…well, your portfolio is “under construction” and you’re working on a couple more great pieces…right? I’ve actually seen some great, highly focused portfolios with 5 pieces of art. “Less is More” they say, but only apply this to the actual number of pieces…not the content of a piece. You want those 5-10 images to be focused (Basics #2) and to sizzle. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in 
THE BASICS #3: Which Studio is Right for You?
Where do you want to work? Which studio is making the games you love to play? What game inspired you to look your practical parents in the eye and say “I want to make video games for a living”?
You may have already thought about this and came up with the answer…”I don’t care who I work for, I just want a job as an artist!” But I want to challenge you to think about it a little more. Why? Because game developers want gamers: Passionate, hard working, creative, professional gamers. And if you aren’t passionate about Cabbage Patch Kids, Cabbage Patch lore, the main characters, or how the hell a Cabbage Patch Kid is born…it’s likely you’ll be miserable working on any part of it.
Instead, dedicate a portion of your portfolio to the types of games you’d love to work on. Build assets that would fit the genre or animate a character from that universe. You’ll likely get a charge working on it and actually feel that spark of passion ignite. That’s what a game studio is looking for.