game art portfolios

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.

If you’re having trouble choosing between your works, ask a colleague, friend or even industry pro to review your work and choose their favorites. Give them a scale of 1-10, remove anything below a 7. If that only leaves you with 2, then you’ve got a few more pieces to churn out before you apply.

Here’s another way to look at it: If you could only show 1 piece, which one would it be? Measure your other work to that 1 piece… that will trim it down a bit.

It does take a truck load of discipline to do this by the way, it ain’t easy saying goodbye to old or even training art…that slick brochure, your rough sketch of your girlfriend, that CD cover…good times, good times. But this is where the rubber hits the road, and you’re on your way to being a game artist aren’t you!?  Sharpen the axe and start slingin’!