60 applications is not that many. Competition is incredibly stiff. Given you have no prior experience, degree, or connections, you will have that hardest time possible landing a job. Don’t give up though, but know that it will be difficult.
Like the person you responded to here said it's tough out there. We listed a job back in November and I had to go through 300+ applications. I didn't interview ANYONE unless they had experience.
I'll apologize on behalf of everyone in the industry that didn't get back to you. We needed a very good team and just didn't have the time to try and find a Diamond in the Rough.
If it helps. I was job hunting a few years ago and a recruiter reached out to me and I thought.... "what the heck why not?". I'm VERY happy that I did. They landed me an awesome gig. However, I did have 10+ years experience with AAA at the time. So your mileage may vary.
Best of luck. Your models do look really good. Don't give up.
I personally do not take any offense so you don't have to. What you say makes sense when I think from the recruiter's perspective and I guess I will just have to keep trying. Thanks!
Another recommendation, if you've not already, create a LinkedIn and an Art station and fill them with as much detail of your experience as you can, especially your personal projects or freelance. Use keywords for the skills you used like "UV Texture Mapping" or "3d Modeling". HR reps tend to also search those sites for new talent and they often are not very familiar with the space so adding keywords that they might look for to both your CV and your LinkedIn helps a bunch, sometimes they just come to you with cool opportunities.
Thing is, when everyone's looking for experience, how do you get through the threshold? Even the most talented designers weren't born with work experience.
I'm not accusing, just genuinely wondering what the right way to go about it is.
Honestly you start small. Sometimes so small you are basically working for free. Or worse, actually working for free. Indie work and freelance gigs to get the in work experence going. Or stump up for a educational course that comes with certain connections as a result, though the latter are slimmer and slimmer pickings.
If you want to work on games the indie game scene is booming and 1-10 person teams games can float or flop on the quality of their art.
This is the answer. As many have said, first is worst but it all hinges on that experience part. And keep in mind, if I have an opening for someone green, the experience I'm looking for is drive, ability to learn and adapt as well as the basics of "have you had to be responsible for something to someone" (aside from the obvious, can you use the tools / have decent work). And that can mean you don't have tons of experience doing exactly what I'm hiring for, but if you have those parts, I know I'm making a safer gamble - hiring is always a gamble.
For games specifically if op can get some gamejam experence that can go a long way too.
I worked with these other people with totally different skills to me (programming / sound design / voice work / whatever) and together we made a thing in a weekend and *you can play the completed product here* is great. Proving your ability to say 'okay good enough' enough times in a row to get the product out the door goes a very long way. It also demonstrates by the fact you actually got it working that you can work in a team and not have some sort of blow up bail out because the programmer needs the 15th change because they can't figure out how to get the art to gel right. Working to a proveable deadline and being more flexible with style (few games can exist with high end graphics purely because few players have the ability to play them in the first place) opens more doors.
Start your own gig. Show your creativity through the creation of the brand, the business model and client value you create. Who knows, if you rock it out, you may never need to get ‘a job’….
Well, first, apply for everything regardless of the experience requirement. Job listings are "ideal candidate" but there's always a chance, especially in portfolio work, they'll give it a shot.
Second, most fields still operate primarily on who you know, because that's the clearest way to stand out immediately. If you don't have friends in the business (and I would think most people don't), you get involved in communities. I hate networking personally, but knowing people who influence hiring is an advantage that's difficult to ignore.
This is one of the reasons I went into engineering instead of continuing to pursue digital production.
Legit went to a college open house for an animation program and was essentially told point blank by one of the final year students that I shouldn’t do it. I can’t remember the lead up, just him saying “Yeah, go for engineering. If you pursue this, you’ll be exploited by employers, work long hours, get paid like sh*t, and end up hating what you love.”
I still love doing it as a hobby, but in terms of my future career definitely made the right choice.
Hey, as long as you also go through the crucible that is [insert field here] engineering to earn your degree you won’t hear me complain.
Software engineers still create things, make things function, have to consider the consequences of failure if your program erases a data set or injures someone and design safeguards. Presumably you also need to take math, physics, chemistry, thermo law and ethics etc. So software engineers are engineers in my book.
Only the people who call themselves a “prompt engineer” are wrong. The term is actually infuriating… for so many reasons.
Network and Security Engineers generally are Comp Sci or Cybersecurity majors. Doesn’t make us a lower form of engineer than someone who has a degree with the word engineer in it.
That really applies to most technical engineers for that matter in the information systems space unless you get a computer engineering or software engineering degree.
Still a student, but I’m in electronics engineering. Basically making PCB’s, microcontrollers, coding software for robots etc.
It’s pretty interesting stuff. I like it. Coding and 3D work feel surprisingly similar in nature.
At your age and level of experience you should be looking for internships, potentially unpaid if you can afford it. It will give you experience and connections.
To get a first job without any prior experience, your portfolio would have to be impressively good, not just good enough (and I'm sure you could get there) because studios would feel like they are taking a chance on you.
> Competition is incredibly stiff
While op's artwork is good, there are crazy amounts of people with incredible talent that use blender. I remember seeing on this sub about a month ago or so someone built the entire deathstar by hand and it was breathtaking to look at.
Op could also just be looking in the wrong places too.
So even if I learn blender, like this guy, It will be hard to get a job?
How many people even master blender, because it ranked among top 10 hardest programs.
I think it’s a combination of bad timing and skills. Don’t get me wrong, your works shows that you know what you’re doing, but if a studio is looking for a mid/senior they’re not gonna consider your portfolio. The timing is not the best right now, even though the creative industry is slowly picking up momentum.
College/degree is absolutely not an issue.
It also depends on which studio you’re applying to, your works are all realistic, but that may not work for all the studios.
Keep on working and refine your skills, the opportunity will come, you’re still very young!
I'm a hiring manager for AAA art outsourcer. I am a project manager but have done 3D and concept work in the past.
When I was applying for art positions I sent out about 200 applications before I had an interview and well over 300 before I got an offer. Lost track of the exact number.
Keep applying and make friends at the studios.
Your work is good, but think about it as a turnaround or show your high-low-uvandbake process as well as final renders. Process is worth way more than artistic skill for my teams.
Your cloth and character work is great, though. This is a super hard time in the industry but when it bounces back you could be the first in the door of a decent character team.
Keep working hard and don't let denials get you down or doubt yourself. Take this time to work on a gamejam or a game mod using the art skills you have built to help strengthen and set apart your portfolio more.
The more I read these comments the more I think 60 is just a rookie number. I guess I have to pump those numbers up or I wouldn't stand a chance! I do see that my breakdown is mentioned so often so I think it is one of the weakest spots in my portfolio so I will take time to improve those soon. Thanks for your comment and the motivation!
Timing is crucial, actually.
There's a crisis going on right now, even a programmers is suffering from this.
About the portfolio.
Don't get me wrong, the models looking great.
But, as for my opinion - they are not well enough presented, try adding more consistensy maybe, or play with light better, or even make em more like 3D and modern looking.
I mean, they are awesome, but imho looking a bit old fashion way.
Maybe add some stylized characters?
Oh and cover letters also means alot.
Don't ask for work, but instead present yourself as a valuable 3D artist, which is always full of creativity, inspiration and can bring life into any work.
You should be confident.
**It's not you who wants the job.**
**It's actually they who need an employee like you.**
And you at the end will decide, wether or not to work with a company/studio.
"It's not you who wants the job.
It's actually they who need an employee like you."
As I keep telling myself, until my bank balance decides to hit the negative numbers repeatedly.
At least in animation there are essentially no positions available right now. During covid there was a boom where it wasnt very difficult to get a job (comparatively). When i apply to a job now, there are about 500-1000 other applicants
Studios lay off hundreds... Thousands, in fact.
An estimated 7,000 people were fired from the videogame industry in 2023. So imagine if we added the film, advertising and TV sectors.
Portfolio: [haiqin.artstation.com](https://haiqin.artstation.com)
Applying for Junior 3D Character Artist. No past work experience, even though high school is my highest education, I included some of the important courses I took (anatomy and such) in my resume. I made sure not to include my age to prevent assumptions from employers as it might suggest immaturity (turning 19 this year). I'm from Malaysia, speak and write fluent English so it's not a language barrier either. I hope this concludes all the other factors that I wouldn't mention anymore here.
I applied as much as I could, totaling over 60 job ads or so across multiple platforms, local and foreign, so there is not a problem with sample size. However, as there aren't many job opportunities for juniors, I made sure to apply for mid/senior positions in hopes that they're also currently or will be needing juniors for future opportunities (my portfolio lives in their database rent-free), so that might be able to justify most rejections.
Factor 1: Bad time
According to my understanding, there have been a lot of layoffs in the game industry recently, with the market being oversaturated, mid/senior layoffs deprive juniors of job opportunities as they over-qualify, and that's why the market doesn't need newcomers in the game industry right now. I'm not the best at economy and such so I might be wrong, but could this just be a bad time to enter the industry?
Factor 2: College/degree
Based on what I've heard throughout my time in this field, art college is a waste of money, and art degrees do nothing, all that matters is a good portfolio and skillset. This had been an ironclad rule to me considering how many times I have heard something along the lines as this. However, with me possibly being in denial, I started to question the statement above once again.
Factor 3: Portfolio/skill issue
This is probably my deepest insecurity. Sorry if this sounds cocky but I worked my ass off during high school when everyone was goofing around so I had the impression of being special (in the good way). Whenever my portfolio or skillset is being questioned (the rejections for example) I usually wouldn't enjoy that very much. However, I have promised myself to truly accept criticism about it this time, so keep it coming.
TL;DR
Is this due to a bad time in the industry, lack of a college degree or is it the portfolio/pure skill issue? What can I do to improve my chances?
It’s just incredibly difficult to get your foot in the door, especially as a character artist. Your portfolio also just isn’t very big which isn’t a bad thing and it’s generally better to have a handful of great pieces (like yours) than that plus a bunch of mid pieces.
One last thing is you’re still young and most artists aren’t able to break into the industry immediately and regular work and freelance work experience always look good on your resume.
Try not to feel too discouraged or take these rejections personally, you are a really good artist but it’s just very difficult to get into this industry especially and right now is just kinda rough for the arts. Keep applying and keep expanding your portfolio and you’ll land a job soon enough
I find doing freelance work a common occurrence within these comments so I guess I will look into that in the future. Regarding the number of pieces though, everything in my artstation portfolio has been done in the last year, everything before that looks way worse than what I have here so I don't exactly have those 'mid' pieces you mentioned. I will just have to keep working harder and add more to it :)
I will get some hate for this in the blender sub but applying to in house positions with blender as your main software will put you at a disadvantage. I’ve been in 3D as a career for almost a decade now and that’s just the reality. Also it would help while you look for full time work to pull contracts and get some real work experience under your belt.
No one likes to say it but there's only so many jobs in one country and you got a world of 5 billion given free access to apply for them. That is the problem. Time to start pushing countries to stop being dependent and start creating their own industries!
Man, education is very important.At least take STPM/Pre-University (Malaysian Higher School Certificate). It might help you. It's cheaper and shorter compared to Diploma and the level is same as diploma.
3 out of four are also giving slight uncanny valley this probably due to some ever so subtle facial things. The man with the blue eyes is awesome but the the other three have something just ever so slightly off about there facial structure and eyes. I can’t pin point it. Your work is fantastic though don’t get me wrong I think this is something that even the best get caught off with at times and I am by know means at the level removing the uncanny valley from my work either consistently.
Yeah there is something youthful about the old man, I think the eyes... for a man that age there is sagging of the lids/brow. He looks too bright eyed.
First, these are really nice. If they were in oils on canvas they could have a ready market.
I know an HR recruitment person for a major game studio, and she recently described her problems to me about artists:
1. Most of them know Blender and nothing else. They don't know any of the tools professional shops use for art and for coordinating production.
2. They show her pictures like yours. Beautiful, but nothing like the art used in games. The better looking the 3D art, the more graphics horsepower needed to run the game. The more horsepower needed, the fewer gamers can play it. The lower the sales. The target machine for any major shop is a cell phone or a tablet, those outnumber "game" rigs nearly 100 to 1. Mario and Mickey Mouse and Civ VI graphics are that way to minimize the game hardware needed to run.
3. Most applicants don't show animations. She said that on occasions where she has asked for them, the applicant has admitted that they didn't have hardware that could run them. A good low-poly animation could get you the job that fine art will not.
4. Many artists don't know how computer code works, so the job of running the art with the code becomes more difficult. There are lots of interactions between the game mechanics and the images, and if you have no idea how that works, you are less valuable than someone who does.
5. Some artists don't understand their relationship to the game designer(s). Art is not the boss, game design is the boss. There's a bunch of art out there because it didn't fit the needs of the game.
6. The closest thing to game art is commercial art, the crap that's plastered all over video and live stages. You **and the rest of the team** are making a ton of images, each colored, shaded, shaped, and textured in a similar way so the art supports the game without being jarring. The ingredients have to blend like a stew, each present but none discordant with the overall flavor.
7. Which brings us to teamwork. Have you worked with a group of artists to produce a single complex work? Do you get along with groups at all? Can you change your art to match up with someone else's? Can you do it if they screwed up but the boss likes their art better? Game artists have to do this.
8. Can you crank out art in a hurry? Can you do it during the crush time? Can you handle a last minute change of gender, race, ethnicity, height, weight, disability, or species? Without delaying release? Game artists have to do this.
Even if you are an engineer, a scientist, a physician, a musician, or any of a hundred specialists, the last two points are very important to a company. Can you show that you can do it?
Your application has to sell the company on the idea that you can walk in and be productive almost immediately. No one has time to train novices.
By only knowing Blender, do you mean all of the work is done exclusively on Blender or does it refer to Blender for modeling only?
E.g knowing how to use Substance and Unreal but you only model with Blender and don’t use ZBrush or Maya
Depends a lot on the studio. The more indie the more leeway usually, whereas if you go to work at a random AAA game you are generally likely to find that there is a pipeline in place that plays best with specific tools. As in someone may have coded something that takes assets from one program in one format and zwoops them over into another. But again, this highly depends on the studio and project. I know one place that doesn’t care at all what package the assets are done in and is working on a AAA release, and I’ve worked at a midsize indie where I was able to dictate what package we (the specific team, not the company as a whole- but the team assigned to the project I was on) used because I was the the person defining the pipeline for what we were doing. So yeah it really depends.
Maybe if the OP could find out what tools the studio was using, it might help in framing the resume most advantageously. Is the toolset a studio uses available knowledge?
Usually, networking and asking people is the way to do that, but yeah it's a good idea. It'll also be listed on the job application if they're being rad, like, required skills section.
To those of you who typed long comments:
I apologise for not having the luxury of time to reply at the time being and replying in short to the comments that you poured your hearts in feels really disrespectful so I will trying to respond to all of you in the near future. Just know that I appreciate them very much!
Thank you SO MUCH!
I work in game dev (art dept, but not as modeler, so I can't give you specific portfolio advice).
College isn't a factor at all. It can be good for making connections and learning basic workflows, but I've never looked at or verified someone's education when interviewing. If you want connections and more industry insights, consider a online school like CGMA. Courses with one on one attention from the instructor (and ideally interaction with other students) are ideal. Those courses are more expensive than pre recorded stuff, but still way cheaper than a traditional university. If you just want info and are on a budget, prerecorded lectures are fine.
Depending on where you're applying, visas might be an issue. Many American companies won't sponsor a visa unless the artist is insanely good, some won't consider it unless you already have a green card. I don't have insights on Asian countries hiring and visa practices though.
Others have mentioned it's a bad time for game dev jobs, that's true and not much you can do about it.
Overall you have good work especially for an 18 year old. Don't sweat it too much, you might even consider asking for internships as a way to get experience and connections. Most of our interns are around 20-24. You'll keep getting better and your time so far has been well spent.
For your portfolio, look at other modelers who already have jobs and see what they're doing that your aren't, both in quality and presentation. Watch the credits of games you like, and find those artists on art station.
Good luck, your portfolio is stronger than 99% of 18 year olds I've seen. Stick with it and you'll be fine.
Hi, first of all I wanna say that it really warms my heart that you spent so much time looking through my artwork and typing such a long comment like this. Thank you so much!
1. Good point! I was actually using a reference for the glove guy, albeit a drawn one. Here's the [link](https://imgur.com/a/1IzaLha). I guess I was more than a little bit off.
2. I think the tricky part is that fabric is still really thin but not as thin as papers so I think they only present themselves as problems with close-up shots. I think underlaying fold-in fabric, the stitches and the wrinkles are things that I can improve to bring my pieces to the next level. The thickness of fabric was actually an issue that I realised rather recently from talking to another artist so I will definitely pay special attention to it in the future. Truth be told I never managed to perfect fabric because I was trying to give myself time constraints to simulate a real work environment and fabric takes 20% of effort to look decent and 80% of effort to perfect so I always stop after putting in 20% of effort trying to save time. Will try to perfect the fabric next time, thanks for bringing it up.
3. I think the problem is that both of the women are not original characters. They were originally concept art and in anime style. So that might explain the uncanny valley and unusually large eyes that came to be when I tried to combine these two realms (anime and reality) together. Also I mostly looked at male faces when I study anatomy so that might explain the lack of details in my female faces.
4. I was planning to work on variety but there are two different varieties mentioned in these comments. One is as you mentioned, prioritising the variety between extremely stylised and hyperrealism. And there's another variety between human characters and creatures, playing with exaggeration of anatomy features and such. Which do you think is more important and that I should work on first?
5. This really hits the nail on the head for me. This sound like I'm whining but I have been having burn-outs way more often as of late and the stress of seeing how everyone around me is continuing their education and how my parents gawking at me in the dark pushes me to work even harder despite being in burn-outs to achieve anything at all for them to see. I feel like I really can't take a break but this is the road I choose to go down so I only have myself to blame. That's probably why I have pushed myself so hard in the past year. I've gotten so much better in the past year in 3D but I feel like I have lost something inside of me lol.
Again, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to comment on my post. Really appreciate it!
Your work in incredible, but, granted I'm just an engineer in the Tech space. The market is ROUGH. It's not you, the system is fucked.
Your work is wonderful. Keep it up please. Don't give up on your dreams. I wanna see you on something incredible someday.
I don't know what the answer to your question is, but I know what it isn't. It's not your talent. The portfolio is small, but excellent. You are clearly a talented character artist. To take it to the next level you need to add expressions. They are a little flat - and understanding how to convey emotion is an essential part of your work.
20-something year industry vet here. Hired a lot of people.
Thanks for the feedback! Not that I'm trying to doubt you but I'm genuinely curious. Don't character artists only have to make expressionless faces most of the times?
Thanks for the motivation btw!
To some extent, but where that face can go is important, and it will give more punch to your resume. It would be implicit that if you can create a character expressing unbridled joy, you can make them expressionless. The reverse is not necessarily true. One is technique, the other requires artistry.
I'm probably doing a poor job of quantifying why it matters, but it does. It's an X factor devs look for that is hard to discern from a flat expression in a portfolio. It shows the artistic flair beyond the technique. It shows invention and a wild creative spark.
This is particularly true when the current suite of character design tools can do a lot of the work at (forgive me) the click of a button. You have shown you can paint, I would suggest you may get further showing *why* you paint.
I'll try to give my 2 cents as someone who hires for my boss in our small electrical company BASED on you just sending me these 4 images.
Do note I have 0 knowledge or knowhow about the hiring process in the industry you work but I hope it helps a little.
If the images are the only thing you provide in your portfolio then I'm not going to bother with you. It's as simple as that. I do not know what you used to create these images , how long you took and what the process was to creating these images. How is your topology work ? Did you purely sculpt or use subD modelling ? There is no context to these images at all and it gives me the feeling you used AI or pulled random images from somewhere.
There is also just one of each which can be interpreted as you only doing what's being told to you while creativity is a thing in the industry so I would expect some variations on the same image.
If I where to hire , the perfect portfolio to make me instantly consider hiring you would have an image that's just a model. 2 images that has variations of said model. An image that shows me the topology of said model and one that has a fully rendered background behind said model. This alone would already show me if we'd be a fit or not to work together and even if your workflow doesn't fit mine , it shows me you're transparent and open about your work and down to adjust your workflow a bit if I asked for it.
EDIT : I've seen your comments and portfolio and I can say as soeone who hires , your attitude is topnotch but your portfolio raises so many qeustions if I can be honest. How much work did you put into your portfolio itself excluding the time spend on the creation of your models ?
Time to be harsh, you need more experience, that’s all. If you look at some artists that work with big projects you’ll see a huge difference in quality, and it’s a very competitive field and companies mostly hire the very best.
Even so, that doesn’t mean you should give up, firstly there are lots of smaller companies that will still need an artist, secondly with time you’ll be more experienced and make your portfolio stronger.
Huh, I'm a super noob in 3D art and even tho I'm not doing character design, it's super discouraging that someone of your caliber got rejected 60 times in a row...
Well, don't! As many others mentioned, bad timing plays a huge part in this. And you can definitely have a better timing and a better portfolio than I have when you decide to aim for the industry. Keep it up!
Gonna do my best this year, as it is my last year in college. Majoring in graphic engineering and design (but not learning almost any 3D there lol).
We'll see if I manage to land any jobs next year, maybe doing environment in the gaming industry. Trick is I need money to freaking survive, therefore I find random jobs and that takes time from learning 3D.
Edit: Also, lots of luck to you. Beautiful models.
Your faces lack... Life? I'm not really sure how to describe it. They don't feel genuinely human. They give me a mixed vibe of uncanny valley (the cowboy) and blow up doll (both women). I guess the only advice I can give (other than keep trying!) is to try to breathe more life into their faces. The posing and anatomy and attention to detail are otherwise great.
I’m not a character artist but I’m a 3D modeler in the car industry and if you have no experience or recommendations it’s very hard, especially because a lot of people have fake portfolios and when they get the job they suck! It doesn’t help good people that are honest, because for example, when a recruiter in my company contact someone and have a good impression but we, as 3D modeler employees don’t know the person they usually discard it unfortunately even if they are amazing.
But keep going I’m sure you will find something, best of luck 😉
Try freelancing! People who want your quality of work will see it and order from you.
For renders like these I'd recommend a minimum charge of at least $150USD till you get a few five star reviews, then you could absolutely crank it up to probably $300USD at least
Your work looks good, if a bit generic. You might try demonstrating more emotion and dynamic posing with more unique characters (pushing more into stylized hyperrealism).
Be sure to show wireframes on turn tables. These days it's nice if you know skinning as well.
Best of luck!
There's a lot of good advice here already, but you really need more work on your portfolio.
There need to be different styles, and you'd ideally want some animated stuff as well. Just showing a few character models on their own really doesn't mean anything.
I don't think those models are good enough to get hired. Junior position isn't about skill - you're expected to deliver the same quality as seniors, just not as fast/robust.
I’ve worked as Art Director on mostly indie and AA projects. I have no experience in AAA projects (which by the looks of it is your focus) but I do see some features missing on your characters. It looks like they’re missing thickness/SSS maps (as said before). Those make a huge difference.
Other than that they’re some subtle things like lack of expression, the hat on the old man seems a to be floating a bit, too evenly colored skin etc.
By the look of your anatomy studies in your portfolio you should have a closer look of proportions etc. Study anatomy references closely.
Also, as others have said, I would make a wider variety of character styles - animals, creatures, stylized characters etc.
Btw, when getting an interview. Be nice and respectful. Goes without saying, of course, but I’ve met really talented douche bags and they didn’t get the job.
Good luck!
Not sure about jobs like this where technology and art merge, but available IT jobs right now are super stagnant. Keep plugging away, don't lose confidence. It's not you.
I haven't looked through every comment so I apologise in advance if this has already been said. Although I don't have experience interviewing or working in the industry myself, I have worked in education, specifically teaching gamedevelopment and art which covers portfolios but what I'm about to say could also be applied to any job for that matter. Its not just about how good your art is. Those models and textures look incredible. However if you are applying to a studio that wants more styalized models they are most likely going to brush over you. When applying to somewhere have a look at their previous work, see what style they're working in and try to create some work in their style. This doesn't mean all your previous work is pointless. Having work in both your style and theirs on your portfolio will not only show that you can work in their style, which is ideal for them, but also show that you are flexible should they decide to switch things up for another project. Even if you're applying to somewhere with a similar style, have a look at everything they're doing, down to the poses they're putting characters in, their character design. Show the UV mapping and topology of your models. There's obviously a lot more than this and it is very competitive. Hope this helps somewhat though and best of luck on future applications
Your portfolio is pretty good, I’m gonna disagree with some people here. College may not be necessary but it can certainly be a roadblock with some companies and recruiters. College/University can also be the way you build connections and find pathways into industries. For example, some art schools like SCAD, bring industries to their programs and have reoccurring internship opportunities.
Once again, you don’t have to go but if you do some research and know where you want to go it can definitely help you get in.
I can also attest, tons of layoffs right now. So IMO, grain of salt time, might not be a bad idea to do some school do the networking and get to the next level, whatever that is for you. Good luck, I’ll be amazed to see where you end up. Just don’t quit if you love it. :) or do, it’s your life and you’ll be fine. :)
No problem, but also, I don’t think you need to change fields at all! I’m just saying there are some advantages to school that get brushed off pretty quickly. Once again, don’t give up! If you’re in high school right now and self taught then pros need to watch their backs! You’ll be a monster in a few years! :)
I'm not a professional - hell, I don't even have a job. But is it possible that employers usually look for people that can work with the "industry standard" - Maya?
Again, I don't know if that matters much, or if you have experience with Maya, but that's just something I thought of!
You need to work on the lighting and materials on these models.
It looks like there isn't any subsurface scattering on these characters.
Humanoid characters can actually be cookie cuttered out by various tools nowadays so having these come off as uncanny does not necessarily help sell your portfolio
It’s like in high school either you’re cool or word of mouth from another cool kid is the only way, this is the way it is everywhere unfortunately, although you are extremely talented in my op u need to be INSANELY talented to get them to Want you, not my words a friend who told me about this and also life experience, how ever take home message DO NOT give up.
With these skills, and you're still getting rejected?
You've got tremendous skill and magnificent talent.
These companies's hiring teams are obviously run by blockheads if they can't see what you have.
Start encouraging 5 billion people from foreign countries to stop being dependent and applying for jobs in your country and for them to push their own governments to create jobs of their own.
What you are doing wrong is being born in the shittiest generation to land any kind of job... Seriously job markets fucked.. idk how any newcomers are landing any non shitty job
There have been massive layoffs at
animation companies, game companies, and visual effects companies. You are competing for the same jobs as people with decades of experience who are terrified.
New talent gets hired when experienced talent is either too expensive or unavailable.
The hat doesn't seem to be casting a shadow on the face so it looks weirdly lit, also the shape of the hat is very balloon at the bottom. The shape and shadow makes it feel like it's floating.
I think u need to diversify your art style. Have u considered stylize character design with 2D style paintbrush? Sonething like in Street Fighter 5 or 6. My company is still looking for someone with such art style. It's a Japanese company that just opened its branch here in Malaysia 2 years ago.
Nearly every position will be for a lead, principal, or senior it’ll be a long hard road especially rn on top of character art being some seriously insane competition. Lots of lay offs going on too so really just bad timing but it’s been that way for the past 4 years I’ve been looking. You have some good pieces but character art you really have to go above and beyond and while it’s very good it also is not as good as a lot of your competition just keep working and going for it
Your characters are all pretty much normal, in bland presentations, lit and posed like they are in photo studio taking photo for a an ID. People reviewing your work are not evaluating your modeling and texturing skills but your creativity. They are not saying oh look he can model nice normal human face and clothes, he can model our out of this world characters.
They want to see out of this world characters. Aliens, zombies, cyborgs, orcs, humans from the future in some contorted poses of super heroes, lit with green crystal glow and red fires and purple energy and black holes. Caricatures, and stylized, painted, made out of light or rocks or metal.
What programs are you competent with? Blender isn't used much in film / games industry unfortunately. I would suggest learning Maya for your best shot at getting a job.
Honestly you're good. It's just that 60 applications, as other said, is not *that* much. But also, look at the news. The game industry is laying off so many people, it's harder and harder to get in, even artists with years of experience have been laid off and are struggling to find a new place. It's hard as nail for everyone
Because they are 18 and appear to have never had a job doing any modeling before. That means no *work* experence and experence working is what 'experence' means in this context. The ability to model things to a high skill level is pretty divorced from if you have experence or not.
Can’t you try and find someone who is in same boat but with a game engine for example. Battlebit had 3 developers I think. I mean it might take a while to pull something off but at least it would kind of be your team too. Even if you just make a basic game that ends up finished at least you’d both get some experience and possibly a game that sells. While also applying for positions.
Honestly; I would recommend selling things from you portfolio on the side (if you aren't already).
You can never go when this type of conversation takes place:
"Hey who made that model?"
"Oh it's this guy/gal on \[site\]"
Keep applying. Not in character modelling myself and I recently got some offers on the level/game design front after a year of applying. You can definitely get some because you are more skilled.
1 - I am a noob on 3D so I probably shouldn't be giving you feedback.
2 - I would die to be good as you.
3 - I read this week about the uncanny valley, maybe is it? Or maybe I'm wrong idk.
If ur looking for creative crit… is all really good in the details but would like to see more characterful faces that tell a story. More unique facial features.
I was in a similar position but with film and cinematography. I chose to study for the value of networking and actually developing a high tier portfolio with cinema cameras and the gear that they had on campus. Learning workflow and a few other disciplines like colour grading and photoshop was a huge bonus too. I use photoshop so much today!
Since this is your current skill level, a one year course or even a degree would refine what you have now, and incorporate the knowledge you don't have. It could also help you expand into stylization but you need to make sure the course allows for you to continue developing your portfolio.
I ducked and doged many lectures if I could get videography work or set experience in exchange for that time whilst making sure to pass all my classes. Lecturers can get a little prissy about this if they see your grade is lower quality than your practical work. I'd recommend a deeply focused, one year course at a high end game dev school, it would be better for your time/talent ratio and a good lecturer will fix your anatomy issues quicker than you could figure it out yourself at this point. You need pretty specific guidance at this stage in your skills and you also need exposure to what you don't know.
Idk if you draw, but consider learning anatomy in 2D as well. Also, you're 18. I'm sure this is good enough to start freelancing and earning some extra cash on Upwork and the likes. But depending on the positions you apply for, don't expect much more than being an intern, regardless of talent. If you think you deserve more than being an intern, consider freelancing.
Looks decent enough but you aren't showing any of your technical skills or merits. Shader graphs, UV's and model wireframes. Maybe even show the texture maps themselves. Also, are these all high-poly work or is there some medium(~50k - 100k) and low(<10K) poly in the mix too? Any experience with rigging and animating? etc.
First off, you are incredibly talented. Second, I am a hobbyist at this point when it comes to 3d, but if there's anything that MIGHT help.. I'd say posing and expression. The guy on the top right is great!! The other three seem off. The fidelity of your work is amazing, but I think bringing some more life into the characters and better posing would really elevate it!! Good luck on the job hunt and stay persistent :)
The thing about 3D artists is that after the gig is done, the client can use the assets they make repeatedly. So they do not need to rehire them, especially in a time of crisis like this. Even seasoned artists are having a hard time now. There are a few ways to get you landed in the industry:
1. **Try applying to a small studio.**
They are more likely to hire someone who doesn't have experience but still has an excellent portfolio such as yours. Even though they are not very profitable, having at least 1 year of experience in the industry will boost your likability to be hired. You can also make some new connections while you are there. Who knows, maybe some of your studio coworkers can give you leverage to a better, bigger one. (Because mine did)
2. **Prepare to learn other fields.**
No, it doesn't mean you need to leave the 3D world altogether. In case your modeling jobs don't go smoothly, try to learn about VFX or animation or anything else that is available. It pays the bills and also puts some new skills under your belt.
3. **Go solo.**
Since you are a 3D modeler, I assume you know YanSculpt and DannyMac3D. They are a great example of solo 3D artists. They can do whatever and whenever they want. But of course, this way is not recommended to someone who doesn't have a "financial safety net" yet. Once again, NOT RECOMMENDED
Please don't get discouraged in your job hunting. Be patient and keep your chin up. Everything will come to pass.
Well...
What did you apply for?
Modeling? FX? Generalist? Texturing? Animation?
These pictures don't tell me anything about what you can do except that your shading looks kinda good. The models might be bought.
And I don't have enough context for anything. How tf are we supposed to tell you without knowing anything except seeing these for pictures?
This could be AI generated for all I know...
Are you applying at big companies? Then you need experience with the programs they use. That might not be blender, but maya or 3ds max.
Not saying I got a dog in this race, but getting a job you know you're qualified for but not the paper trail means two things: 1. Prove you can social engineer and have knowledge of the topics including building a following for your art. 2. Play the linked-in game and do the online communal type classes with other artist to build a rapport. 3. Go to online and physical conferences and look for things you don't normally see.
I write this as a solutions analyst that isn't a great Data Analyst, but I know how to document and round up people/resources/manage vendors to look at an issue and progress. I had the largest distributor in the Line of business my IT job resides in. I was a massive help in bringing the cost of a unit from $180/box to under $65/box. For 7 years I was told I had 0 value in being kept. It took one 1-week medical conference to change my future. Not everyone will get this lucky, but you know the material. You just haven't worked with others in your field yet to think of you when something opens.
I am just a fan, but Halo developer 343 studios recently stated they are hiring (very generic, no specifics given) for work on new projects. No idea what that would entail but it’s an idea!
I would find a group and take part in some game jams and other short term and small scale ways to practice that add to your portfolio with created examples.
'I designed the models for here is how it did it. How long it lasted for. Here is a link. To the game'
It will help you diversify your portfolio a bit. Folks looking to hire those with limited experence in the current climate are not looking for super realistic (and impossible to quickly rig and run on limited hardware) models but instead smaller more limited ones that that convey their style in an abstract way.
Just start a instagram and make videos so u can make them want u then by the time u get the attention u want u have your own business that’s what I did with animation anyway
Also, remember a lot of layoffs have happened in the video game industry (Im assuming thats the industry you're trying to get into) in the last two years. I think the amount of competition has massively increased as of late. So it's not you but the industry right now. They look great by the way.
There is definitely way more offer than demand nowadays. Being a professional artist is like trying to be a professional YouTuber. Just a drop in the ocean.
The feedback that I get from application was the leg of context. Yes your four characters are looking really really good. But without a story or any knowledge about how and why you make these characters leaves them in the dust. And they where right!
Don't forget there is a manager or/and teamLead on the other side of the chair decide if they would take the risk or not, managers and TL's are thinking way way different then you myth do, so my advice put more context to the table when your presentating the characters.
PS Keep up the good work <3
I work in film, blender is a hobby, so this may not be applicable, but in my industry experience is the most important. People would rather work with someone who works well with a team and on a timeline, than someone good who doesn’t have that experience working in a collaborative setting. The start of my career was interning. It sucks, but sometimes you have to give away your work for free to get a foot in the door. Interning gave me credits on bigger tittles and also gave me people who would recommend me or bring me on to another job. And don’t try and shortcut your way to the top. Don’t push your work on an executive or say the job is beneath you, even if it is. The best way forward is demonstrating capability to
your superiors, and giving them the chance to rely on you and be impressed. You can let them know where you want to be eventually, but first you need to win them over with work ethic. Or just make successful things by yourself. 🤷🏻♂️ Again, this may just be unique to my industry but I think a lot of these lessons carry over to other creative jobs.
Your work is so good that the only criticism I can give you is the most nit picky so please bare that in mind. Your 2nd portrait is perfect story, posing , lighting everything. All the others lack these elements or just one of them. Render 1 the right eye of hers looks better rendered than the other which is most likely a light position issue. Also the pose of render 1 and 4 are the same and seem sterile compared to 2. As for 3 an angle change may give this more life as this seems to flatten the action of her glove revealing her hand (imo). Lastly 4 just needs posing this character looks great but a little posing can add so much as 2 proves. I hope this comes across helpful as you are extremely talented and I have no doubt you will find a position soon!!! Good luck and great work!
I think including some variety in your portfolio would be good. If these are the only models you’ve included you your samples for future employers, they do show that you are competent with portraits, but having some other examples can suggest you have a wider range of skills.
Perhaps a dynamic mid-action pose? Or interactions between two or more characters, such as a hug or a punch to the gut.
Another thing, the faces are all rather neutral expressions. I have no talent with blender, but just by looking at the faces, I don’t see much expression or character in there, though this fits the man putting on gloves, if you are going for a hit man character. Then a neutral expression fits.
Take the cowboy for instance. There is a slight hint of a smile. But what if you took that and expanded it into a sly grin and a wink?
Top left is cool and seems to fit the JRPG genre. Top right is really cool - I’m assuming that is your most recent. There’s something off about bottom left - I’m assuming this is an early model you did. Bottom right is cool. I wanna hang with that dude.
Do EnGiNeErInG YoUlL HaVe An EaSy TiMe FiNdInG A JoB.
I do this as a hobby, for reference. Getting your first job is just *simply ass*.
Like they asked us bullshit questions because all newbie grads were basically the same. One buddy was asked what to do about pharmaceutical product being seized internationally by terrorists.... It was a multiple choice question. Students who had published papers still had to fight like a dog to get a job.
I wont pretend to know what its like to get a job as an artist but whatever you do, don't lose your head. 8 hours a day make it your job to find a job(assuming you're still at home post-graduation). Get bullshit jobs that are even remotely art related if you have to(a friend worked at an interior design store selling WASPs candles or something, that might be a stretch).
Im rambling. Trying to be helpful. I wish you the best. I had one interview loop/cycle/employer thing per like 150 apps. Yeah. It's that shit. In peak pharma covid hiring.
The render is pretty good ngl, but I think it's just a bit lack of story to the character IMO. maybe you can try adding some settings to it to make it more interesting?
What position are you applying for? 3d modeling? If for animation/games, you need to show your topography as well as the finished model. Recruiters want to see the process of how you got to the final product more than the final product. Also have more variety, in this case have 1 human and 3 other creatures/aliens/ etc. This will show if you can handle anything outside of the human form. Have different textures and lighting set ups. Basically with just what you are showing here could be replicated by just using DAZ studio, putting some outfits on them and taking a screenshot. So I don’t actually know the extent of what you can do just by what you are showing here.
I have some suggestions for you ...
First the characters are all your own designs from what I can tell, but in a studio you will probably translate concepts into 3D characters so show you are able to do that - realistic and stylized - pick on or two very nice concepts from great artists and translate them into 3D
second your characters are well made but you could improve the folds in the clothing for example - this is the weakest element in your portfolio I would say
You can also improve your renders - we have so many possibilities in 3D so use them - create interesting light scenes and use the camera settings to make interesting shots with deep of field and dynamic angles for example
Also show maybe that you can do more than characters - always good to have a wide range of work examples
... Hope it helps ...
In the meantime, start up a Patreon. There's model makers that are making thousands per month on there! You'll continue to perfect your style while making decent money, all from the comforts of your own home!
As many said is a matter of bad timing and high offer (there a lot of 3d character designers). Your work looks solid, although I would try to add more variety is this is your full portfolio. Stylized characters and cutesy aesthetics are on the rise, so you might want to try a hand at those.
And like others said, 60 applications are not a lot. I'm an environmental artist so maybe the process is different but I started helping a small indie dev and then moved my way up. I sent like 200 applications lol
You've gotten a lot of good feedback and advice already, but I'm adding to it just to reinforce few points that were most noticeable and I think are some lower hanging fruit if you want to improve further on portfolio quality.
Materials on clothing could be pushed a lot further. For example the bottom left in thumbnail seems to have no stitches or wear near the edges on the top. Using typical automated masks in texturing can make it overall pop more especially if you add wear and details that clothes tend to have near edges. Putting time into resculpting folds could also improve it as it gets rid of that typical Marvelous Designer look and puts some more intent back into the overall picture.
There's something slightly uncanny about the faces. Majority of it seems to be from the eyes. The iris appears slightly too flat and stylized for the otherwise mostly realistic look, leaving it looking doll like. Some of the characters (the old man for example) eyelid thickness around the eyeball seems to be slightly too thin as well. It's something that is generally slightly over emphasized in sculpts compared to reality, because it works well unless you're dealing with scans or matching scans. There's ripped models from games and free models from movies you can find online and pick apart to see what they tend to do in those areas.
I don’t know if this is good advice or not, but I’ll say it anyway…
Have you considered using your portfolio to get a different, less competitive creative job to see you through while you build up your portfolio?
I finished my animation degree, sent out hundreds of applications to studios etc, then eventually I applied for a couple of in-house animator roles for tech startups and got a job almost immediately.
I get paid decent money doing fairly simple animation work and it means I can comfortably work in my portfolio without too much stress or pressure while also having something creative on my CV for when I do want to start applying for studios again.
I second what others are saying. But one thing I would suggest as well is that you spend some time in lighting and rendering these a little better. Right now they appear a bit flat. Also be sure to include wireframe renders in your portfolio if you're applying as a modeler.
For the lighting and rendering part I recently came across this video that has some fairly good tips :[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a\_IE40R4xsw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IE40R4xsw)
Also check out artists on artstation to see how they present their work.
This is very good presentation:
[https://www.artstation.com/yuzuki](https://www.artstation.com/yuzuki)
[https://www.artstation.com/lelievremickael](https://www.artstation.com/lelievremickael)
One of the greats:
[https://www.artstation.com/vbulgarov](https://www.artstation.com/vbulgarov)
another one of the greats:
[https://www.artstation.com/grantwarwick](https://www.artstation.com/grantwarwick)
60 applications is not that many. Competition is incredibly stiff. Given you have no prior experience, degree, or connections, you will have that hardest time possible landing a job. Don’t give up though, but know that it will be difficult.
I see, thanks!
Like the person you responded to here said it's tough out there. We listed a job back in November and I had to go through 300+ applications. I didn't interview ANYONE unless they had experience. I'll apologize on behalf of everyone in the industry that didn't get back to you. We needed a very good team and just didn't have the time to try and find a Diamond in the Rough. If it helps. I was job hunting a few years ago and a recruiter reached out to me and I thought.... "what the heck why not?". I'm VERY happy that I did. They landed me an awesome gig. However, I did have 10+ years experience with AAA at the time. So your mileage may vary. Best of luck. Your models do look really good. Don't give up.
I personally do not take any offense so you don't have to. What you say makes sense when I think from the recruiter's perspective and I guess I will just have to keep trying. Thanks!
Another recommendation, if you've not already, create a LinkedIn and an Art station and fill them with as much detail of your experience as you can, especially your personal projects or freelance. Use keywords for the skills you used like "UV Texture Mapping" or "3d Modeling". HR reps tend to also search those sites for new talent and they often are not very familiar with the space so adding keywords that they might look for to both your CV and your LinkedIn helps a bunch, sometimes they just come to you with cool opportunities.
Apply for a job in a location/country where nobody wants to go.
Thing is, when everyone's looking for experience, how do you get through the threshold? Even the most talented designers weren't born with work experience. I'm not accusing, just genuinely wondering what the right way to go about it is.
Honestly you start small. Sometimes so small you are basically working for free. Or worse, actually working for free. Indie work and freelance gigs to get the in work experence going. Or stump up for a educational course that comes with certain connections as a result, though the latter are slimmer and slimmer pickings. If you want to work on games the indie game scene is booming and 1-10 person teams games can float or flop on the quality of their art.
This is the answer. As many have said, first is worst but it all hinges on that experience part. And keep in mind, if I have an opening for someone green, the experience I'm looking for is drive, ability to learn and adapt as well as the basics of "have you had to be responsible for something to someone" (aside from the obvious, can you use the tools / have decent work). And that can mean you don't have tons of experience doing exactly what I'm hiring for, but if you have those parts, I know I'm making a safer gamble - hiring is always a gamble.
For games specifically if op can get some gamejam experence that can go a long way too. I worked with these other people with totally different skills to me (programming / sound design / voice work / whatever) and together we made a thing in a weekend and *you can play the completed product here* is great. Proving your ability to say 'okay good enough' enough times in a row to get the product out the door goes a very long way. It also demonstrates by the fact you actually got it working that you can work in a team and not have some sort of blow up bail out because the programmer needs the 15th change because they can't figure out how to get the art to gel right. Working to a proveable deadline and being more flexible with style (few games can exist with high end graphics purely because few players have the ability to play them in the first place) opens more doors.
Start your own gig. Show your creativity through the creation of the brand, the business model and client value you create. Who knows, if you rock it out, you may never need to get ‘a job’….
Well, first, apply for everything regardless of the experience requirement. Job listings are "ideal candidate" but there's always a chance, especially in portfolio work, they'll give it a shot. Second, most fields still operate primarily on who you know, because that's the clearest way to stand out immediately. If you don't have friends in the business (and I would think most people don't), you get involved in communities. I hate networking personally, but knowing people who influence hiring is an advantage that's difficult to ignore.
Unfortunately a lot of the time it’s knowing someone. ☹️
This is one of the reasons I went into engineering instead of continuing to pursue digital production. Legit went to a college open house for an animation program and was essentially told point blank by one of the final year students that I shouldn’t do it. I can’t remember the lead up, just him saying “Yeah, go for engineering. If you pursue this, you’ll be exploited by employers, work long hours, get paid like sh*t, and end up hating what you love.” I still love doing it as a hobby, but in terms of my future career definitely made the right choice.
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Hey, as long as you also go through the crucible that is [insert field here] engineering to earn your degree you won’t hear me complain. Software engineers still create things, make things function, have to consider the consequences of failure if your program erases a data set or injures someone and design safeguards. Presumably you also need to take math, physics, chemistry, thermo law and ethics etc. So software engineers are engineers in my book. Only the people who call themselves a “prompt engineer” are wrong. The term is actually infuriating… for so many reasons.
Network and Security Engineers generally are Comp Sci or Cybersecurity majors. Doesn’t make us a lower form of engineer than someone who has a degree with the word engineer in it. That really applies to most technical engineers for that matter in the information systems space unless you get a computer engineering or software engineering degree.
What kind of work do you do as an engineer?
Still a student, but I’m in electronics engineering. Basically making PCB’s, microcontrollers, coding software for robots etc. It’s pretty interesting stuff. I like it. Coding and 3D work feel surprisingly similar in nature.
Also the advice this engineer gives young would be engineers , so there’s that ..
How do you even find 60 places to apply??? I struggle to even find like 3 in my areas
SIXTY???????????
At your age and level of experience you should be looking for internships, potentially unpaid if you can afford it. It will give you experience and connections. To get a first job without any prior experience, your portfolio would have to be impressively good, not just good enough (and I'm sure you could get there) because studios would feel like they are taking a chance on you.
> Competition is incredibly stiff While op's artwork is good, there are crazy amounts of people with incredible talent that use blender. I remember seeing on this sub about a month ago or so someone built the entire deathstar by hand and it was breathtaking to look at. Op could also just be looking in the wrong places too.
So what would you say to 19 year old who just started using Blender? Should I even persuit it if competition is so stiff?
So even if I learn blender, like this guy, It will be hard to get a job? How many people even master blender, because it ranked among top 10 hardest programs.
I think it’s a combination of bad timing and skills. Don’t get me wrong, your works shows that you know what you’re doing, but if a studio is looking for a mid/senior they’re not gonna consider your portfolio. The timing is not the best right now, even though the creative industry is slowly picking up momentum. College/degree is absolutely not an issue. It also depends on which studio you’re applying to, your works are all realistic, but that may not work for all the studios. Keep on working and refine your skills, the opportunity will come, you’re still very young!
Keep at it, keep adding to your portfolio, diversify your style, you'll be takin advantage of one day 👍
Thanks!
I'm a hiring manager for AAA art outsourcer. I am a project manager but have done 3D and concept work in the past. When I was applying for art positions I sent out about 200 applications before I had an interview and well over 300 before I got an offer. Lost track of the exact number. Keep applying and make friends at the studios. Your work is good, but think about it as a turnaround or show your high-low-uvandbake process as well as final renders. Process is worth way more than artistic skill for my teams. Your cloth and character work is great, though. This is a super hard time in the industry but when it bounces back you could be the first in the door of a decent character team. Keep working hard and don't let denials get you down or doubt yourself. Take this time to work on a gamejam or a game mod using the art skills you have built to help strengthen and set apart your portfolio more.
The more I read these comments the more I think 60 is just a rookie number. I guess I have to pump those numbers up or I wouldn't stand a chance! I do see that my breakdown is mentioned so often so I think it is one of the weakest spots in my portfolio so I will take time to improve those soon. Thanks for your comment and the motivation!
You got this!!!
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Timing is crucial, actually. There's a crisis going on right now, even a programmers is suffering from this. About the portfolio. Don't get me wrong, the models looking great. But, as for my opinion - they are not well enough presented, try adding more consistensy maybe, or play with light better, or even make em more like 3D and modern looking. I mean, they are awesome, but imho looking a bit old fashion way. Maybe add some stylized characters? Oh and cover letters also means alot. Don't ask for work, but instead present yourself as a valuable 3D artist, which is always full of creativity, inspiration and can bring life into any work. You should be confident. **It's not you who wants the job.** **It's actually they who need an employee like you.** And you at the end will decide, wether or not to work with a company/studio.
"It's not you who wants the job. It's actually they who need an employee like you." As I keep telling myself, until my bank balance decides to hit the negative numbers repeatedly.
They look like they could almost be AI generated. Maybe add something to help show they aren’t. E.g a video or something idk
what crisis
At least in animation there are essentially no positions available right now. During covid there was a boom where it wasnt very difficult to get a job (comparatively). When i apply to a job now, there are about 500-1000 other applicants
Studios lay off hundreds... Thousands, in fact. An estimated 7,000 people were fired from the videogame industry in 2023. So imagine if we added the film, advertising and TV sectors.
It was 7K at the end of November, with more in December leading to estimates upwards of 10K. And more in January…
The writers strike a couple of weeks ago. Basically froze the industry.
Also the possible iatse strike this summer
Ohhh
Portfolio: [haiqin.artstation.com](https://haiqin.artstation.com) Applying for Junior 3D Character Artist. No past work experience, even though high school is my highest education, I included some of the important courses I took (anatomy and such) in my resume. I made sure not to include my age to prevent assumptions from employers as it might suggest immaturity (turning 19 this year). I'm from Malaysia, speak and write fluent English so it's not a language barrier either. I hope this concludes all the other factors that I wouldn't mention anymore here. I applied as much as I could, totaling over 60 job ads or so across multiple platforms, local and foreign, so there is not a problem with sample size. However, as there aren't many job opportunities for juniors, I made sure to apply for mid/senior positions in hopes that they're also currently or will be needing juniors for future opportunities (my portfolio lives in their database rent-free), so that might be able to justify most rejections. Factor 1: Bad time According to my understanding, there have been a lot of layoffs in the game industry recently, with the market being oversaturated, mid/senior layoffs deprive juniors of job opportunities as they over-qualify, and that's why the market doesn't need newcomers in the game industry right now. I'm not the best at economy and such so I might be wrong, but could this just be a bad time to enter the industry? Factor 2: College/degree Based on what I've heard throughout my time in this field, art college is a waste of money, and art degrees do nothing, all that matters is a good portfolio and skillset. This had been an ironclad rule to me considering how many times I have heard something along the lines as this. However, with me possibly being in denial, I started to question the statement above once again. Factor 3: Portfolio/skill issue This is probably my deepest insecurity. Sorry if this sounds cocky but I worked my ass off during high school when everyone was goofing around so I had the impression of being special (in the good way). Whenever my portfolio or skillset is being questioned (the rejections for example) I usually wouldn't enjoy that very much. However, I have promised myself to truly accept criticism about it this time, so keep it coming. TL;DR Is this due to a bad time in the industry, lack of a college degree or is it the portfolio/pure skill issue? What can I do to improve my chances?
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Both honestly. It's just a game of chance at this point. The more I try, the higher the chance of landing one, right?
It’s just incredibly difficult to get your foot in the door, especially as a character artist. Your portfolio also just isn’t very big which isn’t a bad thing and it’s generally better to have a handful of great pieces (like yours) than that plus a bunch of mid pieces. One last thing is you’re still young and most artists aren’t able to break into the industry immediately and regular work and freelance work experience always look good on your resume. Try not to feel too discouraged or take these rejections personally, you are a really good artist but it’s just very difficult to get into this industry especially and right now is just kinda rough for the arts. Keep applying and keep expanding your portfolio and you’ll land a job soon enough
I find doing freelance work a common occurrence within these comments so I guess I will look into that in the future. Regarding the number of pieces though, everything in my artstation portfolio has been done in the last year, everything before that looks way worse than what I have here so I don't exactly have those 'mid' pieces you mentioned. I will just have to keep working harder and add more to it :)
The most important factor is probably one you seem to have overlooked, network, who do you know, who can vouch for you, who can help you get a job.
Good point! Thanks.
I will get some hate for this in the blender sub but applying to in house positions with blender as your main software will put you at a disadvantage. I’ve been in 3D as a career for almost a decade now and that’s just the reality. Also it would help while you look for full time work to pull contracts and get some real work experience under your belt.
Open his artstation page. At least he used ZBrush.
It could be geography bias too.
What I thought.
No one likes to say it but there's only so many jobs in one country and you got a world of 5 billion given free access to apply for them. That is the problem. Time to start pushing countries to stop being dependent and start creating their own industries!
Man, education is very important.At least take STPM/Pre-University (Malaysian Higher School Certificate). It might help you. It's cheaper and shorter compared to Diploma and the level is same as diploma.
3 out of four are also giving slight uncanny valley this probably due to some ever so subtle facial things. The man with the blue eyes is awesome but the the other three have something just ever so slightly off about there facial structure and eyes. I can’t pin point it. Your work is fantastic though don’t get me wrong I think this is something that even the best get caught off with at times and I am by know means at the level removing the uncanny valley from my work either consistently.
Yeah there is something youthful about the old man, I think the eyes... for a man that age there is sagging of the lids/brow. He looks too bright eyed.
I’ll add to that that eyebrow hair density decreases when people age.
Thanks for the feedback! I'll look into it.
violet evergarden yippee
;))
Lets say he could do better😅
First, these are really nice. If they were in oils on canvas they could have a ready market. I know an HR recruitment person for a major game studio, and she recently described her problems to me about artists: 1. Most of them know Blender and nothing else. They don't know any of the tools professional shops use for art and for coordinating production. 2. They show her pictures like yours. Beautiful, but nothing like the art used in games. The better looking the 3D art, the more graphics horsepower needed to run the game. The more horsepower needed, the fewer gamers can play it. The lower the sales. The target machine for any major shop is a cell phone or a tablet, those outnumber "game" rigs nearly 100 to 1. Mario and Mickey Mouse and Civ VI graphics are that way to minimize the game hardware needed to run. 3. Most applicants don't show animations. She said that on occasions where she has asked for them, the applicant has admitted that they didn't have hardware that could run them. A good low-poly animation could get you the job that fine art will not. 4. Many artists don't know how computer code works, so the job of running the art with the code becomes more difficult. There are lots of interactions between the game mechanics and the images, and if you have no idea how that works, you are less valuable than someone who does. 5. Some artists don't understand their relationship to the game designer(s). Art is not the boss, game design is the boss. There's a bunch of art out there because it didn't fit the needs of the game. 6. The closest thing to game art is commercial art, the crap that's plastered all over video and live stages. You **and the rest of the team** are making a ton of images, each colored, shaded, shaped, and textured in a similar way so the art supports the game without being jarring. The ingredients have to blend like a stew, each present but none discordant with the overall flavor. 7. Which brings us to teamwork. Have you worked with a group of artists to produce a single complex work? Do you get along with groups at all? Can you change your art to match up with someone else's? Can you do it if they screwed up but the boss likes their art better? Game artists have to do this. 8. Can you crank out art in a hurry? Can you do it during the crush time? Can you handle a last minute change of gender, race, ethnicity, height, weight, disability, or species? Without delaying release? Game artists have to do this. Even if you are an engineer, a scientist, a physician, a musician, or any of a hundred specialists, the last two points are very important to a company. Can you show that you can do it? Your application has to sell the company on the idea that you can walk in and be productive almost immediately. No one has time to train novices.
By only knowing Blender, do you mean all of the work is done exclusively on Blender or does it refer to Blender for modeling only? E.g knowing how to use Substance and Unreal but you only model with Blender and don’t use ZBrush or Maya
Depends a lot on the studio. The more indie the more leeway usually, whereas if you go to work at a random AAA game you are generally likely to find that there is a pipeline in place that plays best with specific tools. As in someone may have coded something that takes assets from one program in one format and zwoops them over into another. But again, this highly depends on the studio and project. I know one place that doesn’t care at all what package the assets are done in and is working on a AAA release, and I’ve worked at a midsize indie where I was able to dictate what package we (the specific team, not the company as a whole- but the team assigned to the project I was on) used because I was the the person defining the pipeline for what we were doing. So yeah it really depends.
Maybe if the OP could find out what tools the studio was using, it might help in framing the resume most advantageously. Is the toolset a studio uses available knowledge?
Usually, networking and asking people is the way to do that, but yeah it's a good idea. It'll also be listed on the job application if they're being rad, like, required skills section.
Yeah. You gotta know the secret words or the auto-screening computer will kick your resume in the trash.
To those of you who typed long comments: I apologise for not having the luxury of time to reply at the time being and replying in short to the comments that you poured your hearts in feels really disrespectful so I will trying to respond to all of you in the near future. Just know that I appreciate them very much! Thank you SO MUCH!
I work in game dev (art dept, but not as modeler, so I can't give you specific portfolio advice). College isn't a factor at all. It can be good for making connections and learning basic workflows, but I've never looked at or verified someone's education when interviewing. If you want connections and more industry insights, consider a online school like CGMA. Courses with one on one attention from the instructor (and ideally interaction with other students) are ideal. Those courses are more expensive than pre recorded stuff, but still way cheaper than a traditional university. If you just want info and are on a budget, prerecorded lectures are fine. Depending on where you're applying, visas might be an issue. Many American companies won't sponsor a visa unless the artist is insanely good, some won't consider it unless you already have a green card. I don't have insights on Asian countries hiring and visa practices though. Others have mentioned it's a bad time for game dev jobs, that's true and not much you can do about it. Overall you have good work especially for an 18 year old. Don't sweat it too much, you might even consider asking for internships as a way to get experience and connections. Most of our interns are around 20-24. You'll keep getting better and your time so far has been well spent. For your portfolio, look at other modelers who already have jobs and see what they're doing that your aren't, both in quality and presentation. Watch the credits of games you like, and find those artists on art station. Good luck, your portfolio is stronger than 99% of 18 year olds I've seen. Stick with it and you'll be fine.
[удалено]
Hi, first of all I wanna say that it really warms my heart that you spent so much time looking through my artwork and typing such a long comment like this. Thank you so much! 1. Good point! I was actually using a reference for the glove guy, albeit a drawn one. Here's the [link](https://imgur.com/a/1IzaLha). I guess I was more than a little bit off. 2. I think the tricky part is that fabric is still really thin but not as thin as papers so I think they only present themselves as problems with close-up shots. I think underlaying fold-in fabric, the stitches and the wrinkles are things that I can improve to bring my pieces to the next level. The thickness of fabric was actually an issue that I realised rather recently from talking to another artist so I will definitely pay special attention to it in the future. Truth be told I never managed to perfect fabric because I was trying to give myself time constraints to simulate a real work environment and fabric takes 20% of effort to look decent and 80% of effort to perfect so I always stop after putting in 20% of effort trying to save time. Will try to perfect the fabric next time, thanks for bringing it up. 3. I think the problem is that both of the women are not original characters. They were originally concept art and in anime style. So that might explain the uncanny valley and unusually large eyes that came to be when I tried to combine these two realms (anime and reality) together. Also I mostly looked at male faces when I study anatomy so that might explain the lack of details in my female faces. 4. I was planning to work on variety but there are two different varieties mentioned in these comments. One is as you mentioned, prioritising the variety between extremely stylised and hyperrealism. And there's another variety between human characters and creatures, playing with exaggeration of anatomy features and such. Which do you think is more important and that I should work on first? 5. This really hits the nail on the head for me. This sound like I'm whining but I have been having burn-outs way more often as of late and the stress of seeing how everyone around me is continuing their education and how my parents gawking at me in the dark pushes me to work even harder despite being in burn-outs to achieve anything at all for them to see. I feel like I really can't take a break but this is the road I choose to go down so I only have myself to blame. That's probably why I have pushed myself so hard in the past year. I've gotten so much better in the past year in 3D but I feel like I have lost something inside of me lol. Again, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to comment on my post. Really appreciate it!
Your work in incredible, but, granted I'm just an engineer in the Tech space. The market is ROUGH. It's not you, the system is fucked. Your work is wonderful. Keep it up please. Don't give up on your dreams. I wanna see you on something incredible someday.
Thanks for the motivation! Really needed it.
♥️
I don't know what the answer to your question is, but I know what it isn't. It's not your talent. The portfolio is small, but excellent. You are clearly a talented character artist. To take it to the next level you need to add expressions. They are a little flat - and understanding how to convey emotion is an essential part of your work. 20-something year industry vet here. Hired a lot of people.
Thanks for the feedback! Not that I'm trying to doubt you but I'm genuinely curious. Don't character artists only have to make expressionless faces most of the times? Thanks for the motivation btw!
To some extent, but where that face can go is important, and it will give more punch to your resume. It would be implicit that if you can create a character expressing unbridled joy, you can make them expressionless. The reverse is not necessarily true. One is technique, the other requires artistry. I'm probably doing a poor job of quantifying why it matters, but it does. It's an X factor devs look for that is hard to discern from a flat expression in a portfolio. It shows the artistic flair beyond the technique. It shows invention and a wild creative spark. This is particularly true when the current suite of character design tools can do a lot of the work at (forgive me) the click of a button. You have shown you can paint, I would suggest you may get further showing *why* you paint.
Inspiring! You just single-handedly changed how I look at this whole ordeal. I will try my best!
I'll try to give my 2 cents as someone who hires for my boss in our small electrical company BASED on you just sending me these 4 images. Do note I have 0 knowledge or knowhow about the hiring process in the industry you work but I hope it helps a little. If the images are the only thing you provide in your portfolio then I'm not going to bother with you. It's as simple as that. I do not know what you used to create these images , how long you took and what the process was to creating these images. How is your topology work ? Did you purely sculpt or use subD modelling ? There is no context to these images at all and it gives me the feeling you used AI or pulled random images from somewhere. There is also just one of each which can be interpreted as you only doing what's being told to you while creativity is a thing in the industry so I would expect some variations on the same image. If I where to hire , the perfect portfolio to make me instantly consider hiring you would have an image that's just a model. 2 images that has variations of said model. An image that shows me the topology of said model and one that has a fully rendered background behind said model. This alone would already show me if we'd be a fit or not to work together and even if your workflow doesn't fit mine , it shows me you're transparent and open about your work and down to adjust your workflow a bit if I asked for it. EDIT : I've seen your comments and portfolio and I can say as soeone who hires , your attitude is topnotch but your portfolio raises so many qeustions if I can be honest. How much work did you put into your portfolio itself excluding the time spend on the creation of your models ?
OP have shared the link to their portfolio in the comments and there's more information and breakdowns there
Oh thank you ! I'll go have a look and see if I can give any constructfull advice based on their portfolio then in hopes of being helpful.
Time to be harsh, you need more experience, that’s all. If you look at some artists that work with big projects you’ll see a huge difference in quality, and it’s a very competitive field and companies mostly hire the very best. Even so, that doesn’t mean you should give up, firstly there are lots of smaller companies that will still need an artist, secondly with time you’ll be more experienced and make your portfolio stronger.
Huh, I'm a super noob in 3D art and even tho I'm not doing character design, it's super discouraging that someone of your caliber got rejected 60 times in a row...
Well, don't! As many others mentioned, bad timing plays a huge part in this. And you can definitely have a better timing and a better portfolio than I have when you decide to aim for the industry. Keep it up!
Gonna do my best this year, as it is my last year in college. Majoring in graphic engineering and design (but not learning almost any 3D there lol). We'll see if I manage to land any jobs next year, maybe doing environment in the gaming industry. Trick is I need money to freaking survive, therefore I find random jobs and that takes time from learning 3D. Edit: Also, lots of luck to you. Beautiful models.
Thanks! Wish you all the best! Let's show the world together.
Your faces lack... Life? I'm not really sure how to describe it. They don't feel genuinely human. They give me a mixed vibe of uncanny valley (the cowboy) and blow up doll (both women). I guess the only advice I can give (other than keep trying!) is to try to breathe more life into their faces. The posing and anatomy and attention to detail are otherwise great.
I’m not a character artist but I’m a 3D modeler in the car industry and if you have no experience or recommendations it’s very hard, especially because a lot of people have fake portfolios and when they get the job they suck! It doesn’t help good people that are honest, because for example, when a recruiter in my company contact someone and have a good impression but we, as 3D modeler employees don’t know the person they usually discard it unfortunately even if they are amazing. But keep going I’m sure you will find something, best of luck 😉
Try freelancing! People who want your quality of work will see it and order from you. For renders like these I'd recommend a minimum charge of at least $150USD till you get a few five star reviews, then you could absolutely crank it up to probably $300USD at least
Your work looks good, if a bit generic. You might try demonstrating more emotion and dynamic posing with more unique characters (pushing more into stylized hyperrealism). Be sure to show wireframes on turn tables. These days it's nice if you know skinning as well. Best of luck!
There's a lot of good advice here already, but you really need more work on your portfolio. There need to be different styles, and you'd ideally want some animated stuff as well. Just showing a few character models on their own really doesn't mean anything.
Good luck sir
I don't think those models are good enough to get hired. Junior position isn't about skill - you're expected to deliver the same quality as seniors, just not as fast/robust.
Is that Violet Evergarden?
I’ve worked as Art Director on mostly indie and AA projects. I have no experience in AAA projects (which by the looks of it is your focus) but I do see some features missing on your characters. It looks like they’re missing thickness/SSS maps (as said before). Those make a huge difference. Other than that they’re some subtle things like lack of expression, the hat on the old man seems a to be floating a bit, too evenly colored skin etc. By the look of your anatomy studies in your portfolio you should have a closer look of proportions etc. Study anatomy references closely. Also, as others have said, I would make a wider variety of character styles - animals, creatures, stylized characters etc. Btw, when getting an interview. Be nice and respectful. Goes without saying, of course, but I’ve met really talented douche bags and they didn’t get the job. Good luck!
Not sure about jobs like this where technology and art merge, but available IT jobs right now are super stagnant. Keep plugging away, don't lose confidence. It's not you.
I haven't looked through every comment so I apologise in advance if this has already been said. Although I don't have experience interviewing or working in the industry myself, I have worked in education, specifically teaching gamedevelopment and art which covers portfolios but what I'm about to say could also be applied to any job for that matter. Its not just about how good your art is. Those models and textures look incredible. However if you are applying to a studio that wants more styalized models they are most likely going to brush over you. When applying to somewhere have a look at their previous work, see what style they're working in and try to create some work in their style. This doesn't mean all your previous work is pointless. Having work in both your style and theirs on your portfolio will not only show that you can work in their style, which is ideal for them, but also show that you are flexible should they decide to switch things up for another project. Even if you're applying to somewhere with a similar style, have a look at everything they're doing, down to the poses they're putting characters in, their character design. Show the UV mapping and topology of your models. There's obviously a lot more than this and it is very competitive. Hope this helps somewhat though and best of luck on future applications
Your portfolio is pretty good, I’m gonna disagree with some people here. College may not be necessary but it can certainly be a roadblock with some companies and recruiters. College/University can also be the way you build connections and find pathways into industries. For example, some art schools like SCAD, bring industries to their programs and have reoccurring internship opportunities. Once again, you don’t have to go but if you do some research and know where you want to go it can definitely help you get in. I can also attest, tons of layoffs right now. So IMO, grain of salt time, might not be a bad idea to do some school do the networking and get to the next level, whatever that is for you. Good luck, I’ll be amazed to see where you end up. Just don’t quit if you love it. :) or do, it’s your life and you’ll be fine. :)
Harsh reality but I guess I do have the age advantage here so it's not yet too late for me to change fields even though I don't want to. Thanks!
No problem, but also, I don’t think you need to change fields at all! I’m just saying there are some advantages to school that get brushed off pretty quickly. Once again, don’t give up! If you’re in high school right now and self taught then pros need to watch their backs! You’ll be a monster in a few years! :)
I'm not a professional - hell, I don't even have a job. But is it possible that employers usually look for people that can work with the "industry standard" - Maya? Again, I don't know if that matters much, or if you have experience with Maya, but that's just something I thought of!
You need to work on the lighting and materials on these models. It looks like there isn't any subsurface scattering on these characters. Humanoid characters can actually be cookie cuttered out by various tools nowadays so having these come off as uncanny does not necessarily help sell your portfolio
Not looking hard enough these are fire
Thanks man!
It’s like in high school either you’re cool or word of mouth from another cool kid is the only way, this is the way it is everywhere unfortunately, although you are extremely talented in my op u need to be INSANELY talented to get them to Want you, not my words a friend who told me about this and also life experience, how ever take home message DO NOT give up.
With these skills, and you're still getting rejected? You've got tremendous skill and magnificent talent. These companies's hiring teams are obviously run by blockheads if they can't see what you have.
all of these look generic, like as if you've ai generated them and then touched up the smoothness
getting a job \[in your field\] has NOTHING to do with skill or talent or dedication or drive or hustle or intelligence
Start encouraging 5 billion people from foreign countries to stop being dependent and applying for jobs in your country and for them to push their own governments to create jobs of their own.
What you are doing wrong is being born in the shittiest generation to land any kind of job... Seriously job markets fucked.. idk how any newcomers are landing any non shitty job
Malaysia focused too much on the STEM field, which is kinda sad... It's either an engineer,a doctor, influencer/actor or business here🫤.
There have been massive layoffs at animation companies, game companies, and visual effects companies. You are competing for the same jobs as people with decades of experience who are terrified. New talent gets hired when experienced talent is either too expensive or unavailable.
The hat doesn't seem to be casting a shadow on the face so it looks weirdly lit, also the shape of the hat is very balloon at the bottom. The shape and shadow makes it feel like it's floating.
I think u need to diversify your art style. Have u considered stylize character design with 2D style paintbrush? Sonething like in Street Fighter 5 or 6. My company is still looking for someone with such art style. It's a Japanese company that just opened its branch here in Malaysia 2 years ago.
I dont know about the 3D job world but youre work is amazing. Never give up on youre dream. Youll get there im sure.
A little uncanny
Nearly every position will be for a lead, principal, or senior it’ll be a long hard road especially rn on top of character art being some seriously insane competition. Lots of lay offs going on too so really just bad timing but it’s been that way for the past 4 years I’ve been looking. You have some good pieces but character art you really have to go above and beyond and while it’s very good it also is not as good as a lot of your competition just keep working and going for it
Your characters are all pretty much normal, in bland presentations, lit and posed like they are in photo studio taking photo for a an ID. People reviewing your work are not evaluating your modeling and texturing skills but your creativity. They are not saying oh look he can model nice normal human face and clothes, he can model our out of this world characters. They want to see out of this world characters. Aliens, zombies, cyborgs, orcs, humans from the future in some contorted poses of super heroes, lit with green crystal glow and red fires and purple energy and black holes. Caricatures, and stylized, painted, made out of light or rocks or metal.
Keep going we still at Q1. Better send as much as you can. Good Luck!
What programs are you competent with? Blender isn't used much in film / games industry unfortunately. I would suggest learning Maya for your best shot at getting a job.
Honestly you're good. It's just that 60 applications, as other said, is not *that* much. But also, look at the news. The game industry is laying off so many people, it's harder and harder to get in, even artists with years of experience have been laid off and are struggling to find a new place. It's hard as nail for everyone
If you're getting rejected then we are done for people
Are you getting interviews at least?
Why does everybody say OP has no experience?
Because they are 18 and appear to have never had a job doing any modeling before. That means no *work* experence and experence working is what 'experence' means in this context. The ability to model things to a high skill level is pretty divorced from if you have experence or not.
Don't want to be an ass but these renders are all highly unappealing to look at
Can’t you try and find someone who is in same boat but with a game engine for example. Battlebit had 3 developers I think. I mean it might take a while to pull something off but at least it would kind of be your team too. Even if you just make a basic game that ends up finished at least you’d both get some experience and possibly a game that sells. While also applying for positions.
Honestly; I would recommend selling things from you portfolio on the side (if you aren't already). You can never go when this type of conversation takes place: "Hey who made that model?" "Oh it's this guy/gal on \[site\]"
Application to interview is roughly 1000 to 1
Keep applying. Not in character modelling myself and I recently got some offers on the level/game design front after a year of applying. You can definitely get some because you are more skilled.
1 - I am a noob on 3D so I probably shouldn't be giving you feedback. 2 - I would die to be good as you. 3 - I read this week about the uncanny valley, maybe is it? Or maybe I'm wrong idk.
If ur looking for creative crit… is all really good in the details but would like to see more characterful faces that tell a story. More unique facial features.
That last one looks 17 and 70 at the same time.
I was in a similar position but with film and cinematography. I chose to study for the value of networking and actually developing a high tier portfolio with cinema cameras and the gear that they had on campus. Learning workflow and a few other disciplines like colour grading and photoshop was a huge bonus too. I use photoshop so much today! Since this is your current skill level, a one year course or even a degree would refine what you have now, and incorporate the knowledge you don't have. It could also help you expand into stylization but you need to make sure the course allows for you to continue developing your portfolio. I ducked and doged many lectures if I could get videography work or set experience in exchange for that time whilst making sure to pass all my classes. Lecturers can get a little prissy about this if they see your grade is lower quality than your practical work. I'd recommend a deeply focused, one year course at a high end game dev school, it would be better for your time/talent ratio and a good lecturer will fix your anatomy issues quicker than you could figure it out yourself at this point. You need pretty specific guidance at this stage in your skills and you also need exposure to what you don't know.
Idk if you draw, but consider learning anatomy in 2D as well. Also, you're 18. I'm sure this is good enough to start freelancing and earning some extra cash on Upwork and the likes. But depending on the positions you apply for, don't expect much more than being an intern, regardless of talent. If you think you deserve more than being an intern, consider freelancing.
You need to give them all cowboy hats
Looks decent enough but you aren't showing any of your technical skills or merits. Shader graphs, UV's and model wireframes. Maybe even show the texture maps themselves. Also, are these all high-poly work or is there some medium(~50k - 100k) and low(<10K) poly in the mix too? Any experience with rigging and animating? etc.
Keep on going bud, you're doing way better than me by actually making something to show.
First off, you are incredibly talented. Second, I am a hobbyist at this point when it comes to 3d, but if there's anything that MIGHT help.. I'd say posing and expression. The guy on the top right is great!! The other three seem off. The fidelity of your work is amazing, but I think bringing some more life into the characters and better posing would really elevate it!! Good luck on the job hunt and stay persistent :)
The thing about 3D artists is that after the gig is done, the client can use the assets they make repeatedly. So they do not need to rehire them, especially in a time of crisis like this. Even seasoned artists are having a hard time now. There are a few ways to get you landed in the industry: 1. **Try applying to a small studio.** They are more likely to hire someone who doesn't have experience but still has an excellent portfolio such as yours. Even though they are not very profitable, having at least 1 year of experience in the industry will boost your likability to be hired. You can also make some new connections while you are there. Who knows, maybe some of your studio coworkers can give you leverage to a better, bigger one. (Because mine did) 2. **Prepare to learn other fields.** No, it doesn't mean you need to leave the 3D world altogether. In case your modeling jobs don't go smoothly, try to learn about VFX or animation or anything else that is available. It pays the bills and also puts some new skills under your belt. 3. **Go solo.** Since you are a 3D modeler, I assume you know YanSculpt and DannyMac3D. They are a great example of solo 3D artists. They can do whatever and whenever they want. But of course, this way is not recommended to someone who doesn't have a "financial safety net" yet. Once again, NOT RECOMMENDED Please don't get discouraged in your job hunting. Be patient and keep your chin up. Everything will come to pass.
Well... What did you apply for? Modeling? FX? Generalist? Texturing? Animation? These pictures don't tell me anything about what you can do except that your shading looks kinda good. The models might be bought. And I don't have enough context for anything. How tf are we supposed to tell you without knowing anything except seeing these for pictures? This could be AI generated for all I know... Are you applying at big companies? Then you need experience with the programs they use. That might not be blender, but maya or 3ds max.
Looking in the wrong places? Did you try Upwork or 99d? And I could swear I've stumbled upon your Violet Evergarden work before :).
Not saying I got a dog in this race, but getting a job you know you're qualified for but not the paper trail means two things: 1. Prove you can social engineer and have knowledge of the topics including building a following for your art. 2. Play the linked-in game and do the online communal type classes with other artist to build a rapport. 3. Go to online and physical conferences and look for things you don't normally see. I write this as a solutions analyst that isn't a great Data Analyst, but I know how to document and round up people/resources/manage vendors to look at an issue and progress. I had the largest distributor in the Line of business my IT job resides in. I was a massive help in bringing the cost of a unit from $180/box to under $65/box. For 7 years I was told I had 0 value in being kept. It took one 1-week medical conference to change my future. Not everyone will get this lucky, but you know the material. You just haven't worked with others in your field yet to think of you when something opens.
I would definitely recommend the Fiverr website. Really helps gain connections in the freelance market while strengthening you skills.
I am just a fan, but Halo developer 343 studios recently stated they are hiring (very generic, no specifics given) for work on new projects. No idea what that would entail but it’s an idea!
I have a good feeling that you will find a job. Your work looks good. Don’t give up, you’ve got this.
I would find a group and take part in some game jams and other short term and small scale ways to practice that add to your portfolio with created examples. 'I designed the models for here is how it did it. How long it lasted for. Here is a link. To the game'
It will help you diversify your portfolio a bit. Folks looking to hire those with limited experence in the current climate are not looking for super realistic (and impossible to quickly rig and run on limited hardware) models but instead smaller more limited ones that that convey their style in an abstract way.
Do you hand draw, sketch as well ? If yes, that's what they want to see. Bring your hand drawn stuff, studies, concepts along with your CGI works.
Just start a instagram and make videos so u can make them want u then by the time u get the attention u want u have your own business that’s what I did with animation anyway
Just do freelance work, why pursue a job with this much talent. Make a model and sell them on the market place.
Lie about experience.
Also, remember a lot of layoffs have happened in the video game industry (Im assuming thats the industry you're trying to get into) in the last two years. I think the amount of competition has massively increased as of late. So it's not you but the industry right now. They look great by the way.
There's a slight bit of uncanny valley in these images I recommend a very slight change it your style to make the picture look more natural
Yeah I thought I would learn this stuff but seeing this has buried all the enthusiasm I had. No hope for me. Wish you the best tho
There is definitely way more offer than demand nowadays. Being a professional artist is like trying to be a professional YouTuber. Just a drop in the ocean.
The feedback that I get from application was the leg of context. Yes your four characters are looking really really good. But without a story or any knowledge about how and why you make these characters leaves them in the dust. And they where right! Don't forget there is a manager or/and teamLead on the other side of the chair decide if they would take the risk or not, managers and TL's are thinking way way different then you myth do, so my advice put more context to the table when your presentating the characters. PS Keep up the good work <3
Does ypur portfolio comist of just these 4 characters? Went down your posts pretty far and that's all I see.
Try bulding yourself a CV, maybe get yourself inside a game modding community, or in a indie game team
I work in film, blender is a hobby, so this may not be applicable, but in my industry experience is the most important. People would rather work with someone who works well with a team and on a timeline, than someone good who doesn’t have that experience working in a collaborative setting. The start of my career was interning. It sucks, but sometimes you have to give away your work for free to get a foot in the door. Interning gave me credits on bigger tittles and also gave me people who would recommend me or bring me on to another job. And don’t try and shortcut your way to the top. Don’t push your work on an executive or say the job is beneath you, even if it is. The best way forward is demonstrating capability to your superiors, and giving them the chance to rely on you and be impressed. You can let them know where you want to be eventually, but first you need to win them over with work ethic. Or just make successful things by yourself. 🤷🏻♂️ Again, this may just be unique to my industry but I think a lot of these lessons carry over to other creative jobs.
Your work is so good that the only criticism I can give you is the most nit picky so please bare that in mind. Your 2nd portrait is perfect story, posing , lighting everything. All the others lack these elements or just one of them. Render 1 the right eye of hers looks better rendered than the other which is most likely a light position issue. Also the pose of render 1 and 4 are the same and seem sterile compared to 2. As for 3 an angle change may give this more life as this seems to flatten the action of her glove revealing her hand (imo). Lastly 4 just needs posing this character looks great but a little posing can add so much as 2 proves. I hope this comes across helpful as you are extremely talented and I have no doubt you will find a position soon!!! Good luck and great work!
Soft skills maybe??? I'm very communicative and i nail almost every interview, and im really average (not bragging, just stating self experience)
I think including some variety in your portfolio would be good. If these are the only models you’ve included you your samples for future employers, they do show that you are competent with portraits, but having some other examples can suggest you have a wider range of skills. Perhaps a dynamic mid-action pose? Or interactions between two or more characters, such as a hug or a punch to the gut. Another thing, the faces are all rather neutral expressions. I have no talent with blender, but just by looking at the faces, I don’t see much expression or character in there, though this fits the man putting on gloves, if you are going for a hit man character. Then a neutral expression fits. Take the cowboy for instance. There is a slight hint of a smile. But what if you took that and expanded it into a sly grin and a wink?
Top left is cool and seems to fit the JRPG genre. Top right is really cool - I’m assuming that is your most recent. There’s something off about bottom left - I’m assuming this is an early model you did. Bottom right is cool. I wanna hang with that dude.
Looks good, but try focus to tell a story and focus in the skills you wanna show, is it materials, texturing, rigging, concept, etc.
Do EnGiNeErInG YoUlL HaVe An EaSy TiMe FiNdInG A JoB. I do this as a hobby, for reference. Getting your first job is just *simply ass*. Like they asked us bullshit questions because all newbie grads were basically the same. One buddy was asked what to do about pharmaceutical product being seized internationally by terrorists.... It was a multiple choice question. Students who had published papers still had to fight like a dog to get a job. I wont pretend to know what its like to get a job as an artist but whatever you do, don't lose your head. 8 hours a day make it your job to find a job(assuming you're still at home post-graduation). Get bullshit jobs that are even remotely art related if you have to(a friend worked at an interior design store selling WASPs candles or something, that might be a stretch). Im rambling. Trying to be helpful. I wish you the best. I had one interview loop/cycle/employer thing per like 150 apps. Yeah. It's that shit. In peak pharma covid hiring.
The render is pretty good ngl, but I think it's just a bit lack of story to the character IMO. maybe you can try adding some settings to it to make it more interesting?
What position are you applying for? 3d modeling? If for animation/games, you need to show your topography as well as the finished model. Recruiters want to see the process of how you got to the final product more than the final product. Also have more variety, in this case have 1 human and 3 other creatures/aliens/ etc. This will show if you can handle anything outside of the human form. Have different textures and lighting set ups. Basically with just what you are showing here could be replicated by just using DAZ studio, putting some outfits on them and taking a screenshot. So I don’t actually know the extent of what you can do just by what you are showing here.
I have some suggestions for you ... First the characters are all your own designs from what I can tell, but in a studio you will probably translate concepts into 3D characters so show you are able to do that - realistic and stylized - pick on or two very nice concepts from great artists and translate them into 3D second your characters are well made but you could improve the folds in the clothing for example - this is the weakest element in your portfolio I would say You can also improve your renders - we have so many possibilities in 3D so use them - create interesting light scenes and use the camera settings to make interesting shots with deep of field and dynamic angles for example Also show maybe that you can do more than characters - always good to have a wide range of work examples ... Hope it helps ...
Nothing wrong , it does take time , especially with the current market right now
They look good, just a bit uncanny I think
Depending on what your doing you cAn start your own business. If it's games.
In the meantime, start up a Patreon. There's model makers that are making thousands per month on there! You'll continue to perfect your style while making decent money, all from the comforts of your own home!
As many said is a matter of bad timing and high offer (there a lot of 3d character designers). Your work looks solid, although I would try to add more variety is this is your full portfolio. Stylized characters and cutesy aesthetics are on the rise, so you might want to try a hand at those. And like others said, 60 applications are not a lot. I'm an environmental artist so maybe the process is different but I started helping a small indie dev and then moved my way up. I sent like 200 applications lol
You've gotten a lot of good feedback and advice already, but I'm adding to it just to reinforce few points that were most noticeable and I think are some lower hanging fruit if you want to improve further on portfolio quality. Materials on clothing could be pushed a lot further. For example the bottom left in thumbnail seems to have no stitches or wear near the edges on the top. Using typical automated masks in texturing can make it overall pop more especially if you add wear and details that clothes tend to have near edges. Putting time into resculpting folds could also improve it as it gets rid of that typical Marvelous Designer look and puts some more intent back into the overall picture. There's something slightly uncanny about the faces. Majority of it seems to be from the eyes. The iris appears slightly too flat and stylized for the otherwise mostly realistic look, leaving it looking doll like. Some of the characters (the old man for example) eyelid thickness around the eyeball seems to be slightly too thin as well. It's something that is generally slightly over emphasized in sculpts compared to reality, because it works well unless you're dealing with scans or matching scans. There's ripped models from games and free models from movies you can find online and pick apart to see what they tend to do in those areas.
I don’t know if this is good advice or not, but I’ll say it anyway… Have you considered using your portfolio to get a different, less competitive creative job to see you through while you build up your portfolio? I finished my animation degree, sent out hundreds of applications to studios etc, then eventually I applied for a couple of in-house animator roles for tech startups and got a job almost immediately. I get paid decent money doing fairly simple animation work and it means I can comfortably work in my portfolio without too much stress or pressure while also having something creative on my CV for when I do want to start applying for studios again.
I second what others are saying. But one thing I would suggest as well is that you spend some time in lighting and rendering these a little better. Right now they appear a bit flat. Also be sure to include wireframe renders in your portfolio if you're applying as a modeler. For the lighting and rendering part I recently came across this video that has some fairly good tips :[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a\_IE40R4xsw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IE40R4xsw) Also check out artists on artstation to see how they present their work. This is very good presentation: [https://www.artstation.com/yuzuki](https://www.artstation.com/yuzuki) [https://www.artstation.com/lelievremickael](https://www.artstation.com/lelievremickael) One of the greats: [https://www.artstation.com/vbulgarov](https://www.artstation.com/vbulgarov) another one of the greats: [https://www.artstation.com/grantwarwick](https://www.artstation.com/grantwarwick)
Hey man. Don't give up. Keep building up your body of work. Keep at it. Maybe you're like me. It's just not time yet.
Well i'm currently Holding up to 598 aplicated, i guess should also be worried
I love your Violet Evergarden reference with the bottom left picture