Portfolio Tips for Aspiring Character Artists

1. Post a link to your portfolio in your job application. No portfolio = no job.

2. No game art in your portfolio is an instant pass for me. Even if you’re the best sculptor ever, that’s only 33% of the job.

3. For the love of god, no demo reels for character artists. 80% of the time is a model showing weird angles and slowly rotating to dubstep

4. Seriously, no demo reel. Take multiple shots of your character in nice, then neutral lighting, with a model/material breakdown.

5. Less is more. Learn to self-edit and be consistent with the type of work you are showing. 3 good characters are better than 8 okay ones.

6. Show me what you got. Art first and second. Resume third. No one needs to know what your hobbies are, they’re irrelevant to the job.

7. Research the job you are applying for. Make sure your portfolio contains work relevant to the position.

8. Use @ArtStationHQ to host your portfolio. It’s cheap, standardized, widely common in the industry, searchable, clean, and easy to use.

Gavin Goulden

Don’t forget to read our interview with the artist here.