When building a portfolio there is a number of distinct things to consider depending on where you are in the industry, what kind of job you're applying for and what kind of work you are hoping to get. I'm going to be talking from the perspective of attempting create a portfolio for a concept artist. There are two different types of portfolios to consider, one is a physical portfolio and the other is an online portfolio such as a website containing work and project that have been worked on. As a concept artist you're trying to sell your art to clients and potential employers so in terms of a physical portfolio it is important that it contains the best possible work that has been done. A grey area in terms of a physical portfolio is the number of pieces to include. I've heard a number of industry professional recommend that around 25-35 pieces in a physical portfolio is a good amount to have because it shows that you have a large body of work. If a portfolio only contain 10 pieces for example, an employer may not be able to get a good understanding of how the work you produce looks where as across 35 pieces your style and approach to design will be clear and succinct. I have also heard people discuss the content of the work that is included in a portfolio, for example it is probably best if sending a portfolio out to multiple companies to avoid things like exceesive amounts of gore or other offensive material - but this all depends on the jobs you are applying for, and in some cases this style of work may be necessary to address the requirements of a studio. Other things to avoid for general portfolio would include; fan art, plagerism and using other people's work, 'inside joke' pieces and work that brings the standard of the portfolio down such as older work or work that doesn't meet the standard of the work you're trying to showcase. Good things to do in a physical portfolio is include the best work you have, allow it to flow in terms of colour, composition and the themes of design they work contains. This allows people viewing the portfolio to see intention and an aim within the designs. As well as these things a portfolio should look and feel professional, it should be presented nicely and the work should be arranged in the same format where possible to enable consistency. Employers of concept artists and studios want to see original designs and good design solutions to problems. Perhaps depending on the job role in question, a specific type of design should be included over others or perhaps for a more general position demonstrate a range of different designs and solutions. Good drawing skills is a must to showcase in a portfolio, and the ability to draw things from culture, science, biology and history are all important - this shows that far removed subjects such as science fiction aren't all you can do, and taking design from real life areas is much more relevant. Finally, it is important to maintain a portfolio. Don't let the work inside it get stagnant and when newer better work is produced make sure to update it. It is important to be proactive when building a portfolio and it should be constantly evolving and changing as the concept artist it belongs to does the same.
When it comes to an online portfolio a lot of the rules still apply. Obviously the quality of work still matters and the presentation of the work on an online portfolio is perhaps just as important when it is being viewed by an employer. Aside from this there is other things to consider when creating an online portfilio instead of a physical one. Firstly, it is the internet and there may be some information on it that you wouldn't want clients and employers to see - so remove red flags and risks that could ruin your opportunity of getting a job in the industry. This includes things like removing links to personal social media account and any pages that show you in a bad light or depict unprofessionalism. Finally, when it comes to an online portfolio and the user interface - keep it simple. A clean UI will allow work to stand out and there doesn't need to be an excess of pages for 'contact, about, ..etc' as they will distract from the work itself, and it is an online portfolio after all. All work and content should be available almost if not immedietly so that people don't have to attempt to navigate through your website, so many it as easy as possible for them. Finally, there is no need for complicated plugins or audio. It is best to keep it as simple as possible to make sure nothing distracts from the work itself.
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