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On #PortfolioDay, 3D artists across Twitter "X" were able to submit their portfolio to the Sierra Division team for a chance to receive personalized feedback on their work. In a time where the job market is fiercely competitive and navigating its challenges can be daunting, many artists voiced their struggles and asked for guidance on how to refine their portfolio to improve their job prospects in the industry. For all those who could not take part in our activity, we've narrowed down our insights into five essential tips. These pointers are designed to help you avoid common mistakes and boost your portfolio's effectiveness when applying to jobs. 1. Specialize Before Diversifying If you browse industry job boards, you will discover that the majority of studios are seeking artists that have a specialization. For example, they may be looking for 3D artists specializing in characters or environments, props and so on. This is why it is important to think about your career and what you want to specialize in as you build your portfolio. Keep a couple of things in mind: What is the job I want? What skills do I require to do this job, and am I showcasing this in my portfolio? - Rachaël van Roij, Character Artist, Sierra Division Once you've identified the type of 3D artist you want to be, see that your portfolio supports your career goal by removing projects that don't belong. For example, if your goal is to be an environment artist, then you should remove character studies and fan art from your portfolio. A portfolio with a strong focus will help potential employers better evaluate you as an artist and improve your chances of getting hired. 2. Know Your Audience Consider the perspective of recruiters and art directors as you build your portfolio. They will be reviewing your work to determine if you have the required skills and style that they are hiring for. Invest time in researching the studios you're interested in applying to, as well as the portfolios of the artists that work at these studios. This will provide you with invaluable insight into their stylistic preferences and expected skill level. You can then tailor your portfolio to be more attractive to these studios. 3. Showcase Your Process Prospective employers want to see how you approach a project and value insight into your workflow and creative process almost as much as the final product itself. Don't just have final works in your portfolio; include breakdowns, step-by-step progress shots, sketches and mood boards to demonstrate your approach from concept to final render. These will help highlight your technical skills and problem-solving capabilities. Get creative when showcasing your breakdowns. You can do videos, GIFs or slideshows. 4. Quality Over Quantity When algorithms push artists to publish regularly on social media to get more views and followers, many believe that they need to include all of their works in their portfolio. However, your portfolio should be separate from your social media accounts. Social media is there to drive awareness, while your portfolio serves to convince studios you are right for the job. "Your portfolio is as good as your worst work. Less is more. It's better to have 2-3 great pieces than 10 mediocre ones."- Sebastian Bielecki, Principal Environment Artist, Sierra Division. 5. Brand Your Artwork Consider adding or embedding your name or logo on your work when uploading to your online portfolio. This simple step ensures that if your work is shared or saved by others it remains identifiable and traced back to you, potentially leading to job opportunities! Take a look at our ArtStation portfolio to see how we brand our projects. Include your logo when publishing to your portfolio and social media accounts. By following these tips, you'll ensure your portfolio not only captures the attention of potential employers and clients, but also showcases your professionalism and proficiency in 3D art production. Whether aiming for indie or AAA studios, a well-designed portfolio is your ticket to success. Additional Portfolio Resources: Find additional resources to help you improve as a 3D artist and create a winning portfolio: ArtStation Learning: Guide to Game Art Applications - Part 1 - Portfolios Instructor: Kieran Goodson Watch here How to Build a Portfolio as a Game Artist Instructor: J Hill Watch here Building a Games Portfolio for Your Future ArtStation feat. Jeremy Estrellado, Alex Beddows and Jacob Norris Watch here Communities: Online Game Art communities are excellent hubs to connect with other artists in the industry, learn, and get feedback on your work. Our team regularly recommends artists to check out the below communities and join their Discords. Dinusty Empire EXP-Points Sierra Division Discord (Yes, we now have a Discord where you can connect with our team and other artists!) Sign-up to Sierra Division's newsletter to get updated on educational content, portfolio reviews and more.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new 3D asset store. Getting high quality 3D assets by the Sierra Division art team is now only a click away. Perfect for Games, Animation, VR, Unreal Engine, AAA to indie, our assets are made specifically with the user in mind. Our assets will fit seamlessly in your environments. You'll never need to worry about your game or experience looking cheap or boring ever again. Get everything from industrial pipes, heist tools, sleek interiors, materials and blueprints, essential furniture props, and much more. Benefits Purchasing from our store gets you some awesome benefits that you won't find on other marketplaces: Unique and high quality 3D Assets: Made by our Art team with the utmost care and precision. Choose your license : Find options for indie buyers and enterprises. Lowest Price: Get the best price on our assets. Priority Support: Get a reply within 1 business day. *Currently available via Desktop. Mobile version coming soon. Launch Offer: Free 3D Asset Pack As part of our launch celebration, we are offering our Modular Interiors and Explorers Props pack for FREE for the entire month of March. With this pack you will be able to create hallways, rooms, entrances, and full spaces. Included are highly detailed hero props that are ready to be used in 1st Person player experiences or as beautiful props in your story driven environments. Simply apply code SDSTORE at checkout to claim yours. Code valid for individual, indie, and commercial licenses until March 31st.

Happening from March 18 to 22 in San Francisco, the Game Developers Conference is the go-to event in North America to connect with Game industry professionals and learn more about the latest trends and developments. Whether you are going on behalf of your company or attending on your own, preparation is key to having a successful and productive time at the conference. Here are 12 tips from our Studio to help guide you as you gear up for the event. Image Credit: GDC Official PLAN FOR GDC EARLY 1) Set a Goal for Attending GDC There are several reasons to attend GDC, such as networking with peers to staying updated on industry trends. To give you focus, start by defining your primary goal for attending. This could mean finding new clients or securing in-person meetings with studio recruiters to increase job prospects. Once you've set your goal, it will be easier to identify the key individuals, companies, and activities you want to meet with. This approach will keep you on track and help maximize your time at the event. Meet with the right outsourcing studios at GDC with the help of our guide. 2) Research Passes and Activities GDC is massive and there's a lot to see and do. In 2023, GDC drew more than 28,000 attendees, held 700 sessions, and had more than 330 exhibitors on the Expo Floor*. One can only imagine what this year will have in store. There are four tier passes for GDC, and your choice decides your access. If you're goal is to learn about the industry, go for the Summits badge. It grants access to Monday and Tuesday sessions before the Expo. For networking, the Expo badge works. There are also plenty of networking activities you can do without a badge. Studios, Companies, and self-interest groups will often organize their own events, such as industry mixers or summits at various locations near Moscone Center. GDC attendees watching the Epic Games "State of Unreal" Image Credit: Official GDC 3) Book Your Trip If you're fortunate enough to call San Francisco home, you've got a head start. But for those traveling from elsewhere, it's time to secure your flights and accommodations. Take advantage of any hotel discounts available through GDC's official website to keep expenses in check. San Francisco can also get sketchy. For your safety, and especially if you are traveling alone, avoid the Tenderloin area when booking a hotel. 4) Scan Social Media for GDC Mentions From late January leading up to the conference, you'll notice a surge in GDC-related posts, with many individuals and companies announcing their presence. Consider joining the conversation by making your own post—it's an excellent opportunity to discover if people you know will also be attending, potentially saving you the effort of individually reaching out to all your contacts to inquire about their plans. Social media also serves as the prime platform for discovering the parties, networking events, and summits occurring alongside the conference. Lookout for party lists being shared on GDC related Facebook groups or find the invites through Eventbrite. 5) Schedule Meetings in Advance It's common for people's schedules to fill up quickly before the conference kicks off. If you simply walk up to a booth on the Expo Floor, the business development manager or recruiter you're eager to speak with might already be busy in meetings. Chance encounters do happen, especially at networking events or even while queuing for your GDC pass, but do aim to secure some meetings in advance. When booking meetings, look for a single location to host them so that you’re not running around San Francisco. If you don’t have a booth, hotel lobbies near Moscone Center are a popular option. Get there early to grab a spot while you wait for your meeting attendees to show up. However, if you find that you’ll need to do some running around to get from meeting to meeting, give yourself a good buffer. Contact us to book a meeting at GDC 6) Networking Prep You never know who you will run into at GDC. Order enough business cards to hand out or create a digital business card that includes all of your most important links, such as your portfolio, website and social media accounts. Wi-Fi can be spotty at conferences, so prepare an offline version of your work to avoid any technical issues. This is especially important if you are planning on meeting with clients or recruiters and want to show them your work. 7) Bring Unique Swag Attending GDC presents a strategic opportunity to showcase your personal or company brand. Stand out from the crowd by bringing cool and unique swag for people to remember you by. This could be a keychain with a character from your game or a USB stick with unique art. Think outside the box! Whatever you decide on bringing, think how these items will help spark conversations and leave a lasting impression long after the event concludes. We will be bringing our sleek new business cards, and also have a fun little surprise. AT GDC 8) Get your GDC Pass Get your pass as soon as you arrive. Lines can be long and you'll need your pass to gain access to the Expo Hall and talks. 9) Have Fun Networking and Discovering You'll want to connect with the studios and companies that will help you achieve your GDC goal. But, don't forget to have some fun and leave room for chance encounters: On the Expo Floor, play some games, try out the latest VR tech, or visit providers to discover what new tools you can add to your arsenal. It's an opportunity to discover new companies, make new connections and pick-up some cool branded swag along the way. When at parties, now is the time to have some drinks to relax and start conversations, but don't overdo it. It's still a professional conference and you can start having just a coke or a spritzer without alcohol to continue staying social while still being ready and fresh for the next day. Have fun, but remember your goal for attending! Last year, GDC attendees go to meet and watch our Creative Director, Jacob Norris, do an Unreal Engine demo at the Epic Games booth. 10) Keep Track of Who You Meet If you follow Tips #5 and #9 you will be meeting with a ton of people. Keep track of who you meet, make a quick note of what you discussed, and any action items to take after the conference. AFTER GDC 11) Follow-up Don't let those new connections go cold. Add everyone you met with to your contact list, and send them quick email or LinkedIn message saying it was nice to meet them. If you discussed working together, follow up with more details or set up a meeting. 12) Reflect on Your Experience Now is the time to go full-circle. Remember Tip #1 where you set your goal for attending GDC? Now is time to reflect on your experience and see if you reached your goal for attending. Write your thoughts in a private document or go ahead and do a public blog post to let the world know. We hope you enjoyed our GDC Pro tips! Studios looking to work with a new art outsourcing partner can book a meeting with our team at GDC. Learn more about our art outsourcing and co-development services, as well as ways to partner with us on upcoming projects. Meet Jacob Norris: Creative Director Jacob Norris (aka PurePolygons) is the Creative Director and Founder of Sierra Division. Prior to founding the studio, Jacob worked at Insomniac games, Kojima Productions, Naughty Dog, and lead multiple projects and teams at NVIDIA. Some of the games he’s worked on include, Metal Gear Solid V, Resistance 3, Uncharted 4 and NVIDIA’s RTX Demos, such as Marbles RTX, Ramen Shop, Project Sol, among many others. To schedule a meeting with the Sierra Division team, you can use our contact form below or find us through the official GDC Event app.

Hey everyone! At Sierra Division, we want to thank you for supporting us in 2023 with our very first social media holiday giveaway! Now's your chance to score our handy Modular Interiors and Explorer Props asset pack ; perfect for enhancing your 3D game environments, building your dream house or simply having a fun project to work on during your break. THE PRIZE This fully modular pack includes a motel/home interior, Mayan Ruins, artifacts, survival props, and more! With this pack you can create hallways, rooms, entrances, multiple stories, and complete spaces. Additionally, it features highly detailed hero props that are ready to be used in 1st person player experiences or as beautiful additions to your story-driven environments. Currently available on   Gumroad  and the Unreal Engine Marketplace . HOW TO ENTER THE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY Participation is easy. All you need to do is: Follow Sierra Division on Instagram , X and/ or LinkedIn . If you're already a subscriber, you can skip this step. Give a thumb's up or heart on the official giveaway post on the above mentionned social media channels. Provide your answer to the question below in the post comments. Answering on the Instagram story post is also valid. You can participate across all 3 platforms to increase your chances. Limit of one entry per person per platform. GIVEAWAY PERIOD The giveaway will take place from December 12 to 18th, 2023. Entries received after this period will not be considered. WINNER SELECTION One (1) winner will be selected randomly from all eligible participants, across all platforms. The winner will be announced on December 22nd on Sierra Division's official accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn and X. PARTICIPATE NOW Good Luck! TERMS AND CONDITIONS ELIGIBILITY The giveaway is open to individuals aged 18 and older. Must have an Instagram, LinkedIn or X account. Must not be currently employed by Sierra Division. No purchase necessary. NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS The winner will be notified through direct message on the social media platform that they participated in. If the winner does not respond within 24hrs, another winner will be selected. PRIZE DETAILS Winner will receive an individual, single-user license of the Modular Interiors and Explorers Props Pack . The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or an alternative prize. PRIVACY Personal information collected during the giveaway, mainly your email if you win, will only be used for the purpose of the giveaway and will not be shared with third parties. DISQUALIFICATION Limit of one entry per person per platform. Sierra Division reserves the right to disqualify any participant who violates the terms and conditions or engages in fraudulent activity. CHANGES TO THE GIVEAWAY Sierra Division reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the giveaway at any time without notice. DISCLAIMER This giveway is not endorsed or affiliated with Instagram, X or LinkedIn. CONTACT If you have any questions about the giveaway, please contact us here By participating in the giveaway, participants agree to abide by these terms and conditions. Sierra Division reserves the right to update or modify these terms at any time.