For this assessment we were tasked with creating a CV, showreel and portfolio that we could use to advertise ourselves to future employers. Since I have done these materials in the past I just had to update and rebrand my previous stuff.
CV
I started by looking at CVs from 3D modelers.
I noticed that for 3D modelling they use dark colours and looked more simplistic and modern than other art CVs. The ones I really liked had either a 3D character or some renders of their work on them. I think this is a great way of showing what the artist is capable of.
Looking at my old CV I knew I wanted to keep my logo and the purple, but I wanted to overhaul the whole design to better match the reference CVs I found. I want to change the font to something blockier and change the layout as it looks empty.
CV Layouts
I started by sketching out some ideas of new layouts, I knew I wanted to include my logo, the software logos and some renders of my newest work.
- Top left – a bit plain and didn’t have any renders, but it did look well spaces out.
- Top right – much more interesting and had renders along the top so more of what I wanted.
- Bottom left – I removed the renders and added my QR code to link to my other work so the design would be less cluttered.
- Bottom right – has a render fading into the background behind the text, I wanted to see shat a bigger render would look like. It is a bit cluttered though.
CV Colours
I took the layout ideas and added colour to them. I chose to change from a green and purple colour pallet to black, white and purple. It looked more like my references to use darker colours with one accent colour, for me that was purple to match my logo.
- Top left – I didn’t like the look of the white boxed on the black, most of my references didn’t use full boxes, they used lines to break up the sections.
- Top right – I used line to box the text but didn’t like the full black background, it also lacked the purple accent colour.
- Bottom left – I liked the look of the different coloured bars sectioning the text and title. I also preferred the white as the background.
- Bottom right – This one is similar to the previous one, I just changed the title colour to white to make it pop and changed what information was going into the side bar.
To make the final CV I used Canva. I used the fourth layout and colour pallet for the final as these were my favorites. I used renders from past projects that I mentioned on the CV to line the top so the reader could see the work I was talking about. I recolored the software logo to better suit my colour pallet. I also updated the profile, job role, experience, software and education information to better reflect my current skills.
Overall, I am very with the results, the only thing I need to change is the render of my current project as it is still a work in progress.
Showreel
These are the showreels I watched from other 3D artists.
I liked it when the showreel had information about what the artist did on the project and what systems they used in the form of logos, so I knew I wanted to add that to mine. I also noted that they showed the wire frame and flat textures before the final renders.
The first thing I knew I wanted to do was remove all work that no longer reflected the job I wanted, so all my 2D stuff as well as some old 3D animations were removed. I added more up to date model turnarounds and renders. I also showed the wireframe of some models. I kept the same music and some clips from my previous showreel just reordering them, so my favorite clips were starting and ending the showreel.
Info Cards
To create the info cards, I added a translucent bar across the bottom of the canvas and added the title of the project and what I did in white using the same font as my CV. I also added the logos of the systems I used in the left corner. I edited them to fade in and out as the clip they are overlaying ends. 
Title Cards
My old title cards used to be my business card
For the title card I used all the same assets as my CV to make all my work look cohesive. I added some still renders of my work across the top and added my QR code that links to my portfolio at the start and end so if an employer liked my showreel they would be able to look through my other work as well.
Here is my update showreel. I added it to my YouTube channel.
The only thing I need to do is update the renders of the cat island project when it is finished.
Branding
To make all my profiles match I created banners on Canva using assets I used on my CV.
ArtStation banner
YouTube banner
I also updated the colours of my Linktree to better reflect the new colour pallet I am using.
Portfolio
SketchFab
For my portfolio I worked on updating my SketchFab as it is the best website to show off my 3D models. I mainly just added all my work that I hadn’t uploaded and added them to collections for easier viewing.
3D models by Danielle_Art55 (@Danielle_Thompson) – Sketchfab
ArtStation
I updated my ArtStation with my recent work and added links to my sketchfab account so they are both connected and viewers of my ArtStation can look around my models in 3D as well as the rendered stills and videos. I also made sure to name the projects the same as how I named them on my CV and showreel, making it easier for employers to find my work. I also updated the summary, skills and software on the about page. I catorgrised my works into their respective projects to make viewing easier and added a banner with my QR code.
ArtStation – Danielle Thompson
Business Cards
Here are some references I found of art business cards from both 2D and 3D artists.
I liked the idea of having the back of the card with a large render as I find business cards that look like small art cards more interesting than ones with just information.
This is my old business card
Business Card Sketches
I started by sketching out cards both horizontal and veridical as I did not know which I would like more.
For these sketches I focused on having a render of my cat island project on the back and a QR code with my name and logo on the front. I was not super happy with either of these, I think the fronts are boring compared to the backs.
I kept the same idea as the vertical cards by adding a render of my newest project to the back.
- First – I added a wire frame of the cat island model to the front with my name, title and QR code. I wanted the wireframe to fade into the right-hand side. I like the idea, but the full model might be too much. I’ll change it to just the shop.
- Second – A similar idea to the top of my CV, renders of my other work with my logo and QR code. I like this one as it shows off my other work and matches my CV and other branding. It might be too similar though.
- Third – Same idea as the second just adding more renders along the bottom. This layout does look a bit cluttered.
- Fourth – This one is simpler than the rest, using two renders from my recent project with a bar at the bottom with my logo, name and QR code.
Business Card Colour
After looking over all the designs I chose to go with the horizontal orientation.
I chose to go with the third design, so I brought it into Canva. Here is the final business card.
I like its look, but I still have to update the renders. I will continue to work on the front as I am not totally satisfied with it. I might change it to resemble the second design more so some of my other work is also displayed.
Reflection
Overall, I am very happy with all the updates I made to my CV, showreel and Portfolio. I think my branding makes everything look cohesive. I plan on updating my Instagram and my renders of my current project on all my materials when it is done.