I’ve been studying potfolio sites recently – figuring out what makes the best ones great and what doesn’t work on others.  Here are two that inspire me to greater work.

I like these so much I started a page for them on the right, so that I can update it with new sites as they become available.

James Jean portfolio
www.jamesjean.com
Wonderful site showcasing James’ work.  I like the way that hundreds of pieces of artwork are available from the front page, though the site design is clean and easy to navigate.  From this site, I can infer:

• This guy gets work.  A lot. 
• He’s published a lot of places – click on “Illustration” and you see a list of the (well-known) magazines that have published his work.  He’s established in the field.
• Each “news item” links to new pieces.  He’s constantly cranking out art.
• He’s got a blog at www.processrecess.com (available from the “Blog” link) which showcases his creative process in detail.

Okaydave 
www.okaydave.com
Wow.  Dave Werner’s portfolio – another site containing a ton of information in a seemingly small space.  I love the way it makes you WANT to learn more about Dave’s creative process; the way you can see his skills without the use of a list of skills (other than his resume).  His blog at www.okaysamurai is impressive as well. From this site, I can infer:

• This guy’s a one-man media factory.  He can crank out video, audio, images, sketches, all from scratch.  He’s got a podcast and vodcast (no wiki – yet).
• He’s got imagination; all of the work appears to be original.
• He’s got mad tech skills. Flash, PHP, Photoshop, Illustrator – you name it.
• He’s got artistic skills.  He knows how to edit video for maximum effect (see “Impact”), how to showcase relevant information through imagery (see “Logos”) and even how to spice up a Powerpoint presentation.
• He can bring his imagination to reality.  Online.