My recommendation as you build your portfolio site is to utilize Bootstrap. Bootstrap is a front-end web development framework that has a lot of great resources to give you a head-start in creating your site. I highly recommend using a Bootstrap template in creating your portfolio, as it will make this process go much quicker!
NMIX 4010/6010 Web Development has a great Bootstrap unit that covers all the material you need to know. They are easy lessons, but I recommend looking this over and using it as a resource if you choose to build a site using Bootstrap.