Building your portfolio

[Axl]

I wanted to start this thread here, after some discussion in one of the other threads, about the portfolio building process for college/university. I am far from having any superior knowledge on how to build a portfolio for art college, however I've just gone through the process myself this past year, to build myself a portfolio to get me into a very selective art college, and to also receive a scholarship based on my portfolio submissions.

I spent about a year and a half building my portfolio for college. Why I took so long was not because I intended on taking so long to build it, I understand that being in high school probably won't allow you a lot of time to work on the details of your portfolio, however I ended up taking a year off after high school, to decide on what I wanted to do with my post-secondary studies. My work throughout that year, as well as my senior year in high school was what made up my portfolio.

The first time I attempted to build my portfolio (before I decided I didnt want to go to school that year), I posted here on WC and received some great feedback, as well as feedback from many other sources, some of which I'll restate in this thread. That feedback greatly helped me re-shape my portfolio I used to actually get into the school, so thankyou WC and everyone else ;)


***

Know the requirements
When you are going to start building your portfolio, the first think you should do is check out if there are any requirements your institution has set for your portfolio! This is a very important step, so you will know that the work you are doing now will in fact be allowed in your portfolio - I can't imagine how much it would *bite* if you did all this work on a portfolio, only to have several of the pieces or the entire portfolio application rejected because you have not met the requirements.

For my particular institution, there were several listed on their website/through their application package
-Size requirements was one thing listed - they would not accepted a portfolio larger than the set listing. This would be different depending on the institution - My institution wanted some ACTUAL artwork included - other institutions will want you to submit in slides or whatever.
-They had listed a recommended maximum/minimum amount of portfolio submissions. In regards to the max/min of portfolio submissions, I was told by members of the admissions office that although there was no real set limit for the number of pieces in your portfolio, they had set the numbers to make sure you do not send every piece of artwork you have ever made - but also include enough work to show your strengths.
-Projects were also listed that were to be included in the portfolio. There were a number of compulsory projects, and also a number of optional projects listed, from which I had to chose a set number to work on and include in my portfolio. Without the completion of these projects, My portfolio would not be accepted in the college, and therefore I would not be able to apply, so making sure these projects were completed was very important.
-My college also had an essay which had to be included in with the application and my portfolio. Making sure the essay was not only written within the maximum/minimum word requirements, I also made sure it was proofread (and lord knows i need someone to proofread....) and typed up nice and neat for presentation purposes.

Check for Deadlines
There are probably going to be deadlines for submissions to your institution. Know the dates and make sure you get things in on time!!

Try and work from life
Let's face it, it impresses people to see work done from actual life. One of the requirements from my institution, actually, was that I was not allowed to work from photographs, period. So, include still-life studies, on-site landscapes, life studies. I ended up including several life studies in pastel of hands and feet, as well as 40 minute drawings in graphite of people from life.

Show that you're versatile
Try and show that you are flexible, as you are going to an institution which is designed to challenge you. Let these people know that you are willing to take on whatever it is they are going to throw at you to the best of your ability. Including works done in several different mediums can help, also including many different subject matters in your portfolio will help show them that nothing frightens you and that you will tackle anything!

Prove you are into exploring art independently
Putting pieces that you did in a high-school art class is absolutely fine, but also show them that you are interested in art outside of the classroom by including works or series that you completed on your own time.

Keep your work recent
Make sure that the work in your portfolio is rather recent in relation to the time you submit. Pieces that you did several years ago may not be as welcomed as a piece you worked on during this last year.

Show who you are
Not only should the portfolio include what the institution wants to see, but also what you want to see, after all it is YOUR portfolio! I have to admit, I am a fantasy art lover which is fairly frowned upon (from what I have been told) by my college - however it is what I do and so I did not forget to include that into my portfolio. Works of your own interest next to studies or projects you did for your portfolio will help the institution know who you are, what you're style is, and what you're really interested and where your strengths lie. Hower, don't fill your portfolio completely with pieces that you want to do - show your interest in other areas by studies of different subjects or styles outside of your norm.

Edit your work
In many cases, being able to edit your work will be a very important part of the portfolio. Include the best of what you can do!! But also, like I said above, don't include everything you've ever done. In some cases, you may have pieces that are not particularly your best, but they demonstrate a good quality that you have in your work. Point that quality out to them, with a written description included with your works. Make it clear why you want them to see this piece, and why it is a valuable part to your portfolio.

Presentation
Like everything professional, presentation is extremely important and you want to come across as being professional and serious as possible. Making sure everything is neat and organized is important. If you have a sloppy presentation then that will reflect on how the college sees you. Remember that these people are not interested in getting a bunch of lazy, sloppy, kids into their institution - they want people who will make them look good, and who they think will act like professionals in their work environment. Be thoughtful about the presentation, and think of what kind of things you want the review committee to think of you when they first lay their eyes on it. If you can collect all of your works into a presentation case, that will be fantastic, or if you can put them neatly into slides that may also be the way to go. In my case, having to include real work in my portfolio, I ended up connecting them all with a basic black "mat-frame" constructed of bristol board, with an inset double mat of canson paper that complimented the image. Then, I put all of that together in a large portfolio bag large enough to carry everything.
Also, the order in which you present your portfolio will also be very important. Try and think, and remember, the first thing and the last thing they see will be what they really remember you by, so try and stick your most impressive pieces around this order in the line-up, and stick less important pieces in between. I put what i considered to be my best pieces every 2 or 3 images in the order of things, so there was always something positive to look at, with my very bests at the beginning and at the end.
My portfolio included a small presentation duotang (with a use clear front page) which kept all of my paperwork neat and in order with the corresponding images which I numbered on my black frame-mats. Including a title page, a short table of contents, and my admissions essay at the end, every page corresponded with one of my images. I stated the title, medium, date, size, and also a description of the piece, or in the case of some of the projects, the written half to that particular project. This made sure all my papers were together nice and neat and nothing got lost.

Label your pieces
I can't imagine how horrible it would be to submit a portfolio and then loose a piece and not be able to trace its whereabouts because it had not been labeled properly! Perhaps when you put your signature to a piece you and your close followers can recognize it is yours off the bat, however remember that these institutions will probably be reviewing hundreds of applications, and shuffling through hundreds or even thousands of works. Remember to label EVERYTHING! On all my pieces, and on my portfolio bag, the text with my images, the "frames" of my images..... everything included my name, in print, and my phone number so if something was lost I could be called and the owner would be found. So, drawings might be easier to label, but what about paintings on canvas? I used a piece of electrical tape on the corner, and wrote the info on with a gell pen - it stuck fast good enough not to fall off, and yet was easily removed afterwards.

Delivering/Receiving the portfolio
You will most-likely be in charge of the delivering and the receiving of your portfolio. In my case, I was lucky enough to be close enough that I could drive to the college to do my thing. However, you may have to mail your portfolio, in which case you will probably be asked to handle the return shipping charged and stuff, on top of the charges it took to get it there. So, be sure to look into making the appropriate arrangements to get your portfolio to and from the institution.


***

So I'm hoping that this will help you all start with the building of your portfolios if you are about to try and get into an institution to study art. Also, if anyone has more to include from their experience, please let us know! Let's see how much useful portfolio-building info we can pack into one little thread, eh? :D

[baquitania]

For the unenlightened few who haven't seen our guide's work, here is the original thread she posted asking for help on her portfolio... a good read with lots of info from WC members...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34240&highlight=portfolio%20-art%20-college%20school

Bobby

Perhaps some of you would like to do a small 10-12 piece WC mock portfolio for the forth coming year? We could post the basic outlines, and then give you up to date feedback on improving them... the knowledge could be translated simultaneosuly into your "actual" portfolio...

If there are any takers, let me know here, I will do some combing on the Net for actual guidelines from certain art institutions... and we can build our own conglomerate list of what to tackle...

[Axl]

I think that would be a really great idea! It would definitely be a great learning tool for many! And afterwards we could get the opinions of some teachers about how we can improve on our mock portfolios to make them even better when it comes time to develope real ones! What does everyone else think??

[Petdevils]

sounds good to me! thanks for the thread axl, i have a small blurb from my college im applying for with details of what they want, i have to hand in my folio by november... if it helps i could post it or send to someone to add to the pile? Thanks again for workin so hard in here :)

[Mandy Valin]

Good tips axl, very helpful, I'll probably be having to worry about this stuff soon >>

Bobby, mock portfolio sounds like fun ^^

~Mandie

[Pep]

Oh:( This post reminded me that I also need to present my portfolio at the end of this year to the art college, but I don´t have any pictures related to still life or landscapes and suchT_T Guess I´ll need to start doing something right now:(

[iridemft78]

here are the requirements for my distant portfolio goal:

"high-quality photocopies or slides of at least five to ten pieces rendering natural subjects in black and white and/or color. The committee looks for accuracy and aesthetics and care in presentation will be noted. All topics are welcome, we are looking for careful attention to detail and realism, artistic ability, mastery of techniques. "

i've a long way to go and will be starting this from scratch in between commissions. any suggestions on a "gameplan"?

[gillyvu]

THis has been really helpful!! Thanks a lot!

I just want to know, any REALLY big mistakes you can make while making a portfolio that you havn't already mentioned?

[Axl]

I just noticed that someone asked a really good question in another thread, so I thought we could make a little discussion about it


I just want to know, any REALLY big mistakes you can make while making a portfolio?


We talk often about what makes a good portfolio. What are some mistakes people make when making a portfolio (and may not even realize it!) Thoughts?

*edit* woops i ment to hit new thread... SORRY!

[jennakate]

did the mock portfolio thing actually happen or not? i would like to get some feedback....

[soso]

Hi Axl

I have written a book and a course offered by distance education Called 'Portfolio Preparation for the Artist'

I have attached a flyer to give your more information.

I am an Art Teacher who specializes in distance education. Visit my website at www.aaart.tv

Let me know if I can help you.

I am happy to keep in touch and give advice to you and anyone else who needs at no cost

Best Wishes

Gail

[Aibrean]

On presentation:

Be sure to organize your art in a eye pleasing manner....but your 3rd favorite piece and the top and your top 2 favorites in the back....and make sure the colors tend to go a bit rainbow-like as your sort them....it may sound silly but I did this when I was in college under the instruction of the founder of my school.

Most importantly....know which side is up when you are presenting!

It's best to go through EVERYTHING before you present (like at home or something) and speak outloud....go through every piece...and tell exactly what medium you used, what the project entailed (or who was the client), what you like about it, and if you did it on the computer....what fonts you used, and what programs. People like to know that you know what you are doing :) that way if anyone one asks questions you know how to answer them :)

[Keith Russell]

I am applying to the Kansas City Art Institute, hoping to start this fall. I already have an Associate's Degree, so I may be able to start as a sophomore, or even as a juniour. (The KCAI offers 4-year BFA degrees in ceramics, sculpture, fiber, photography, new media, illustration, primtmaking, and painting.

I met last week with my admissions counselor, and after I expressed my interest in Painting, and showed her my current portfolio, she suggested that I should put together a portfolio of 10 - 15 of my airbrushed pieces, 5 - 8 photographs, and 5 - 8 figure drawings.

20 slides seems to be a minimum; she said more than 20 wouldn't hurt.

The 15th is the dealine to apply for a 'transfer student' scholarship for the fall...

K

[MikeN]

For students interested in submitting slide portfolios, I recommend labeling them with CLEAR return address stickers. You can type the titles / media / year in a program such as word, and then print them in a very professional manner. I have been doing this for years and it looks fantasticly clean, and extremely professional.

I have been showing slides such as these for years as well and have NEVER had one jam in the projector. I think the clear return address labels are not as thick as the white ones which I have heard jam occassionally.

Be sure to check the clear label sheet first to line up its rows with your page columns.

Remember presentation is everything!!! Acceptace / Scholarship Committees have only a small amount information in front of them to decide who you are. EVERY LITTLE DETAIL COMMUNICATES ABOUT YOU AND THEREFORE COUNTS!!!!!

Miken

[hennadatta]

Thanks great post!
I am not planning to build a portfolio but the tips are good for I can work on stuff taking my own time but at the same time bear these in mind in case I ever decide to build one...

[Amy52]

Thanks for all the great tips! The thought of developping a portfolio for me is pretty overwhelming... so much lies in the hands of it. I should reallyto work on one soon, since im sure it's takes quiete a while to complete...


-Amy

[kt077886]

Good advice! I just graduated and am now preparing my portfolio for graduate school. This post was created just in time! :clap:

[antheag]

Hi....

I just want to say "thanks" for this thread!!! I am attending an interview at my chosen college on Monday (today being Friday) and I am frantically trying to put together my portfolio which I have to take with me to the interview. I am happy with the pieces, but wasn't sure how to go about putting it all together! I must say that the suggestions in this thread have been fantastic. I am going to rush off right now to put it all into practise!!

Wish me luck... Hopefully I will be able to return with good news!

Anthea

[cgwillim]

It is soo great to find a place where I can acually get live answers on porfolio building and methods. I'm first year college-bound in September and have been through the rollercoaster of trying to build a sufficient portfolio. For those who are already in or out of college, does the demand of a large portfolio get stronger?

[elna]

Wow, thank you so much for the great tips to build a portfolio...I'm so glad I found WC.

I'm an incoming high school senior, and I just recently decided that I truly want to attend an Art School. The problem is, I think I made my decision too late. I have yet to start building my portfolio with recent work. I was wondering, how long did it take you guys to build up your portfolio before entering Art school/college/university?

[Taxguy]

Excellent tips Axl. I will keep these for next year when my daughter applies to an art program. I would like to add a few more tips if I may, which I received from a few admissions officers and from some top art students:

1. Thoroughly read over the portfolio requirements of the school and adhere strictly to what they want.If they want 15- 20 pieces, you should limit work to that amount. If they want submissions using slides, follow that advice. Being able to follow directions is obviously important to them in order to see if you are trainable.

2. Many people submit their nice graphics pieces that they created on Illustrator or Quark. Even if you are going to study design, I have been advised not to present too much graphics work for my daughter. Colleges feel that they can train you in this. They want to see drawings and other art using as many different media as possible. If you have a good photographic eye, be sure to include a few of your better pieces.

3. All slides should not only be numbered but also include your name. Many schools suggest adding the social security nuimber to each slide. I don't agree with that last suggestion.

4. Have a good cover page outlining what each piece is about and why you drew it. If the piece was as a result of a project, what was the project etc. Also, Art schools seem to like students that know their art history. It would be especially nice if you can cite other artists or other periods that you wanted to emulate.

5. If you can, try to put in one or two REALLY realistic pieces drawn or painted in the classical mode. I have seen a lot of art by students and rarely do I see really good classical work. This type of work stands out, and you should present some pieces like this if you are capable of creating them.

6. Thematic pieces are also nice. Thus, drawing your favorite tree in fall, winter and in spring adds a nice touch.

7. Don't forget to use proper English in your cover letter that comes with your portfolio. Being able to write well and creatively really sells anyone who reads your work and impresses admission's officers. I have seen some fair to good art work backed up by an amazingly good discussion get some of my friend's kids into very top art programs. This is especially true for art programs that have a very heavy liberal arts emphasis such as LACS, Carnegie Melon, RISD, Parsons etc.

8. TRY as hard as you can to either enter a major contest or get some work shown somewhere reasonably important. LIttle things like this can really make a difference in both admissions and in getting scholarship money. It is, thus, very important to have some pieces that stand out in some way.

9. When submitting written work such as a cover letter or portfolio cover, try to avoid too much art on the paper. This is especially true if it hinders readability. Some cute stuff like a chicken or something creative isn't a bad idea as long as it doesn't hinder the clarity of what you are writing about.

10. Especially if you are considering a design major, include a few sketches. Admissions officers seem to like sketches that were made quickly and show good work. I have had a number of top art students suggest this to my daughter, and I think it is sound advice. Of course, you need to state that these were made in a limited time frame just to show what you can do when given limited time.

11. DON'T take all the art courses in high school to the omission of top liberal arts courses. Colleges want to see that you took some widespread liberal arts courses and even some honors courses in these subjects. No one wants to admit a student that has very good art but flunks out because of a poor liberal arts background.

Hope all this helps.

[ladyfox]

Axl,

Thank you very much! I have been having the same portfolio questions and a similar situation to yours. I am in the process of thinking about which university to transfer to, and portfolios tend to baffle me. I appreciate your insight.

Also, I think making a mock portfolio is a wonderful idea. Thanks to one of the WetCanvas members for mentioning it. :)

[nympheas]

umm maybe this is a stupid question but....whats the difference between an arts course and a liberal arts course? the only courses my skool offers is visual arts and thats it (kind of a sciences skool, i dont belong lol) but would that effect my eligibility for a skool? :confused:
Any information would be helpful
Thanx

[womble]

Liberal arts are things like english, history, science, anthropology, etc. Basically anything that is more general and doesn't lead directly to a profession; engineering or nursing for example. I'm not sure I understand your second question, but really all it means is that they want you to have a brain too as well as being a good artist.

[bellacutthroat]

I have been thinking about my portfolio.. and i saw the samples porfolios from Art students at this college near where i am located, and they were very creative and three-dimensional.. and the portfolio itself was a master peice..
.. what are your objections on that? Do you think people are looking for the more standardized portfolios?

[SunShadow]

:D :D *thumbs up*

thanks so much, Axl! I have been reading alot of the art school etc threads and I really appreciate that you have taken the time to write these things out. They are helpful to me and Im sure to others as well!


:clap: :D thanks again! keep on doing what you do best!!



take care...
Arielle

[cspango]

Thanks so much for all the information in this thread. All you guys did a great job. This was very helpful to me because I haven't had much advice on this subject before. Thanks again, you did a damn good job.

[wednesday]

Hey all

I'm a high school senior who just got into RISD and will be going there this fall.

Personally, I think the portfolio is one of the biggest pices of your application, but sometimes I think people forget about the other things, likes grades, test scores, hometests, and essays.

My portfolio was weak, because I come from a terribly undefunded public school. If you can't seem to get good work out of your high school classes, be sure that you show the admissions committee that you've explored other artistic opportunities. For example, I took a printmaking class at a comunity college, spent a summer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's "Early College Program", and took portfolio prep and figure drawing classes at the Columbus College of Art and Design. That way, they know that you are trying to advance your art education. The few good pieces in my portfolio came from these experiences.

DO NOT SLACK OFF on your schoolwork! At many selective art schools, they want intelligent and well-rounded people. Don't flunk your math and science classes just because "you're an artist". I'm graduating with a 4.0 -- I think this and my high SAT scores are what helped get me in.

Take time on the hometest assignments. This is an automatic "weed out". Students that aren't committed enough usually don't even finish them, forfeiting their applications. If you work hard at them, and do them in a creative way, it'll make you stand out against the gazillion other talented artists applying.

Part of being a good artist is being able to express yourself verbally and explain and articulate the thought behind your art. Be sure to take time on your the "Statement of Purpose" or "Artist Statement"! Many selective art schools want what they call "thinking artists".

Anyway, this may not be what you want to hear, but I think it'll help you guys in the long run.

Just remember one thing: You don't have to be the most awesome in the world to get in. Schools look not only at your current level of technical ability, but at your creativity, motivation, and artistic potential as well.

Cheers!

[Dreams-of-Flight]

I have just successfully applied to art school in the UK, and found this thread very helpful, thank you to all contributors for their advice!

My interviewer said that what they look for in applicants are artists who are open to new ideas & willing to experiment - and added that some applications had failed because the applicants had very fixed, rigid ideas about art and so were not receptive to being taught. Evidence of use of a wide range of media, especially the use of unusual materials carried a lot of weight. Involvement with the arts through attending exhibitions, spending time with other arts and membership of art groups & exhibitions of own work was important, as it helped show a strong commitment to art.

I was asked about the influences of my art, which exhibitions of major artists I had attended, and which contemporary artists I admired, and which of their work I particularly liked, and why. (So, do your homework on this one if you want to name someone obscure! Imagine how embarrassing it could be if you were asked these questions & couldn't answer?) This is a quick way for interviewers to test your historical and contextual knowledge of art, it might be helpful to write a short essay based on these questions if you get really nervous at interviews?

Interestingly, my annotated sketchbook was examined far more closely and for longer than my other portfolio work, the interviewer said that you could learn far more about an artist from the sketchbook than the finished work.

Good luck to anyone else applying to art school!

[Bumstar]

Lotsa great advice...

I'm going to the National Portfolio Day in October, and HAVEN'T got a clue as what I should do with my portfolio. I haven't even made one, yet, and I don't have too many things to put in. (unless you can count doodles on lined paper) I'm aiming to major in graphic design, and I have a few works on the computer. What should I include in my portfolio? Sketches? Sketches of what? Paintings? Is it prefered when you include paintings of realistic things? I usually draw in a style of my own, and I doubt you would consider it 'realistic'... Can some of my paintings be in that style? Is it alright to include artwork with controversial themes? (or ones with meaning to them?)

AHHHHHHHHHH!

[Taxguy]

Great Thread Axl.

You are quite correct in that it is very difficult for current high school students to put in the time necessary to have a top notch portfolio.

You also note that you need to edit your portfolio. I can't speak for everyone, but, at least for my daughter, it was very hard for her to evaluate her own work and edit it in order to make it better. She needed an external art teacher to give her recommendations and critiques.

In fact, I HIGHLY recommend, if you can afford it, to hire a professional art teacher that students can go to after school and help develop a portfolio. This will help in a number of ways, least of all by having a regimented weekly time frame of having to work. The ideal art teacher will really know what types of product should be in a portfolio as well. If this is too expensive for you, consider taking courses at the local junior college after class or during weekends.

I can tell you that my daughter had some nice pieces from her art classes in high school. However, after attending classes with a professional art teacher after school, her portfolio is much more dramatic and her skills are a lot more well-honed. Obviously, this is an expensive approach because it will take at least a year and preferably two years of private classes to develop the skills and portfolio needed. If you can develop these skills by yourself, good luck.

Moreover, as Axl has noted, everything that is sent to the art schools gets scrutinized. This includes the envelope that the materials and application comes in! Many prospects forget about the envelope and the enclosed letters. The envelope should be professionally addressed using very neat printing or, even better, a label. In addition, you need to give attention to any accompanying letters that you send admissions. Having a nicely designed background or logo can help a lot; however, made sure that any background art work doesn't interfere with the clarity of the letter. I have seen kids with decent skills get accepted because of their fabulous and creative presentations, and I have seen kids with very good skills not get accepted or not get as high a scholarship. Presentation counts a lot!

Finally, once you have your portfolio, you need to take first class slides of your work.Having great work but sloppy slides or out of focus slides will hurt your chances considerably. This is especially true for scholarships based on portfolios. If you are not REALLY good at photography, I would suggest a professional portfolio photographer do this. Yes, there are such specialists. In fact, there aren't that many in the US. If you want to make a good living, study photography and specialize in portfolio photography.

You are also right Axl in noting that students should submit different modes of work. My daughter had mostly pen and ink drawings or pencil drawings because she felt comfortable in these mediums. I can't emphasize enough the importance of stretching yourself using different mediums. My daughter's art instructor even made her do a 3D piece. Having some watercolor, paintings, 3D pieces etc. really beefs up a portfolio.

I should note that when we attended portfolio day, many of the admission's folks recommended some time and motion drawing with at least 6 steps in the drawing. It can be any subject, but you need to show what happens over time. My daughter drew the steps involved in a coin trick. She also drew the steps involved in cleaning her flute. This seems to be very important to some colleges.

Also, consider attending some pre-college courses in a college that you might want to attend. They will have some good portfolio development courses, and you might be able to get a recommendation from a professor in that school.

Be warned however: pre-college programs don't normally give a lot of time to really complete good pieces. They seem very rushed.

I should note one last thing that I was told by a number of admission's officers at top schools such as Carnegie Mellon, Tyler etc. If you go for an interview, which is recommended, admission officers want to see passion in you! They want to know that you are very interested in attending their school and very interested in majoring in the major that you have selected. Taking outside courses, even at the local community college, does indicate passion. Having a lot of work done in your own time and not part of your high school curriculum indicates passion. You need to communicate this passion to the admission's people in the interview. I can't stress this point enough.

[lindamulder]

Perhaps some of you would like to do a small 10-12 piece WC mock portfolio for the forth coming year? We could post the basic outlines, and then give you up to date feedback on improving them... the knowledge could be translated simultaneosuly into your "actual" portfolio...



I am now preparing my portfolio. Has anyone put up samples? I haven't seen any.

If there are none, this is what I will do. I will prepare my portfolio, take photos along the way and then post the whole thing as a demo when I get accepted to the school I am applying to. (Obviously, if I don't get in then my portfolio sucked.)

Joyce

[Axl]

No, unfortunatley we didnt get together the project of examples of finished portfolios. So it would be fantastic to see a few.

There was one guy a little while back who went through the process of showing us his portfolio. Ill go back and find the thread.

I still have some of what I had submitted. Id be willing to put up some as well.

Would be great to see yours as you get it together.

[lindamulder]

Okay, here goes...

Introduction:
The first thing I did was do some research on the internet. Found lots of good tips and ideas, but nothing that was directly relevant to students eeking to gain acceptance to an art program aside from what has already been posted on this forum.

I have had lots of success in other fields applying for certain positions and so with that I will be confident and take you along through this process.

I am applying to a school in Canada that offers and Fine Arts diploma with a third year degree option. That is what I will eventually shoot for. Right now I just want to get into the program.

Step One:
Make sure you understand the school's portfolio requirements. I have noticed that some will only accept slides, while others will also accept slides and photos. In my case the school accepts photos of all the work and that is what I will send as I am accross the country and will be mailing it to them.

Don't be afraid to contact them for clarification. In my case the school is asking for up to 20 pieces. Well, I thought, does that mean truly up to 20 or is 22 still acceptable? (Not that I have 22 to submit!) So, I emailed the department chair and asked him. I chose to email him because the instructions said that if you had any other questions to contact him. He was very helpful in explaining that he is dissapointed when he looks at a portfolio that is padded with inferior work. He would rather see a portfolio with 15 really good submissions. I also asked if a letter of reference would help and he also replied that it would be very helpful.

So, now that I am clear on what I need to do...I am off to step two.

[lindamulder]

Get someone with a trained eye to help you make decisions about what should be included. I have a teacher that I have taken some classes with and he has been very encouraging. I invited him to help and he was most eager to give me a hand. I laid out everything that I have and included things I thought maybe should not go in.

He took his time and I explained some of the pieces, which he hadn't seen. What surprised me was that a painting he raved about when I first did it, he thought should not be in. Why? "Because I've seen now that you can do better" Also a couple of things I thought might not be that good, he thought should be included. "The drape is great in this painting, I think they'll forgive you that you didn't the perspective quite right on the book." Etc.

So in the end we dicided on 18 pieces and three of them will need some fixes. One sketch he thought was small and could I redo it? Absolutley!
Okay, so while I'm working on that...

[lindamulder]

Make some decisions abut how you are going to present your works (aside from slides or photos etc. as I have already made that decision.)

I need a profolio case to mail and I did not want to spend too much. What I pruchased is an 11x14 case with sleeves from my local art store, but manufactured by itoya. Big enough to show the work and not too bulky. Some of the photos can be life-sized.

http://www.itoya.com/Catalogs/Profolio/Profolio_html/Art_profolio.htm

I am also a web site designer in another life and I have decided to make a duplicate on-line version of my portfolio and will include the url with the portfolio I mail in. I happen to have that skill and can control the output, but unless you do and are confident of your ability to produce good design on-line as well, I would skip it. So, I am also wokring on that.... Step Four in a week or two when I'm ready (yes, I'm going to do it myself! :thumbsup:) to take some pictures...

[Axl]

Great info joyce! :clap: Thanks for posting this! We're looking forward to seeing your final portfolio. Thanks for keeping us posted.

[Nicky1964]

hi axl,

thanks, this was really helpful!!..:D

nicky

[jennakate]

here is the portfolio I did this year that got me into the Alberta College of Art and Design (http://www.acad.ab.ca)...


Jenesis Studios - click on Gallery, then Portfolio 2006 (http://www.jenesisstudios.com/)

It was a lot of work (I drew, did some linoprints, lampwork, papermaking, painting, etc), but if you really want to go to art school, it should pay off.

[amrita]

Great thread and thanks a ton for the tips Axl. It would be great if some of the students would post images of their WIP or final pieces in to the WC gallery.

[lindamulder]

Took photos of the peices too big to actually place in the portfolio.

I used a digital camera. I changed the resolution to 1200 and did not use a flash. Chose a room with lots of light, but no direct sun. A few photos I retook several times until the quality was good. I experimented!

Next I used a photo editing program and applied a "barrel distortion" tool to reduce the barrel effect caused by the lens of the camera. Then I straightened the photo using a "straighten" tool. Next, I used a "perspective correction" tool. Finally I cropped each photo and resized it to the correct size and resolution it is to be printed at.

I phoned around and asked friends about developing labs and found a local shop with an onsite lab. I let them know what I wanted and they say they can do the job. Tomorrow I go to deliver my precious cargo. Three day turnaround so we'll see what they can do.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-May-2006/74219-apllePhoto.jpg
Before (optimized for web of course)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-May-2006/74219-apple_final.jpg
After Before (optimized for web of course)

Next installment will talk about my prints from the photographer.

[lindamulder]

here is the portfolio I did this year that got me into the Alberta College of Art and Design (http://www.acad.ab.ca)...


Jenesis Studios - click on Gallery, then Portfolio 2006 (http://www.jenesisstudios.com/)

It was a lot of work (I drew, did some linoprints, lampwork, papermaking, painting, etc), but if you really want to go to art school, it should pay off.

Wow, nice job. Very creative!

[jennakate]

Thanks! :D

Love the apple painting! Wow!

[$ergey]

Thanks!
Though I have arlready built portfolio, I've found some useful tips.

Keep on doing... :)

[lindamulder]

Okay, taking my own photos was a real challenge; I admit it. I probably should have read the article below before I started:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles/Sylvia_White/phototips.html
(since I also have a very good quality SLR camera)

The initial developer did a great job with what they were given so about half of the photos were acceptable right from the start.

I took digital photos (5 mega pixel camera and I set the resolution really high), but when I was resizing and cropping them on my computer I failed to notice that some of them were too dark. I re-took several of them and had to go back downtown. These were better, but I still took a couple more to another developer just to see if they could do a better job. They couldn't so that was $30 bucks wasted...unless you consider that I learned something from the whole experience. What I have read about doing professional portfolios for galleries is that you should hire a professional art photographer and I think I might plan on that for the future. Okay I'm cheap so I'll read the article and try it on my own first. hehe.

In the end I do have satisfactory photos. I am also including some original sketches in the portfolio so there was no need to photograph them.

[lindamulder]

I wrote all the text to go with each piece, and numbered them ( I wanted to do the numbering, it was not a requirement)

Visually I wanted to contain the text, much like the plaques in galleries so I contained the text in a box.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-May-2006/74219-text.jpg
I don't know about the US, but probably anywhere else the metric measurement should come first. I printed all the text out on good quality white paper. I then used a paper cutter to cut because I don't trust my hand to cut straight. It has to look good!

I also had to prepare a Statement of Expectations (which is included with the portfolio) and I made sure that the text for everything was the same. I also used the same font on the companion web site.

Now I gathered all my materials and was ready to put the whole thing together.

[lindamulder]

Phew...this is a lot of work. So I laid a couple of photos and sketches out on the black paper that came with the portfolio. I did not like it. I had also read that the pages should be either white or black so I mad the decision to go with white. Found some good white paper from a Canson sketch book and cut the sheets down to size with a paper cutter.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-May-2006/74219-blackPaper.JPG
Here the sketch is mounted on the white paper.

For mounting I used clear photo corners for the original works since I may want to remove the works later and I used two sided tapes for the photos. You can find the clear photo corners at photo stores and the tapes come in a handy dispenser if you buy them at a scrapbooking store. Bonus is that they are acid free.

Did I mention that I had a letter of reference? I did and I contacted the school and asked if they would appreciate the letter as well and the program director let me know that it would definately help so I included that with the portfolio as well. After all it is an admissions portfolio.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-May-2006/74219-letter.JPG

Also, if you are including work that displays the long way on the page then you need to face it to be viewed from the right. I also then faced my text in the same direction.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-May-2006/74219-bottle.JPG

Well I will hope and pray now because it goes in the mail tomorrow. No I am not sending it regular mail. I would take it in person, but the school is 3000 miles away. I will be sending it overnight delivery and a signature will be required.

So thank you for listening. I hope it helped to see someone going through the process. If you are a pro and you see what I did wrong, don't tell me until after I hear whether I got in or not.

PS you can view the companion site at www.stateofjoyce.com and thank you jennakate; your cutlery inspired me and I included a sketch of cutlery too. Don't know if it looks the same (your page with your portfolio sample is unavailable-EDIT:yes I tried again and there it was-our cutlery is different but we draw similar don't you think?), but the fork and spoon were cutlery that belonged to my mom and dad. :heart:

[jennakate]

You have some nice stuff there... I especially like the apple paining, Lee from America, and Bourtange Gate.

Good luck with your application!

jennakate

[lindamulder]

Thanks jennakate. I get a lot of comments on the apple and Lee is my favourite portrait so far.

So the good news is...drum roll...I have been accepted to the program! I start full time in the fall. The program I applied for is a Fine Arts Diploma, which has a second component where you re-apply for the third and fourth year Degree program. It is in conjunction with Emily Carr and when completed one (I will) have a Fine Arts Degree from Emily Carr!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!

[jennakate]

Woo hoo for you!!!!


It is very exciting, isn't it? I'm still doing my happy dance!

jenna kate :D

[Roodboy]

thanks to the autor, you can write a book =)

[Piper.A]

ok i'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but i keep reading about slides
of portfolio works. one does not need slides if one is presenting one's portfolio in person, right?

also, if i am presenting my portfolio in person, i can then plan all my works
to be just the right size. however, i was wondering if the school would prefer to see slides of some works that are too large to bring along, for the simple reason that they like to know you can work on a large scale?

one more question. does the size of one's sketchbook matter?
i tend to use those little moleskine sketch and watercolour books.
are they acceptable or should i start using something larger?

thank you! and great thread. very very helpful.

[vhere]

I have just successfully applied to art school in the UK, and found this thread very helpful, thank you to all contributors for their advice!

My interviewer said that what they look for in applicants are artists who are open to new ideas & willing to experiment - and added that some applications had failed because the applicants had very fixed, rigid ideas about art and so were not receptive to being taught. Evidence of use of a wide range of media, especially the use of unusual materials carried a lot of weight. Involvement with the arts through attending exhibitions, spending time with other arts and membership of art groups & exhibitions of own work was important, as it helped show a strong commitment to art.

I was asked about the influences of my art, which exhibitions of major artists I had attended, and which contemporary artists I admired, and which of their work I particularly liked, and why. (So, do your homework on this one if you want to name someone obscure! Imagine how embarrassing it could be if you were asked these questions & couldn't answer?) This is a quick way for interviewers to test your historical and contextual knowledge of art, it might be helpful to write a short essay based on these questions if you get really nervous at interviews?

Interestingly, my annotated sketchbook was examined far more closely and for longer than my other portfolio work, the interviewer said that you could learn far more about an artist from the sketchbook than the finished work.

Good luck to anyone else applying to art school!

I remember your original request and congratulations on getting accepted! :wave:

what you say above is spot on for the UK - an open mind and wish to learn and experiment is essential, you won't get in without.

Life drawing was also something they wanted to see - and the annotated sketchbooks. That's where ideas, imagination, the way you think around a subject and skills that you may not even know you have can be seen.

one of my friends who is a university lecturer had one applicant ask if coming to uni they'd 'teach him to paint trees' :eek: he wasn't accepted!

[Gerard Sternik]

If you are presenting your portfolio in person, generally schools want to see the real art works.
If you have done a huge work of art, bringing visual documentation makes it possible for others to view it.
However, if your doing an interview in person, I'd bring something that is a photo,digital print etc of your work rather than a slide if you need one,.
Slides are hard to make out, when you have to hold them up to the light etc, just to see the image.
Make it easy and pleasurable for the person viewing your art to see it.
A nice, in focus photo print of your monumental sculpture or painting would do it!

The size of your work is unimportant, compared to its quality.

Only bring your best work to the interview no matter what size it is.

Sketchbook size is unimportant.

We just had one of our students apply to OCAD here in Toronto.
If I can get a few samples from his portfolio, I'll post them here to help you get an idea of what works.

Cheers!

Gerard Sternik / Director

Animation Portfolio Workshop
http://www.portfolioworkshop.com/

[thom futrell]

very informative! Thanks for sharing this!

[glace]

When I usually think of portfolios, I think of the actual works themselves in a huge folder, but since digital is the norm now, is it a bit advantageous to use a user made website with works there as a portfolio along with any statements and such? Or is it wise to have both? Or maybe just the traditional way?

[thom futrell]

Thanks for the information