Creativity Connecting

through Photography

Portfolio

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So your thinking about applying to an art program? Do you know what you should include in your portfolio?

Your Photography/Art portfolio is usually the most important part of your application, and having a great one can significantly improve your chances of getting into chosen further education establishment.

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There are a number of programs that may require applicants to submit a portfolio, some of which include:

Apparel Design

Architecture

Art Education

Art History

Ceramics

Film

Fine Arts

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Painting

Photography

Printmaking

Sculpture

Writing (usually for programs focused on poetry, fiction writing, screenwriting)

Universities want to admit students who create works in a skilled and memorable way. More specifically, Art Schools are looking for students with the following 5 qualities:

Technical mastery includes being able to apply basic and advanced art principals to your work, create work that shows a high level of attention and detail, and complete projects that are free of sloppiness and mistakes.

Art schools want applicants who are strong artists across a variety of media and art forms. One reason versatility is important is because the ability to create multiple art forms, from drawing, to film, to graphic design, and more, is a sign of a talented artist and one who can apply their skills in multiple ways. Having a portfolio that shows variety also shows an ability to think creatively and a willingness to try new things

The most important thing they look for in an art portfolio is "Work that will give us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to explore, experiment, and think beyond technical art and design skills."

You will need about a dozen pieces of work for your portfolio. The number varies by school, but most request 10-20 examples of your work. These can be pieces you created for a class or outside of school. You should aim to create more pieces than you need, so that when it comes time to create your portfolio, you can choose your strongest pieces to include.The pieces you include in your portfolio should also have been created fairly recently. Hopefully your most recent work will be your best anyway, since you have been learning more and improving.

However, even if you are only submitting work from one art form, you can show a great deal of variety within it, both in technique and subject matter. An example of variety in subject matter is if you are submitting 15 photographs for your portfolio, those pieces can include photos of people, landscapes, still life, interiors, etc... You can make sure your portfolio shows variety in technique by using multiple mediums within one art form.

REMEMBER

Before you submit your portfolio, you want to be sure that all your pieces are finished. Each piece should appear neat with no smudges, rips, or wrinkles. The piece should also go all the way to the border of the canvas or paper it is on. You generally do not want to include a lot of white background unless you are submitting a rough sketch. Also be sure to include your name, school, date of completion, and title of the piece on the back, as well as any other information the school requests, such as a short description of each piece. Ensure your Sketchbooks are also available for viewing.

Once all the pieces are ready, prepare them for presentation. Most art schools require you to submit images or videos of your work online, but some schools require applicants to mail slides with images of the pieces or present their work in-person.

If submitting your portfolio online:

If you are submitting online, this will likely involve taking photos or videos of your work, unless you are submitting work created on the computer, such as graphic design pieces, or are submitting pdfs of written work like Sketchbooks or poetry. Spending time to take quality pictures and videos of your work is almost as important as creating quality art itself. These pictures or videos will often be the only images admissions committees have of your work, and if they are poor quality, they may assume the work itself is poor quality as well. If the piece is a stationary work of art, a photo, as opposed to a video, is usually sufficient.

If presenting your portfolio in-person:

Make sure the work can be transported without being damaged.

Make sure paintings are completely dry before transporting them. Remove any frames so the artwork can be viewed more easily.

Use clear covers to protect artwork, if needed.

Asking for Feedback

Your portfolio can benefit greatly when you ask others for their opinions on your work and the pieces you have selected for your portfolio. You should ask for feedback throughout your portfolio-making process. Two of the best sources for getting feedback are listed below.

Your Photography/Art Teacher

One of the first people you should ask for their opinion on the pieces you should include in your portfolio is your photography/art teacher. They often have a lot of experience developing portfolios, and they can help you choose the pieces that will best impress admissions committees. The questions you ask can range from having them look over the pieces you’ve chosen for your portfolio to having them make suggestions on the type of work you should create in order to finish your portfolio.