Make your art school portfolio stand out!
Preparing an art school portfolio for admission is not an easy task. Each year art schools receive thousands and thousands of applications of perspective art students. Yet, making a portfolio that stands out and is well-rounded is possible. Here are some of the guidelines to follow:
College Admission requirements
Before beginning a portfolio for an art school, the first step is to check the school’s requirements. Sometimes colleges assign specific prompts or pieces to include. It’s important to know ahead, due to time constraints, which assignments need to be completed. In addition, you will create all other portfolio pieces. Time management here is crucial because creating a portfolio may take longer than expected. Additionally, it’s important to stay curious when making a portfolio. Admission jurors want to see the excitement in your work, not only strict following of requirements. Incorporate your interests in portfolio admission prompts if you can.
(Scholarship student work example 1)
Art portfolio must-haves
No well-rounded art portfolio lacks the list of work examples below:
- Figure drawing
- Portrait
- Still life
- Perspective drawing
- Mixed media piece and 3D
- Painting
Such examples will showcase your drawing strengths, weaknesses, and creativity. The jurors will judge your observational and drawing abilities based on these work examples. It’s crucial to draw these examples from observation if you can. Steer clear of relying heavily on references from photographs. Observational drawings take a lot of skill and the jurors want to see if you have it. Additionally, it is wise to include a mixed-media piece. It is an opportunity to show the jurors how well you think outside the box and how you can think outside the box. Moreover, including a painting is just as important. A panting adds versatility to your portfolio and shows ambition. In effect, your portfolio will be well-rounded and ready to impress.
Include gesture drawing examples
A gesture drawing involves quickly sketching the movement of a figure, typically completed within 10 seconds to 2 minutes. As they are not intended as finished drawings, perfection is not required. These drawings reveal the artist’s perception of form and movement, making them crucial additions to a portfolio. If you have figure drawings tucked away or are currently attending a figure drawing class, select gesture drawings that effectively capture the movement and action of the figure. The inclusion of such drawings will contribute to the development of a well-rounded art school portfolio.
Tell a story with your art
The jurors love portfolios that tell a story. This holds especially true when applying for majors such as illustration or animation, for example. Consider what each piece tells about you and your work. Does the work have an overarching story? Maybe each piece is connected by theme or formal aspects, like material or color. If that idea isn’t as exciting, consider what the work says about you, the artist. Focusing on the storytelling aspects of your art will provide a guideline for a cohesive body of work. But be careful with this, because an arts portfolio can’t be repetitive. Here, curiosity and experimentation with techniques and materials open the door to a diverse portfolio.
(Scholarship student work example 2)
No cliche examples in your art portfolio
This may be obvious, but including cliche work in your art school portfolio, shows a lack of thoughtfulness and creativity. Make sure to avoid this as much as possible as it blends you into the background with other applicants. Think about it this way, the admissions reviewers see drawings from thousands of applicants so they are bound to see cliche drawings over and over again. Cliche work will not serve you in building a strong portfolio, especially one that jumps out. Here are some steps to avoiding cliches:
- Think of an idea.
- Rethink the idea, and consider whether it was done before.
- Explore the visual elements more deeply. How do they connect to the artist or a theme the artist is interested in?
- What is the underlying theme or idea you want to convey?
- Think again about whether you’ve seen this art before. In this step, it’s possible to consider the work of other artists as inspiration but not plagiarize.
- Once all else is clear to you, you can proceed to create the final work.
Organize work effectively
When assembling your art school portfolio, it’s crucial to organize it effectively. A well-structured portfolio should have a strong beginning and end. For the initial section, incorporate impressive pieces that exhibit all the qualities of a great drawing, covering perspective, form, and color. Weaker pieces can be placed in the middle of the portfolio, perhaps ones that are objectively skillful but lack conceptual strength. The final pieces should be equally, if not more, robust. You want the jurors to remember you. In conclusion, prioritize quality over quantity as a guiding principle. Overall, include work in your art portfolio that reveals more about your identity.
(Scholarship student work example 3)
Art portfolio direction
Include not only pieces that demonstrate advanced technical skills but also those that reflect your ongoing areas of interest. Consider character design, for instance, to showcase your curiosity. Demonstrate initiatives in your chosen field through a mix of digital and traditional drawings featuring imaginative characters. You may choose to adhere to standard industry guidelines when presenting the characters—it’s entirely up to you to decide the level of initiative you wish to take in your area of interest. Such dedicated efforts will provide jurors with deeper insights into you. Therefore, it’s crucial to narrate a story about yourself or your work to convey why you aspire to pursue your chosen path.
Clear descriptions
Writing artwork descriptions for an art school portfolio is intimidating. It’s hard to describe visual artwork. Yet, these descriptions will let the juror know a lot about you. Make sure they are concise and very clear. The jurors have so much work to look through already, they do not want to waste time deciphering poorly written descriptions. Stick to writing no more than 3 sentences.
- 1st sentence: introduction to the work visually
- 2nd sentence: introduce your intent and concept
- 3rd sentence: why your execution of the concept is successful
Sticking to this guideline will make sure your descriptions are short, to the point, and easy to read and understand.
Conclusions
Following the guidelines above will help you find the strong voice that an art portfolio needs to be successful. Here at New York Art Studio, we make sure every student reaches their full potential in creating a well-rounded portfolio. To learn more about our school and what we have to offer, please click here.
For more updates and examples of student work, go to our Instagram!