How to Create an Art Portfolio for College Admissions

Table of Contents

  • 1 How to Create an Art Portfolio for College Admissions
    • 1.ane What is an Art Portfolio?
      • 1.1.1 What Degrees Unremarkably Require an Fine art Portfolio?
        • 1.1.i.ane Fine Visual Arts, such every bit illustration, printmaking, sculpture, and photography
        • ane.1.ane.two Graphic Pattern
        • i.1.1.3 Industrial/Interior Design
        • ane.1.1.four Art Education
        • 1.1.1.5 Fine art History
        • 1.i.i.half-dozen Performing Arts, such as theatre, dance, and music
    • 1.two What Should Y'all Put in Your Fine art Portfolio?
      • 1.2.1 What Does an Admissions Team Typically Look For?
    • 1.iii How to Cull Which Pieces to Include in Your Art Portfolio
      • 1.iii.ane How to Create/Build an Fine art Portfolio
        • i.3.1.ane The Earlier You Start Edifice Your Art Portfolio, the Amend
        • 1.3.one.2 Know the Portfolio Requirements of the School(due south) You're Applying to
        • 1.iii.1.iii Don't Focus on What Yous Think They Want to See
        • 1.iii.i.4 Bear witness Them Why They Want Y'all
      • one.3.2 How to create a Digital Fine art Portfolio
      • i.3.3 Have Questions About a School's Portfolio Requirements?

Many students underestimate the impact of an art portfolio when they begin the process of applying to an art schoolhouse. While many schools, such as Hussian Higher, practice not require an fine art portfolio as part of the application process, if the option is available it tin be a good thought to take advantage of the opportunity and frontward forth your pieces. Non only volition doing so help yous stand out equally an bidder, just if you received poor grades in high school or less-than-impressive Saturday scores, an fine art portfolio can serve equally a reiteration of your dedication as a student.

While building an fine art portfolio can exist intimidating if you've never created i before, information technology's not as challenging as you may remember! To the benefit of many students, at that place is no "right" or "incorrect" when information technology comes to putting your pieces together, merely there are some guidelines that can help ensure the success of your portfolio. Hither'south a closer look…

What is an Fine art Portfolio?

An fine art portfolio is not simply a collection of your artwork. Think of it equally a visual résumé or calling card. It is a compilation of photographs or scans of created artwork, carefully chosen to demonstrate your artistic and technical talent. When it comes to what is included in a portfolio, there is no correct or wrong! A portfolio can be made up of illustrations, graphics, paintings, photography, sound-visual clips, 3D modeling, ceramics, and more.

What Degrees Usually Require an Fine art Portfolio?

You may be surprised how many programs include a portfolio in their art school application process. Whether or not you demand to submit a portfolio largely depends on the particular school, but these programs generally request a portfolio be submitted:

  • Fine Visual Arts, such equally illustration, printmaking, sculpture, and photography

  • Graphic Design

  • Industrial/Interior Pattern

  • Fine art Teaching

  • Art History

  • Performing Arts, such as theatre, dance, and music

What Should You Put in Your Art Portfolio?

Merely as you lot might not list every single summer job you've had on a resume, your art portfolio should not be treated similar a repository for every piece of fine art you have created. You want to make sure that everything in your portfolio fulfills the requirements of that particular school and speaks conspicuously to who you lot are as an artist. With that in mind, at that place are some things to exist considered.

What Does an Admissions Team Typically Look For?

What do fine art schools expect for in a portfolio? Depending on the program, there may be specific items you are asked to include, simply generally these are what the admissions team will exist looking for.

  • Above Anything Else, Passion! While of course the admissions squad will be impressed by artist skill, they are nigh interested in seeing pieces that showcase pride in their creation. They sympathize that y'all may not yet have obtained skills of composition or technique. With that said, include pieces that you are proud of. Your passion volition shine through.
  • Creativity and Versatility.The admissions squad expects that students will include a lot of work in their preferred fine art form(s), but they are interested in artists who are skilled in a variety of media. They desire people who can use their artistic skills in a number of means. They also want prospective students who are willing to explore and experiment with new things, as it is important to your artistic growth.
  • Uniqueness and Personality.Schools want students with personalities. Your art portfolio should show what's unique near who you are and how you look at the world. Technical merit without the artistic component and the artist's passion isn't fine art – it's replication. You want your portfolio to convince the admissions team that you will get a lot out of the school and that the schoolhouse will benefit from having you in its student body.

How to Choose Which Pieces to Include in Your Art Portfolio

Admissions staff are looking to learn who yous are as a person, thinker, and artist. You can exercise that by including the post-obit elements.

  1. A Variety of Techniques.
    • Unless the application states otherwise, your portfolio may include work of pretty much whatever technique – and the more, the better. Of course, if you are not peculiarly strong with one technique, don't include it – you even so want to showcase your best piece of work.
  2. A Variety of Mediums.
    • Highlight your artistic strengths with as many different mediums as y'all can, simply don't put in the more mediocre pieces purely for the sake of having them. Brand certain that these works demonstrate your talent, inventiveness, and capabilities. There are so many mediums to choose from: paints (acrylic, watercolor, oil), sketching materials (charcoal, inks, graphite, pastels), ceramics, film, and of form, combinations of these.
  3. A Variety of Subjects.
    • There are endless possibilities – landscapes, people, objects, and of course, whatsoever may be relevant to the degree program yous're applying to. Admissions staff want to see a variety. Additionally, brand sure that you lot're not copying some other artist's work, or things like anime, tattoo designs, or logos.
  4. A Variety of Styles.
    • Art schools honey students who really empathise the dissimilar artistic styles and are able to put their own spin on them. While well-nigh art students have their preferred styles, being able to show artistic flexibility tin can brand a good impression on the admissions team. As with the different mediums, there are so many styles and movements to choose from – and mix: abstract art, realism, photorealism, impressionism, expressionism, fauvism – just to name a few.
  5. Process and Evolution Artwork, if Allowed.
    • While many are inclined to simply include completed pieces, artwork that is still in development shows how y'all recall as an artist and how y'all achieve the end result. Unfinished pieces or sketches provide insight into how your mind works from the concept stage through completion, helping to pigment a picture of how yous generate ideas, inquiry, and experiment. Sometimes this is even more fascinating than the art itself!

How to Create/Build an Art Portfolio

In the end, you want your portfolio to tell a story. That story could be about how you've grown every bit a person or creative person, ideas or events that have inspired you, or even how you brand common artist styles all your ain.

  1. The Before Y'all Start Building Your Art Portfolio, the Better

Perhaps you've e'er dreamed of attention art school. Or, maybe this is a new hazard. Either way, try to requite yourself as much time as possible to create portfolio pieces, especially if y'all're starting from scratch. An art portfolio isnot something that should be rushed; pressure stifles creativity!

  1. Know the Portfolio Requirements of the School(due south) You're Applying to

Map out all deadlines, as well as whatever unique requirements. While some schools may be more relaxed in their requirements, others may crave a sure number of pieces or may only accept digital files. Avoid immediate rejection by ensuring you follow whatsoever necessary guidelines.

  1. Don't Focus on What You Think They Want to See

This is different from making sure you lot meet all the requirements. This is more about speculating virtually what styles, mediums, or techniques the admissions team members may prefer, out of some belief that catering to them will provide a benefit or edge. About artists capeesh different interpretations and styles. They are more interested in how y'all apply yourself.

  1. Prove Them Why They Want You

Bear witness them your originality and creativity, too every bit your attention to detail. Show them your versatility by include different styles, techniques, and mediums. Arrange your pieces in a way that presents a theme. This could be things like: how your personal development has afflicted your art; how your artistic mode has evolved; or even how quick of a learner you are. Stories are what make the drove memorable, not necessarily the other way around.

How to create a Digital Art Portfolio

As an aspiring creative person, you should create and maintain a digital art portfolio regardless of the awarding process or requirements. You may wish to brand an easily attainable webpage that you can link to prospective clients or employers; the more convenient information technology is for the viewer to access your work, the meliorate.

  • Take loftier quality photographs of your work. You may have to tinker with the lighting to become the best results. You lot don't want the admissions staff or viewers of your virtual portfolio to exist distracted past lens flares or reflections. If your photographs are of poor-quality, they may think it is your art that is substandard.
  • Make sure the photographs accurately draw the level of detail, textures, and colors of your artwork. Color correct them if necessary, and crop them so that there isn't much bare groundwork around the slice.
  • For complimentary-standing pieces, such as a sculpture, information technology may be incommunicable to fully crop the background from the image. In these instances, make sure the background is a solid, neutral color that doesn't have away from the slice itself. Bright colors can have the center away from the actual art, and sometimes unintentionally effect the colour of the piece. Colors such as black and white, on the other paw, can play up the tones of the art. Compare how your piece looks against these neutrals and pick the one that makes your art really "popular".
  • Keep your virtual portfolio updated regularly. Every bit you lot grow every bit an artist, yous will obtain new skills. In some cases, your style may change all together. Update your portfolio frequent so that you lot always accept something fix to share.
  • Adjust your artwork in the order of which yous'd similar them to exist viewed (if applicable)
  • Keep your portfolio crisp, clean, and easy to view by embracing whitespace and including minimal text. Cramped layouts or wordy descriptions can be distracting and hard on the eyes.

Have Questions About a School's Portfolio Requirements?

Information technology is much better to contact admissions and ask your questions as early every bit possible, and then you're not second-guessing when you are putting together your art portfolio. This is truthful even if a portfolio is non mandatory. Speaking with the admissions staff will provide insight – and oftentimes, reassurance – most what you should exist highlighting, and if the portfolio is not mandatory, you lot may already be making yourself stand up apart from students who decide not to submit one at all.

Contact Hussian Colleg e  with any questions well-nigh our admissions procedure or what we look for in an art portfolio.