Creating Portfolios for acceptance to Art Colleges and Universities is stressful, exciting and can be a great way to organize your vision and aesthetic. It can also help you in your 2nd year of DP Visual Arts as it helps you get streamlined and to decide what it is you actually can do, and what you want to do.
HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: I have had lots of experience with creating my own portfolio, helping students create theirs, and seeing other students have their portfolio ‘elevated’ by portfolio agencies. One of my students told me that nowadays it’s expected that students use a portfolio agency to help them create a strong portfolio that will stand out from others. I COMPLETELY DISAGREE. I have seen the portfolios created by agencies and I have seen AUTHENTIC student-created portfolios – and it is OBVIOUS who is doing what. If you listen to any of my advice from this site, listen to this: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND BE TRUE TO YOUR OWN ART.
Most university’s and colleges have their own portfolio expectations. And there are big differences in expectations between a portfolio submitted to a US university versus a Canadian university versus a UK university versus.. you get the picture. So do your research and make sure you are creating a portfolio that is being requested.
Some universities will ask you to submit further evidence; a timed art study or a take-home art challenge.
When developing your portfolio, it’s very important to DO YOUR RESEARCH.
In general, to begin collecting your work, you can assume that most universities will be expecting 10-20 pieces of creative work that show medium diversity, technical competency, originality, creativity, conceptual strength, and subject-specific knowledge. Most universities and colleges are also more and more interested in seeing students’ art-making process (sketches, ideas, and investigations) as well as finished works.
Also, as you work consider your choice of major and tailor your portfolio to focus on that. For instance, a portfolio submission for Cambridge’s Architect program is going to want to see something much different than a portfolio for Sheridan College’s Animation program
Keep in mind that universities are looking for creative students that have their own style and creative ideas, but also for students’ that are knowledgeable and skilled, have studied art techniques and art history. At this stage, you want to show that you know the rules (so you can break them later). And in art the rules means realism, perspective, compositional strategies, value studies and of course, figural studies.
PORTFOLIO SUGGESTED PLAN:
For a portfolio of 16-20 screens based on a general mixed media approach, consider preparing
| resolved work in at least 3 categories of medium (2-3 works of 2D, 3D and 4D). | 6-9 screens |
| technical sketches (min 2 categories) – still-life – anatomy/portrait – landscape/perspective | 3 screens |
| drawing/art pieces/techical work (specific to major) | 3 screens |
| process and experiments showing best practices (process portfolio) | 2 screens |
| artist analysis/critical investigaton(comparative studies) | 2 screens |
| curatorial rationale | 1 screen |
TOP TEN HELPFUL VIDEOS ABOUT CREATING STELLAR PORTFOLIOS