How To Create an Artistic Portfolio

- Why should I create a portfolio?

- Types of portfolios

- Portfolio requirements

- Tips for choosing your pieces

- Documenting your work

- Formatting your portfolio

- Example portfolios

- Things to remember

Why should I create a portfolio?

Document, save and protect

your artwork

Gain admission to a

specific department or major

Earn college scholarships based

on artistic merit

Supplement your application to

college

Why should I create a portfolio?

Submitting a portfolio with your application to college

could help your overall chances of being accepted.

Consider this example:

A college admission decision is down to two applications. Both

applicants have the exact same GPA and the exact same SAT

scores, but one applicant has also submitted a visual portfolio.

Which applicant would you choose?

Type of Portfolios

What type of portfolio should I submit for college

admission and scholarship consideration?

There are traditionally four types of portfolios:

1. Visual art or design

2. Fiction or non-fiction writing

3. Time-based media

4. Combined visual/writing/time-based media

Visual Art or Design Portfolio

Examples of visual art and design:

Drawing Painting Photography Collage Sculpture

Fiction or Non-Fiction Writing Portfolio

Examples of fiction and non-fiction writing:

Examples of time-based media:

- Poetry - Articles

- Short stories - Screenplays

- Essays - Research papers

- Animation

- Video/Film Production

- Sound Design

Putting Your Best Foot Forward…

Portfolios should showcase your BEST work, so be

selective. You are your own best critic.

Typically artists are more talented in one medium than

another. If you decide to combine mediums in your portfolio,

make sure every piece is EQUALLY strong throughout.

Portfolio Requirements

What are the portfolio requirements for college

admission and scholarship consideration?

EVERY COLLEGE WILL HAVE THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS

Research the portfolio requirements for every college

you are applying to. This information should be

available on their website or by calling their admission

department.

Questions to Ask Colleges

- Minimum/maximum # of pieces?

- Mediums accepted?

- One medium?

- Multiple mediums?

- Combination of visual/writing/time-based media work?

- Do specific themes, subjects or assignments need to

be included?

Questions to Ask Colleges

- Formats accepted?

- Digital? Slide?

- Never submit original work. Colleges traditionally do not return

portfolios.

- WHAT IS THE DEADLINE?

- Are the deadlines for admission and for scholarship

consideration different?

- Can a portfolio be resubmitted if the

admission/scholarship decision is not favorable?

Tips for a Visual or Design Portfolio

Include your

BEST WORK ONLY!

Your portfolio is only as strong as its weakest piece!

Tips for a Visual or Design Portfolio

Make sure your pieces incorporate basic visual concepts.

COMPOSITION: VALUE:

Does your eye move around the

image? Is there a focal point?

Are there both dark areas

and light areas?

Are there both dark areas and light

areas?

Tips for a Visual or Design Portfolio

Make sure your pieces incorporate basic visual concepts.

LINE QUALITY: TECHNIQUE:

Are there different types of lines being

used?

Are you using the medium in a

competent or unique way?

Tips for a Visual or Design Portfolio

Make sure your pieces incorporate basic visual concepts.

AESTHETIC AWARENESS:

Remember, not all images have to be “pretty.” Is the overall image

INTERESTING? What would make you stop and look at it?

Tips for a Writing Portfolio

Include your

BEST WORK ONLY

Your portfolio is only as strong as its weakest piece!

Consider whether your best work includes a variety of

poetry, short stories, and essays or just ONE type of writing.

Tips for a Writing Portfolio

KEEP IT INTERESTING

College admission counselors have to read lots of applications

and they will start skimming your writing, or not read it at all, if it

doesn’t keep their attention.

If you are submitting one or more long pieces (more than 3 pages),

consider submitting small section(s) that showcase your best writing.

Tips for a Time-Based Media Portfolio

KEEP IT SHORT

If you are submitting one or more long pieces (more than 2-3 minutes),

consider submitting small clip(s) that showcase your best work. If you

have many clips, you might want to create a REEL.

Unless otherwise specified, your media clips should not exceed

5 MINUTES TOTAL.

Originality

Be original!

YOUR WORK SHOULD STAND OUT

What makes your work different?

Documenting Your Work

Digital portfolios are standard. To create a digital portfolio,

you will need to take digital photographs of your work.

Take your photographs OUTSIDE on a

sunny or overcast day

Lay or hang your work on a neutral

background; black is best

Photography Tips

When photographing your work there are some things you

should watch for:

- Is the picture in FOCUS?

- Is the picture TOO DARK or TOO LIGHT?

- Is the picture STRAIGHT?

- Is there anything visible or distracting in the

BACKGROUND?

Formatting Your Digital Portfolio

Once you have taken digital pictures of all your pieces, you

can format your digital portfolio.

Create a digital folder and label

it with your full name. Copy your pieces

to that folder.

LABEL EVERY PIECE with the title and

any other information

as needed.

YourName_Portfolio Awesome Tree

Formatting Your Digital Portfolio

Order your pieces the way you wish them to be viewed, then add

that number to the beginning of each label.

Consider putting your BEST piece first and your SECOND-BEST piece last…

…so you make a great first impression and a great last impression!

BEST PIECE 2nd BEST PIECEPRETTY GOOD PIECES

Formatting Your Digital Portfolio

Make sure every image is

CROPPED

MATTED on a neutral

background

and STRAIGHT!

Formatting Your Digital Portfolio

Copy your digital portfolio to a CD or flash drive.

Your final portfolio should look something like this…

Example of a Visual Portfolio

Here is an example of a portfolio that only shows

work in one medium; watercolor.

Example of a Visual Portfolio

This is a mixed-medium portfolio.

Things to Remember

START EARLY!

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK!

The more time you have to work on your portfolio,

the better it will be.

Consider your portfolio a VISUAL INTERVIEW.

It is your opportunity to show college admission counselors your talent and

professionalism without doing an in-person interview.

Things to Remember

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

More than anything, your portfolio should be a reflection

of WHO YOU ARE!