-->

A Handy Guide To Creating A Great Art Portfolio

By Betty Edwards


If you are an aspiring visual artist who desires to enhance their skills in a professional academic setting, then you should consider applying for art school. There are plenty of top colleges and universities with exceptional arts programs, and even specialized institutions dedicated to exclusively teaching art to students. So when you want to realize your creative pursuits, you must first impress the admissions office by sending a great portfolio submission via these helpful guidelines.

Your first order of business is to determine the specific submission requirements of the schools that you are applying to. You need to know whether they want applicants to submit essays on advanced color theory or video documentation of their previous works. Knowing such details will give you ample time to prepare everything that you must check off your list of things to do.

Pick up and pencil or a pen and start drawing on a sketchbook to flesh out your initial ideas so you may have visible points of reference. Even when you are working in the field of three dimensional mediums like sculpture or installation art, drawing still helps to visualize your concepts. Sketch out some studies until you have something worth making into a project.

When curating your portfolio, it is best to get inspired by themes and elements which you can personally relate to. A good rule of thumb to follow is to sift through your personal experiences which can be the thematic basis of your artwork creations. Admissions officers will appreciate you more if you are able to successfully put yourself into the work.

Alternatively, you could choose to explore ideas or concepts that are outside of your comfort zone. Challenging yourself to push your boundaries and experiment with new perspectives helps to diversify your work and show others that you have the capability to be versatile. Train yourself to think outside of the box, and you may just surprise yourself with what you can do.

Even if you happen to work in multiple mediums, you should try and focus on your particular core strength so others will see your distinctive signature as an artist. For example, if you happen to be exceptionally skilled in photography, then feature more of your photos alongside your three dimensional works. Never forget to apply a critical editing eye when selecting choice pieces.

Before submitting your art school application, you should think about having professional artists critique your work so you could gauge their opinions. Expect to get frank and objective criticism, so do try to remember that they are judging your pieces and not launching a personal attack towards you. Learn to control your emotions when confronted with tough commentaries.

Knowing how to talk about your artwork and defending its artistic merits is important because presenting your portfolio to the admissions panel will involve interviews. Practice for this moment by having a friend or family member field you any and all possible questions they may throw at you during the interview. This way, you will not be rattled when you are facing the real challenge.

The challenges you will face when applying for a coveted position in an esteemed art school is rather intimidating. But when you submit your exceptionally edited portfolio as advised by the tips listed above, you might just have a good chance at being accepted. Always remember to follow your heart but also to never allow your ego to get the best of you.




About the Author:



Related Posts

Post a Comment