Tips for Creating Your Portfolio

Bringing your artistic goals and dreams to fruition will require you to market your most creative, intelligent, and unique talents.  Whether your goal is to design a chic Oscar gown or to showcase a revolutionary modern kitchen, you need to be able to show off your artistic genius in a well-organized, creative fashion.

Portfolios are required by only a handful of art schools and programs-for admissions acceptance or for scholarship assessment.  More importantly, however, portfolios serve as the window into your creative mind for employers and businesses during and after completion of a degree program.  Portfolios are the single best way to market your abilities and your artistic talents.  It is extremely important to build a portfolio that advertises you as an artist and that demonstrates the breadth of your work.

10 Great Portfolio Tips!

Generally speaking, the first and last pieces should be dramatic and should present your best work.  Throughout the middle, mix in some traditional pieces and works that show a shift in focus or style.  Avoid using average pieces as filler-quality over quantity!

Here are some helpful tips to assist you in creating your portfolio:

1. Overall, your pieces should demonstrate a range and diversity in your work.
2. Only select your very best pieces-these would be the ones of which you are the most proud and show your greatest creativity.
3. Every piece should exhibit your knowledge and mastery of the particular artistic or design-related skill.
4. Avoid showing pieces that require a description or clarification.
5. Include 3-D pieces as slides or digital images so that they can neatly fit in to your portfolio.
6. The first and last pieces should be dramatic and should present your best work.  Throughout the middle, mix in some traditional pieces and works that show a shift in focus or style.  Avoid using average pieces as filler-quality over quantity!
7. Be consistent.  If you mount one piece on black board, do so for every other piece.  Maintain organization, clarity, and uniformity in the ways in which you show off your work.
8. Protect sensitive drawings (pastel, charcoal, etc) with clear acetate or a spray fixative.
9. Edit and Polish!  Show your portfolio to a professional in your field and ask him/her for comments.  Suggestions from experts are extremely helpful.
10. Don't forget your name, address, and contact information!  You can also include a list of art and design courses you've taken and institutions you've attended.