Creating a strong portfolio - Top Tips

I went on another open day to Norwich Uni of the Arts, and 

they had a talk there about what to do to improve your portfolio

and make it amazing. I'll share some of these with you now if you're thinking about

doing an Art course.

• Start and end with your best pieces: This will create a good first and last impression which will make your portfolio memorable.

• Don't have contradicting double pages: Try and make your work flow so you have all life-drawing things together and all digital things together etc. If you have some delicate sketches right next to a big, colourful collage, they'd be so different that one is bound to be overlooked by the viewer. 

• Be practical: Make your portfolio easy to carry around, don't take in large pieces of work or delicate sculptures. Photograph these instead! 

• Are plastic sleeves always appropriate? Yes, sleeves look nice and professional, but if you're doing textiles or a lot of collages where the texture has a contributing factor of impact, don't use sleeves if it will take away from the effect.

• Organise it YOUR way! Tutors tend to have a system for how students should organise their work, but this causes all portfolios from that school or college to look the same! Stand out and organise it how you want.

• Show your diversity and push yourself: Universities will be looking for students who are willing to experiment with different materials and techniques. Show that you can take yourself out of your comfort zone by using a style you don't feel confident with and explain this to them when having an interview.

• Is the content appropriate? If you are applying for a course into a certain pathway of design rather than a generic course, it is best to put in work which is relevant to your subject area. It's no good applying for a photography course and having your portfolio filled with sketches.

• Demonstrate conceptual thinking: Show that you've thought about where your designs could be displayed; on bags, billboards? Photoshop your designs in appropriate places. 

• Written work is key: You may be on a design course but writing is still important. Research into artists and show that you have influenced their style. 

• Think outside the box: You can do this in 2 ways: 1) Don't pick obvious artists for contextual influences like Picasso or Richard Hamilton. Think of somebody different so you stand out. 2) Display your portfolio in a unique way, but make it relevant to your content. E.G) if a lot of your work is focused on family holidays or nostalgia, display your work in a suitcase. This will make you memorable.

• Your independent work is important too: Don't rule out good pieces you've done outside of school or college. Show diversity with the kind of work you do. For illustration, observation, abstract and imaginary (character design) are some areas you can look into for this. 

• Remember the obvious points: Put your name on the portfolio! Make sure you can talk confidently about every piece you put in! 15-20 strong pieces is a good amount! Be consistent in what you mount work on and no more than 3 images mounted onto one piece of card! 

GOOD LUCK WITH MAKING YOUR PORTFOLIOS! :)