Is It Okay To Bring A Sketchbook To A NPD?

[Kismet]

Tomorrow is National Portfolio Day at the Penn Con Center! Yikes! I was wondering if bringing a sketchbook is okay, since I don't exactly have a REAL portfolio together yet... My friend is putting all her pieces in plastic slips. Should I do that, too?

[Meloncov]

You should definitely bring a sketchbook. Many schools love to see them.


However, you should bring in more finished work. If that means carrying a bunch of unwieldy originals under your arm, that's fine.

[Mirana]

I didn't do the National one, but back when I was in high school a friend of mine wanted to go to a Portfolio Day for SCAD. At the time, I wasn't even focusing on college, but I told him I'd go along. I didn't have any of my large pieces with me as they were all still in the hands of my art teacher, so I just took my 3/4 full sketchbook.

My reviewer loved it. He said he was excited to see how I worked and what I drew in my own time. He said other reviewers often preferred it to a collection of things you were forced to do by your teacher. I got way more useful critiques too. So no worries.

[emifinan]

Absolutely bring a sketchbook.


Especially so if some of the sketches became the finished work you are also bringing in.


Portfolio day isn't so much about bringing in your 10 best pieces, it's about bringing in everything you have! The reps are there to help you chose what to include and what to leave out, and what other things you should work on.

Good luck, let us know how it goes :)

[jackpot_anjr90]

A sketchbook will be fine... that's what I did. I just went to NPD here in New York last weekend. If the event you go to turns out anything like mine did, I suggest that you:
1. Prepare for long lines.
2. Have snacks handy.
3. Bring company or you will be very lonely.
4. Prioritize the schools you want to get feedback from most. Get those out of the way so you don't have to worry about not seeing them when closing time draws near.
5. Lots of people means limited time for review so you'll want to get all the feedback you can get. It's good to come with questions that you might want to know about your own work.

I know the NPD in NYC is said to have the most people coming in for reviews, but you might want to be prepared for those things anyway. When I went, the line to the entrance of the building seemed 7 blocks long at least. Then once I was inside there were lines for each school that had a booth set up. I went there hoping to get feedback from 4 schools but only got to talk to 2.