Building a Portfolio?

[Kirada]

(If this is in the wrong section, please, let me know. It's been some time since I visited last.)

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So, it;s my Senior year in high school, and I'm starting to narrow down my choices for college -- the College of Visual Arts (CVA -- St. Paul, Minne) and/or the local, 2-year community college (Danville Area Community College -- Danville, Il)?

Most colleges require the artist to submit a portfolio. To be honest, I have no idea what the steps are to creating a portfolio!

I know to gather the works that best express "what kind of artist I am," with varying media type, detail, and subject matter.

In my entire lifetime, I have seen one artist's portfolio. That was Shannon McKee, and artist from Indiana who was visiting the grand opening at a local bar, where I was visiting with a traveling wrestling show with my husband.

All I know is:

- Create an organized, clean portfolio.
- Perhaps add a "title tag" with brief description by me (medium, date made, etc.).
- Personalize it.

I'd like to know if any artists here have a certain easy-to-follow method for creating a portfolio? It's about time I gathered mine to have it organized and prepared.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. :D

[TASmith]

College entry portfolios are different from professional portfolios. To get a look at what an "ideal" portfolio would be, take a look at how AP organized those for their courses:

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_questions/2182.html

It may seem daunting to read all that, but what it boils down to is a mix of skill, hardwork ethic, and creativity. And, I just looked through your gallery. There were few drawings there. They show some promise, but they place you as a beginner.

It's Oct 21st, and when's the deadline for most college applications? December? If you want to put together something, you have a lot of work to do and very little time. It's not just doing the work, you need to prepare it. Each school will say how they want their portfolio - the format. You may have to make slides, or digital images.

Oh, and while discussing art school, what are your goals? Schools can be very expensive, and the owners of these schools don't care what you learn so long as they get your money. What are your goals? School gives you an opportunity to try new things that would be expensive otherwise - to use labs, printing labs, photo labs, welding labs, etc. They provide you with teachers who can guide you. They can provide contacts from time to time. They can certify you to teach.

But, if you're just concerned with traditional drawing and painting skills, you'd do best to just audit courses or paint on your own.

[Bill]

I think there's a thread somewhere full of college entry portfolios with people showing their work and talking about what some of the results were as far being accepted or put on waiting lits etc. I'd check out the artschool forum and see what's going on there.

[Elwell]

I think there's a thread somewhere full of college entry portfolios with people showing their work and talking about what some of the results were as far being accepted or put on waiting lits etc.
ACCEPTED PORTFOLIOS (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=128605)
I just made it a sticky in the Art Schools & Education section.