The Student Room Group

advanced higher art; animation folio?

im taking advanced higher art this year and have decided on making a short animation however my art department is kinda...useless? and dont really know what kinds of work im supposed to compile? however i dont really want to do anything other than that as realism is not my forte and after two years of portraiture hell, i wanted to do something for myself. Does anyone know what kinda work ill need for my folio (even better if anyone has any examples?) and what i can and cant do?
Hey there,

Are you working on a personal portfolio to show to potential clients and get freelance work, or are you talking about a portfolio for applying to universities?

If you're talking about a portfolio for university, each institution will be looking for slightly different things in different formats and will usually specify this either on the course page of their website or when you apply and are offered an interview. Most universities are looking to see your style, personality and creativity in the work, as well as a variety of developed skills. If there are any universities in particular you're thinking of applying to, you could contact their admissions team to ask what they'd be looking for in your portfolio. If you're interested in more information about the Plymouth College of Art, BA(Hons) Animation Course, please check out the course page here and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about your portfolio requirements ([email protected]).

Hope this helps,
Harriet :smile:
Third Year Photography Student and Student Ambassador
Original post by Plymouth College Of Art
Hey there,

Are you working on a personal portfolio to show to potential clients and get freelance work, or are you talking about a portfolio for applying to universities?

If you're talking about a portfolio for university, each institution will be looking for slightly different things in different formats and will usually specify this either on the course page of their website or when you apply and are offered an interview. Most universities are looking to see your style, personality and creativity in the work, as well as a variety of developed skills. If there are any universities in particular you're thinking of applying to, you could contact their admissions team to ask what they'd be looking for in your portfolio. If you're interested in more information about the Plymouth College of Art, BA(Hons) Animation Course, please check out the course page here and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about your portfolio requirements ([email protected]).

Hope this helps,
Harriet :smile:
Third Year Photography Student and Student Ambassador


im talkin about my advanced higher art course.
I’m in sixth year and plan to go to djcad after this year. However its the actual sqa advanced higher art course im having issues with, rather than accumulating work for my uni folio.
Original post by carcinogenetics
im taking advanced higher art this year and have decided on making a short animation however my art department is kinda...useless? and dont really know what kinds of work im supposed to compile? however i dont really want to do anything other than that as realism is not my forte and after two years of portraiture hell, i wanted to do something for myself. Does anyone know what kinda work ill need for my folio (even better if anyone has any examples?) and what i can and cant do?


Have you checked out the SQA AH Course Specification? It's really helpful. https://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCourseSpecArtandDesignExpressive.pdf
Original post by JulieClareRead
Have you checked out the SQA AH Course Specification? It's really helpful. https://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/AHCourseSpecArtandDesignExpressive.pdf


Original post by carcinogenetics
im taking advanced higher art this year and have decided on making a short animation however my art department is kinda...useless? and dont really know what kinds of work im supposed to compile? however i dont really want to do anything other than that as realism is not my forte and after two years of portraiture hell, i wanted to do something for myself. Does anyone know what kinda work ill need for my folio (even better if anyone has any examples?) and what i can and cant do?

You could print this out and go through it with your teacher and ask some great questions to ensure that you understand (and they!) what would be expected in producing a great animation submission. Your creative process is essential - so ideas, how you explored them, recording each decision and possibility in your sketchbook so that the research, development and outcomes are all evidence - with your context (artists and designers who've influenced you). Drawing is essential in the world of animation, so lots of looking, observing people, places and just draw, draw, draw, get a wee sketchbook that is just an 'out and about' sketchbook, of people in cafes, on trains, on buses, in the street. Many animiations are people in places. Hope this helps...let me know if you need to ask anything else.
Original post by JulieClareRead
You could print this out and go through it with your teacher and ask some great questions to ensure that you understand (and they!) what would be expected in producing a great animation submission. Your creative process is essential - so ideas, how you explored them, recording each decision and possibility in your sketchbook so that the research, development and outcomes are all evidence - with your context (artists and designers who've influenced you). Drawing is essential in the world of animation, so lots of looking, observing people, places and just draw, draw, draw, get a wee sketchbook that is just an 'out and about' sketchbook, of people in cafes, on trains, on buses, in the street. Many animiations are people in places. Hope this helps...let me know if you need to ask anything else.

i already have the stuff printed out! neither of my teachers really. help? and one of them is very strict n only likes things in a certain art style/form/way ? so i feel restricted and unsure as to whats allowed/ what i can and cant do? she’s against me doin any kinda research thats. not from a picture ive taken and/or objects ive placed etc. im not sure if i should just drop art or not because while i really need the qualification if i even want to think about an unconditional to djcad, im really behind because im really confused and just thinkin ant the subject is givin me anxiety.

the other couple of people in my adv art class are doing still life, which is the exact same structure as whats been taught for the past two years and is therefore the only thing my teacher really...accepts? but that wouldnt work for animation. originally, i wanted to do an animation based from a folktale or fairytale because i find them really interesting but she told me i needed to make my own story? which is fine but how deep does it have to be? would it even be the folktale in the end if i completely hijack it? sorry this is a bit of a cluster**** but im really stressed out about this
So you need to think about what you can be doing in your own time that WILL meet the requirements of the DJCAD course. You'd be applying into 1st year anyway to begin with, which is a general course. So still life work is going to work for them, to a degree. You'll need to put a bit of energy making work that is what you're interested in and shows other skills other than observational still life drawing. Do you have an Instagram account where I could see any of your work? It would be interesting to see your skill level. Anyway, hope this helps. Julie

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