Reply 1
Original post
by Nicole.isnt.People who did illustration at uni, what is a good example of a portfolio?
I haven’t started my degree yet, but if you’re referring to a portfolio to be accepted then it usually varies between unis- some want to see lots of experiment, some want to see only finished work. Lots of universities ask for a range in media and a demonstration of how you explore ideas (ie mind maps, thumbnail sketches etc). In my portfolio I had about 6 finished illustrations, with one of them also being an animation. I had two pages full of life drawings of the human body, and for around half of my illustrations I showed how I came up with the ideas and solved visual problems. My last page had commercial work, but this isn’t needed- I was just very fortunate to already be working freelance! All in all I had 20 pages in my portfolio
Reply 2
Original post
by Nicole.isnt.People who did illustration at uni, what is a good example of a portfolio?
Hi Nicole,
I hope you're well!
I would recommend showcasing 5-10 pieces of your best work in your portfolio - having a consistent theme is beneficial too!
For example; if you'd like to work in commercial illustration, you'll want to have examples/mocks of commercial art you've made...or if you'd like to work in children's book illustration, you'll want to show a consistent style across various subjects (people, animals, scenes - this is to show your versatility), as well as showing page setups for books (double-page spreads, formatting text etc..).
I'd also look into other artists working within that area and their portfolios! Everyone is different, of course, but you'll want something that showcases your work and complements what you do.
Behance is a great place to look at artist portfolio examples!
Hopefully this is helpful 🙂 If you have any more questions, feel free to drop me a message!
Take care,
-Tee, Uni of Staffs Illustration graduate & Student Content Creator✨
Reply 3
Original post
by Nicole.isnt.People who did illustration at uni, what is a good example of a portfolio?
Hi there @Nicole.isnt. ,
If you are creating a portfolio for a university application, be sure to check out the course's portfolio requirements as they differ depending on the university and course.
If you want to get a good idea on what a uni portfolio should include, I would definitely go for some Open Days and view some of the amazing portfolios on display 🤗 Alternatively, some courses have an instagram or website where they showcase the works of graduating students! Do some research and have a look, you may be able to find some inspiration that way ☺️
I hope this helps 🙂
Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)
Reply 4
Original post
by Nicole.isnt.People who did illustration at uni, what is a good example of a portfolio?
Hi Nicole,
I would say it depends on what the portfolio is for. A student portfolio being submitted to apply for a course will be vastly different from a professional portfolio, which in turn will completely differ depending on what creative field you are working in.
Generally speaking, unless instructed otherwise, a portfolio should consist of no more than 10 pieces that accurately portray your artistic style and essence - ideally starting and ending with your best pieces. If possible keep to one image per page, but if you do pair pieces just make sure they do not clash against each other. And always remember to tailor your pieces within the portfolio to whatever creative opportunity it is you are applying for. The only time this wouldn't really apply is in regards to your website, as the whole thing would be considered a 'portfolio' full of collections of your work which Art Directors would be able to view at their own discretion. Of course, the main theme here is cohesion of your creative language; when someone looks at your portfolio or website, will they be able to tell what kind of art you make or creative field you work in? That's the question portfolios answer.
As mentioned before, there are minor differences which are dependent on your field of interest. For example, an editorial portfolio will ideally have fully finished and rendered pieces, whereas a portfolio for book publishing could get away with unfinished pieces or just sketches to show ideas generation and character creation. As Tee mentioned, it can be incredibly helpful to find an artist you like or that works in a field you're interested in, and see what their portfolios are like!
If you are looking to submit a portfolio for university, see if you can talk to some students online and ask them about their portfolios and have a read of the course page. For my BA illustration, they primarily liked to see good technical skills and use of media experimentation, alongside problem solving and showing you can come up with ideas and concepts.
I hope this has been of help, do feel free to message if you had any other questions!
Nat
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