what should i include in my portfolio?

i want to study technical arts at the university of arts london, and im unsure what i need to include. my deadline is in january what would happen if i didnt havew the 3-5 projects they are asking for done by then?

Reply 1

aspalax

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post

by Anonymous

Hey, I have a general overview post with some advice for compiling a portfolio for undergrad: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7597072

For this course specifically, their advice suggests you want to include a combination of 2D and 3D work - so probably some paintings/drawings and then whatever you might have made in a 3D medium - that might be textiles work, woodworking, model-making, sculpture, prop-making, or a digital format like CAD or DCC. It can even be things like cosplay, origami, clay/ceramics work - it's all dependent on your interests and previous experience.

They also seem to be looking for a demonstrated interest in theatre - so that might be evidence that you've worked on stage productions before i.e. tech work you've done for a stage play, costume making, etc.

I always suggest people include some evidence of technical skills in their 2D work like life drawing, still life, or other observation drawing. Ideally avoiding photo reference and drawing on-site wherever possible. I write more about this in the overview post linked above :smile:

Deadlines are usually strict. If this is a deadline for a digital portfolio, it's possible you may progress to an in-person interview afterwards and you may be able to showcase the work you haven't finished there. Not every university does in-person interviews though, some only do the digital ones - so it may be worth asking/checking. You may have to just do your best with the work you have. It's better to submit slightly less work on time.

Reply 2

UAL Rep Faye

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Hello! I am Faye, one of the student rep for UAL! It’s exciting that you’re interested in Technical Arts at UAL, it’s a wonderful course. I recently graduated from the same course, so I can share some insights from both the official guidance and my own experience!

For the portfolio, like you said, UAL suggests including work from 3 to 5 projects that demonstrate a variety of skills and ideas. I included three projects made with very different media - clay sculptures, a costume made out of neoprene and a textiles piece to showcase my diverse skills.

In your portfolio, you can include drawings, sketchbook pages, research, 3D work, photos of models, sculptures or props and videos / film. They don’t expect everything to be “perfect.” They want to see your process and experimentation and how you develop an idea from research to final outcome.

For my portfolio, I included one or two process pages for the main project. I arranged them neatly into collages using photoshop, as well as a few short sentences about the process and materials used. In the final pages of the portfolio, I included a few collages of a couple works I have created apart from the three main projects.

If you don’t feel you have 3 to 5 fully finished projects by January. You can definitely include:

•

Work-in-progress projects, as long as you clearly label them as in progress.

— Smaller studies or shorter exercises you’ve completed, grouped as one “project” if they are related.

•

Mixed work from college, personal projects, and anything you’ve made at home.

If you find yourself short on projects, you could set up 1 to 2 mini briefs for yourself. Consider creating a small prop, a creature maquette / character sculpture or some experimental material tests. Make sure to document these well, include some process pictures, sketches, etc to add them into your portfolio!

If you have a bit of spare time, it’s worth looking into these materials / techniques that we use in our course:

monster clay - a wax based clay perfect for detailed character sculpts

Platinum / tin-cured silicone for moulds (you can sculpt a piece with monster clay and create a mould of it, and cast it in resin / plaster / wax jesmonite / silskin10) make sure to check whether the materials used to make the cast are compatible with the silicone

Laser cutting / 3D printing

Softwares: Autocad / blender

Puppetry

Prosthetic makeup

Don’t worry if you have never used these materials before, you will have plenty of time to experiment with these materials and techniques on the course! But I thought I’d mention them so you can get ahead if you’d like to!

If you want to see examples of the Technical Arts work I did in the course, I’ve shared some projects and process shots I did throughout the course on Instagram: (@by.faye.lok). Perhaps it might be helpful to visualize the course and include projects that are most relevant to the course:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DOJ632YiEpq/?igsh=czYwdmZkdzAyN3gx

Here are a couple of links that you might find helpful:

•

BA (Hons) Technical Arts for Theatre and Screen (course page):

https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/performance-and-design-for-theatre-and-screen/undergraduate/ba-hons-technical-arts-for-theatre-and-screen

•

UAL portfolio advice (the bit that mentions 3–5 projects):

https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/apply/portfolio-advice

If you have any more questions about the course, or just general questions about studen life at UAL, living in London, feel free to ask me here as well!

•

Faye (UAL student rep)