Portfolio Preparation

The following are general requirements for preparing your portfolio for the School of Art and Design. Please note that students applying to the B.S. program in environmental design (interiors) have the option of showing portfolios specific to that major rather than a traditional portfolio. This option is described after the traditional portfolio preparation list.

PREPARING A TRADITIONAL ART PORTFOLIO

  • Present a minimum of 12 and an absolute maximum of 20 pieces of your best and most recent artwork.
  • Include at least eight works from real-life observation such as still life, figure drawing, portraits/self-portraits, and landscapes.
  • Works copied from photos, magazines, masterworks, and work exclusively from imagination are not considered strong portfolio material.
  • Works in other media such as sculpture, ceramics, etc. are encouraged in addition to observational drawing.
  • If showing your portfolio in person, large or three-dimensional works can be represented by photographs.
  • Drawings, paintings, etc. should show consideration of the background and composition. Avoid “floating” figures or objects.
  • If showing your sketchbook, please flag the best pages for viewing. This will not count as one of your 12 to 20 original art works.
  • Concepts (ideas), originality, and creativity are very important.
  • Quality of work is more important than quantity. Show your strongest work.
  • Sewing skills will not be considered in the portfolio, and fashion illustrations should not make up the majority of the portfolio.
  • Do not include sewn garments, t-shirt designs, yearbook layouts, scrapbook pages, or images only involving manipulation of software. Do not include more than two gesture drawings or technical/mechanical drawings. Any cartoon work must be your original ideas, characters, etc. and not derivative of another’s work.
  • Organize works by year completed with your earliest works first.
  • It is not necessary for prospective first-year students to show work from an area they are considering as a major.
  • Portfolios should be neat, clean, and organized. Matting or mounting helps protect the work but is not required. Lay a clean sheet of paper between each of the works, but do not attach it to the work itself.
  • Make sure your slides, disks, etc. are viewable. Work should be in focus, not too dark or too light, and should have accurate color.
  • If submitting two-dimensional computer-generated work (using Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) please note:
    • All images will be evaluated on their artistic merit and not on the manipulation of software.
    • Work must be original, not clip art.
    • Images may be submitted by hard copy or disk (see our section on Submitting Your Portfolio).
    • Briefly explain how you created the image and the software used.

PREPARING A PORTFOLIO FOR THE B.S. PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (INTERIORS)

If you have taken art and/or design classes, present a traditional art portfolio (see requirements above).

If you have not taken art and/or design classes, show evidence of your ability to communicate and to think in dimensional space by providing 8 ½" by 11" drawings (photocopied) as outlined below:

  • A drawing of a room in your home. Include the visual details to show its ambience and functions. Also show how the room relates to the surrounding environment as well as to the users of the space.
  • A drawing, in color, of a three-dimensional object such as a piece of furniture.

All students must include with the portfolio a one- to two-page statement outlining their interest in environmental design (interiors).