#portfolio help

I was accepted for the Fall 2020 Illustration program at ArtCenter College of Design. Just like with the post I made after being accepted to Ringling, this one will also be a list of tips I gathered during my application process. This is not a guarantee of your acceptance, but just something to help inform those looking into ArtCenter, primarily for Illustration. (You can skip to number 3 if you just want help on your portfolio.)

1.) BEFORE WORKING ON THE APPLICATION:

Please schedule either an in-person or online meeting with an Admissions counselor first. This is important as no one knows the programs and curriculum better than they do. Just by talking to a counselor about my interests, she was able to help narrow down what major would be a good fit for me, as well as give insight as to what the coursework would look like. (Not to mention portfolio help!)

ArtCenter also has different terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer. You’d have to look for the exact starting dates to determine which term would work best for you, or speak to the counselor. You can schedule a meeting with a counselor by going to ArtCenter’s website; under the Admissions tab, you will see “Schedule an appointment.” If you can’t find it, there’s also the option to either email or call the Admissions desk (both contacts on their website.) 

If you or your parents are at a loss on what to ask the counselor, consider these: Scholarships and how to get them, tuition + costs, terms, curriculum details, what the major is like, show examples of your work + get feedback, and how well-connected the school is (ie internship opportunities).

2.) WORKING ON THE APPLICATION:

If you decided ArtCenter is a good fit, make sure you don’t immediately jump into the portfolio. The Application is equally important; personally I prefer to complete it first. Under the Admissions tab, you will find the link to the Application Requirements page, which lays out all the steps like a checklist. Either bookmark it or write them down so you can keep track what of you’ve completed!

3.) (ILLUSTRATION) PORTFOLIO HELP:

You will be uploading your pieces to ArtCenter’s SlideRoom. There’s a page on ArtCenter’s website that details what the portfolio requires, but I’ll copy and paste it so I can refer to it for the rest of my post. I’m writing this in 2020, so please check the site yourself in case there are changes. 

“Submit 10 to 15 figure drawings from a live model that include both gestural and more developed pieces. Other observational drawings from life are also required such as self-portraits or portraits of others, sketches of animals and scenes from nature and cityscapes. Include imaginative drawings that demonstrate your passion for and understanding of illustration in both color and black and white.

Submit three or more pieces that highlight drawing or painting skills, and show the development of a story or concept. Sketchbooks that display a range of interests and skills are welcome and we recommend a limit of 10 to 15 sketchbook pages submitted as one PDF.”

What if you don’t have any pieces that fit into this? Here are some of my ideas: 

Figure Drawing: If you can, sign up for figure drawing classes. Speaking as someone who has some art school experience, please don’t just search up nude figures and draw those for your portfolio, especially if you’ve never drawn figures before, unless you have absolutely no choice. That’s what I had done in high school, but taking actual figure drawing classes in college made me realize that having a teacher to give you advice and look for your mistakes helps you so much more. Not to mention, you will be training yourself how to quickly capture the human figure, sometimes in 1 minute or less.

Life Drawings/Observations: These are basically “cafe sketches” or observational drawings. Still lives count as long as they are polished. Googling pictures for you to draw for your portfolio should be a last resort! You don’t have to visit any where fancy to make a good portfolio piece; with practice, you can make an interesting drawing out of any subject. Start locally, and then try working out of your comfort zone if needed. First draw your friends, family, pets, rooms, or garden. Then you can move onto parks, zoos, and other public places. 

Sketchbook Pages: You can include less-polished life drawing sketches from your sketchbook in your portfolio. I also recommend sketching out your story ideas, any character designs, story boards, or comics. Be sure to include some color! Even if you think an idea is silly or dumb, sketch it anyways. You’ll then have a larger pool of sketches to choose for your portfolio.

Story Illustrations: Your illustrations do not all have to be paintings, but if you forgo the painting aspect, it should be a really strong drawing (ie with good line work and details.) Despite “illustration” being a broad term, what they are asking for aligns more with illustrations for books, and concept work for movies and games. To get inspiration, search up concept art for movies by Disney, Dreamworks, BlueSky, etc. Remember, don’t get caught too much in the scenery of your piece, your characters and their interactions in your illustration should be the main focus. Be sure to thumbnail your ideas (a rough drawing) and experiment with different composition, angles, and lighting before working on your final piece. If you are still not sure if your idea fits what ArtCenter wants, you can email an admissions counselor your work and ask for their feedback.

Tips I got from an admissions counselor: 

- Slideroom only allows 10-15 upload spaces, but there is a way to work around this if you have more than 15 pieces. You can upload PDF files; SlideRoom acts as though 1 PDF is the same as uploading one “artwork,” therefore only taking up 1 submission space even if your PDF has 10 slides on it. (Great for your figures and sketchbook! Either organize your pieces on Google Slides or PowerPoint, then save it as a PDF file.)

- You should have a mixture of traditional and digital work.

- Your sketchbook pages should feature some color even if they aren’t polished drawings.

- Aside from your illustrations, not everything in your portfolio has to be a finished drawing or “polished.” In fact, if your sketchbook has sketches of animals, landscapes, interior environments etc. that counts as a life drawing submission. 

- The presentation and order of your pieces on SlideRoom are important. Don’t have some random order like “sketchbook, paintings, animals, illustrations.” I don’t know if this is widely accepted at ArtCenter, but for my portfolio, I was told to order it like: Still life paintings, Illustrations, Sketchbook pages, Observation drawings, Figures. The only logic I gleaned from that was it was a gradual shift from the most polished work to the least. Ask a counselor if they have a preferred order.

-  Despite the minimum requirement for story illustrations being three, I was actually asked to do 4, as they felt it would make my portfolio stronger. 

4.) PORTFOLIO VIDEO ESSAY HELP:

Honestly, the site’s description couldn’t have said it any clearer. There is an entire page dedicated to its instructions, but I do have extra tips for this. SlideRoom will have its own page for you to directly upload your video file, but if the file is too big, the best solution is to upload your video essay to YouTube. Instead of submitting the video file directly, what I did was upload a PDF with the YouTube link to my video. (I made a Google Docs, copy and pasted the link, then saved it as a PDF. Yes it is allowed.) Just make sure your video is published publicly. If I can overcome my embarrassment, so can you.

5.) FINAL TIPS:

- Don’t try to study examples of accepted portfolios, as it may cause you to emulate their style or pieces in hopes of getting a higher chance of acceptance. Trust me when I say the reviewers can tell if your work lacks passion or your own creative input. 

- Find out which medium works best for you; some new passion may be discovered just from experimentation. For example, I struggled with figure drawing until I tried using Prismacolor colored pencils, which then became my go-to medium for figures. If you’re feeling bored or uninspired with one medium, go and try something new.

- PLEASE always email the admissions team for help if you’re stuck. You can even send an email asking if there were steps you missed preventing them from reviewing your application. I did, and it saved my butt. Furthermore, keeping in contact with the school in this manner helps to attach a face to an application, and may demonstrate to them that you’re really passionate about getting into the school.

My accepted portfolio for ArtCenter Illustration 2020

So, I'm wanting to get really serious in looking into an art-related career, and in doing so, I need to make a portfolio in some way, which I'm planning by doing a Wix website. The thing is, I'm not sure what art is considered my "best". So, I want to turn to you guys. What artwork from 2017 to now would you say is my best work? I'll listen in on suggestions, and I'm wanting a good variety of series, styles, and techniques to show how "open" my stuff is. Animation will be by itself, so you don't need to worry about my videos! A huge thanks in advance!

ok first of all im so sorry this took so long for me to reply to but tysm!!! it means a lot to me that u purchased my sketchbook too. 

this is gonna be pretty long-winded so i’ll put it under a cut: 

first of all i don’t consider myself super strong at locational drawing or observational drawing in general, but i was definitely weaker before i started work on my sketchbook. the most important thing to keep in mind is that the only way you can improve is by doing and by getting out of your comfort zone- this isn’t the kind of thing where you can go online and search up pictures or videos, since the entire point is to draw what’s around you. 

that being said, i definitely understand how nerve-wracking it can be! so here are some things i’ve done/continue to do: 

work your way up- start with places you’re comfortable in or where you can be alone. one of the first drawings i made in my sketchbook was just my living room. i also did a lot of drawings on my bus ride home, because it was usually empty. with places like these, i tried to focus on pushing elements like line quality, perspective and going back later with colour to make up for the lack of ‘difficulty’ in these familiar places. you can also work on upping your technical skills (proportion, perspective, colour, etc.) to help up your confidence when you go somewhere new.

go out with friends!!! this is really good and, even outside of working on portfolio, really fun. being able to joke around about our shared nervousness and stuff with my friends really helped make me feel more secure while drawing. not to mention your friends might have know-how or locations they’re familiar with that could be of use to you. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. this is so important! like i mentioned earlier, i took the bus a lot, so a lot of my observational drawings happened on the bus. if you’re stuck at school during a lunch period or waiting for a bus, don’t hesitate to whip out your sketchbook and draw. one big thing i had to learn to get over was my nervousness surrounding time- i often felt like if i only had a certain amount of time there wouldn’t be any point in taking out my sketchbook. but it’s always more worth it to be drawing than not. it’s at times like this that you really have to kind of bite the bullet and draw despite being nervous. i don’t really know how to approach this aside from keeping in mind that your portfolio is really important, and you need to take every chance (within logical reason ofc, please don’t push yourself to the point where it impacts your physical/mental health) you can get to add to it! 

going off the last point, sometimes you just have to start drawing! a lot of the anxiety i felt doing location drawings disappeared as i got into it and started focusing more on myself than how others saw me. remember: you have control! you are the one with the drawing utensil. people and places are just subjects. 

also this is just a personal thing but try using tools like markers and pens instead of pencils- the permanence of the mark they make both forces you to think about what you’re putting on the page and move on to the next line. plus, an eraser is just another thing you’ll have to hold on to, so avoiding them entirely takes away from the stress of possibly dropping them. 

I am an accepted student for the Ringling Computer Animation program of 2018. I’ve compiled a long bit of information to help and inform those researching art colleges, and those interested in going to Ringling for animation.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1.) Ringling has been consistently voted as the #1 private art school in the COUNTRY for Computer Animation (I’ve seen some lists where Ringling had even topped Calarts for their Animation program)

2.) My family and I have traveled to Sarasota, the city Ringling resides in, to see the campus, and we’ve even talked to locals and campus staff about the city itself. Everyone we’ve talked to says that Sarasota is a very safe place to live, However! It depends on which part of Sarasota they’re talking about. The school campus is basically smack in the middle of a transitional area between the wealthier and poorer neighborhoods. That’s why if you drive south, you’ll reach the downtown areas with busy and lively shopping districts and cleaner/bigger homes. Drive northeast, and you’ll find run-down/empty neighborhoods, and in some areas, places that look like the projects. 

MISCONCEPTIONS:

1.) THE HIGH ACCEPTANCE RATE

When conducting a Google Search about Ringling’s acceptance rate, you’ll see that the rate is about 77% (2015-2016) DO NOT be fooled by this number! I’ve seen a lot of prospective art students make the mistake of saying that Ringling’s acceptance rate is a joke, and therefore their programs are probably lackluster or mediocre. I thought that way as well until my parents and I (mostly my parents tbh) did a lot of digging, and found out that the first number you see whenever you search up a college’s acceptance rate is the AVERAGE RATE. (At least for private art schools. I don’t know if liberal arts colleges work that way as well.) Each program has their own individual rate. In Ringling’s case, the acceptance rate for animation is around ELEVEN PERCENT. To put that into perspective, I’ve read (correct me if I’m wrong) Calarts’s acceptance rate is EIGHT PERCENT.

2.) “JUST” COMPUTER ANIMATION

Personally, my goal was to eventually get a job working as a storyboard artist and eventually as a creator for a TV cartoon network. I wanted to lean more towards traditional animation, and was worried that they wouldn’t teach it all because the program, duh, was called Computer Animation. However, I learned that, yes, the program places a huge emphasis on 3D Animation, but Freshman year is primarily focused on 2D. As my (Ringling) counselor said, you have to learn how to walk before you can run, and that’s no different in animation. 

AND NOW, THE PORTFOLIO HELP:

Firstly, and this is important. Do not research examples of accepted portfolios! I did that so many times when I was working on my portfolio for Calarts, and deeply regretted doing so. Looking at all the accepted work made me discouraged, and it made me feel like I should make my art look similar to what I saw to better my chances of getting in. I didn’t realize that the people reviewing your work can sniff out disingenuous art like a bloodhound. They want to see you present your art the way your heart wants it to look like. 

Anywho, this is a direct copy-and-paste from Ringling’s website under Portfolio Preparation for Computer Animation, Game Art, Illustration, and Virtual Reality:

*Please note that I’m using the 2017-2018 version, so be sure to check the website yourself to see if anything has changed.*

“Be sure to show lots of examples of drawing from life and direct observation, such as:

Hands, feet, human figures and animals

Representational drawing

Interior and/or exterior environments

You can also include:

Class assignments, design projects

Animation, multimedia

Paintings, photographs, sculptures, film and video

Important to remember: Do not copy from another artist. Avoid cliches like anime, tattoo designs, dragons, or unicorns. At least half of your portfolio should consist of drawing from direct observation. Your ability to think creatively is important to us, so feel free to include pages from your sketchbook.”

First, let’s break it down. It’s required that at least HALF of your pieces are observational works. As the list suggests, that part of your portfolio doesn’t all have to be figure drawings. Now, the other half is even less stress-inducing since you can basically fill in anything you want, other than anime, dragons, etc. This is where you can show what you like to work with. If you make comics, submit a page of comics. If you really love landscape painting, include those! Get creative; show your strengths and interests. They also give you the option to submit sketchbook pages, so I recommend that you send things like character designs, storyboards, or an experimental drawing(s).

I personally chose to include more observational work simply, well, because I had a lot more of them, and because I felt like my observational art was stronger than my creative ones. I put in a lot more animals and landscapes, and most of my creative work involved my attempts at character designs, storyboards, and turn-arounds.

MY THOUGHTS:

I wanted to show the reviewers that I was capable of using a variety of media, as well as the ability to draw many different subjects. I also wanted to show them that I definitely had a passion for animation by showcasing some examples of my cartooning/storytelling work. Even though I was still a beginner at digital art, I think they liked the fact that I showed that I was taking risks or was willing to try something new. I also showcased a lot of things I really enjoyed drawing, such as animals and landscapes. You absolutely do not need to include an example of animation; the reviewers understand that most applicants will have zero experience, that’s why you’re going to school. I “animated” some short scenes twice in my past, but didn’t feel comfortable making an animation for my portfolio.

FINAL TIPS:

MEDIA:

It’s important to demonstrate that you’re a well-rounded artist, but it’s equally as important to stick to your strengths. For example, my portfolio consisted of works done with paints and ink. That’s because I really detest working with pure pencil and charcoal. If you personally love working with a certain medium, don’t be afraid to have a majority of your portfolio consist of that medium! Or, if you want to go the well-rounded route, feel free to include a wide variety of media! 

MOTION:

I highly recommend that you include studies showcasing your subject(s) in motion. I’m going to be honest with you, only some of my people watching and animal pieces were referenced from real life. Several were referenced from Google images because drawing a moving subject in real time is stressful ;_; Anyways, if you do decide to use the internet, instead of typing “girl” or “dogs”, try including an action word, such as “girl doing gymnastics” or “dogs running”.

CREATIVITY/PASSION:

Don’t feel as if all of your pieces must be polished or hyper-realistic! It’s perfectly fine to experiment with zany styles and different methods of coloring. It’s also perfectly fine to draw loosely/messily. Keep in mind that while at art school, they’re not just going to teach you how to use certain programs, they’re going to teach you to be designers and storytellers. Show them that you’re truly passionate by including several designs of your own, or even make a makeshift storyboard of anything you think of. If you already know how to animate some things, DEFINITELY include those in your portfolio! But again, it’s only suggestion; don’t feel pressured to include animation.