Preparing a Portfolio

Pre-Interview Portfolio 

All applicants are required to bring submit a portfolio at the application stage. The is in the form of a PDF (6 A4 pages, and less than 15MB in size) of their own artwork prior to interview. The selection of images should, in part, reflect material you might bring to interview as part of your portfolio.

At-Interview Portfolio

Guidance on the contents of portfolios varies from college-to-college and they will send you exact details when they invite you for interview.

In general students are expected to present their portfolio at interview and are usually given 5-10 minutes to do so in the first part of the interview, although again that may vary between colleges.  

Physical Interview

Those invited for a physical interview should bring enough work with them to show the range of their skills. Photographs should be made of sculpture and 3D work. Most students bring A1 portfolios which are large enough to take large pieces. It is better to bring the originals of drawings rather than spend unnecessary time photographing and printing images, but obviously works on canvas and other materials are too bulky to transport so these should be shown through photographs. 

On-Line Interview

This will be normally longer than the portfolio submitted pre-interview and aim to show the complete range of what you can do in a range of media. It is usually easiest to arrange it as a powerpoint presentation. Remember to keep the file size within reasonable limits to avoid slowing your computer down. Practice doing a presentation with the slides that lasts no longer than 10 minutes. If you are doing A level art show preliminary studies and skecthbook pages as well as the finished work. You can put multiple images on each page. You can have as many images as you like but it will probably not be practical to look at more than 20-25 pages in the time available.

General Guidelines on Content of Portfolios

A final tip is that we don’t particularly want architecture in the portfolio. We want Life Drawing (go to life drawing classes), still life and landscapes in a range of media, preferably from life not from photographs. Ideally you want to do some kind of making project - something you have made- posters, magazine layouts, photographs. Use as wide a range of media as you can. We would also recommend that you keep a sketchbook, showing the different stages of your work as you progress and include images from this. Portfolios should demonstrate the ability to work in a range of media and draw from life. The students will also be expected to demonstrate an understanding of composition and/or design and the ability to work in three dimensions. There is no expectation that students will have carried out any architectural design. You may also want to consult with your art teacher at school - they will have experience in putting together an art portfolio.