Applying to art and design courses – your portfolio

Part of the art and design application process is viewing a portfolio of your work. This will allow us to see your abilities and suitability for our courses. A portfolio can take many forms but it should primarily demonstrate your ability create and develop ideas as well as your technical ability to draw through observation and interpretation.

As well as idea generation, using materials and processes that allow you to explore different ways of working is evidence of a healthy approach to art and design studies.

Portfolios vary from course to course but here are some ideas to get you started. We’re looking for around 20 pages of resolved work, we want to see sketchbooks or sheets of paper that show your creative journey. How you develop your work and what creative decisions you make allows us to understand what kind of creative you are, far more so than just finished refined outcomes.

We like to see idea development, media experimentation, remember to demonstrate your understanding of your chosen course showing artists and designers who have inspired your work as part of your research process. Make sure they are contemporary and relevant

Digital skills are integral to your learning alongside traditional tech skills, It is desirable to see some digital skills such as Photoshop, Illustrator or SketchUp but not essential. Any digital work should be part of a portfolio not all of it, variety is the most important part of the selection of work.

Craftsmanship is a sign of professionalism so make sure you show attention to the presentation and layout of your work, digital or physical, written or imagery.