Preparing a Portfolio

Sarah Travis, a Teaching Fellow and Project Manager for International Collaborations at the Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton) explain the key things to consider when putting together a portfolio to apply to university in the UK:

• Provide 10 – 20 pieces of recent work and present them in a clear, logical and professional way

• Select the work you include in your portfolio carefully. Order your work so that ideas flow from one piece to the next. The ordering of your portfolio should make it easy to see links between the various aspects of your work and to assess your progress and potential for development

• Start strong and end strong. Consider putting your best two pieces at the very beginning and the very end of your portfolio. This will get you off to a strong impressive start, while ending on a high note too.

• Make sure your work demonstrates a lively, inventive approach to the development of projects and personally directed work.

• Sketchbooks – These should include your ideas, observations, research, preliminary sketches and written notes. Seeing your ideas allows us to see how these evolve, so include initial sketches and concept development work. It should show how you work and how you think and give an insight into your personality

• Include evidence of your understanding of contemporary artists in the context of the wider art world and details of exhibitions visited and your thoughts about them

• Show your awareness of art practices

• Demonstrate independent thinking and the ability to explore personal interests, even when responding to set briefs.

• Show a range of work and skills as this demonstrates a creative and experimental approach. Mix media portfolios are preferred.

• Dress rehearsal – Getting a second opinion before you submit your portfolio is really helpful. It’s very difficult to self-edit, especially when you’re putting together your first portfolio. You may be really attached to a certain piece of work that just doesn’t fit in with the rest of your portfolio and it really should be taken out. Without a second opinion, it’s difficult to see that

Ask the person giving the second opinion what they see as the strengths and weaknesses of your different pieces.

More information on the Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton) can be found on their webpage.  The WSA is consistently rated one of the top Art & Design universities in the UK.  WSA’s official representative in Bangkok, Hands On Education Consultants, can help you apply to study at the WSA.  Contact us for more details.