Art & Design: Portfolio Requirements and Interview Guidelines

Portfolio Requirements and Interview Guidelines

The following information offers guidance to students who intend to apply for Diploma in Fine Arts, for which a portfolio of artwork is stated as an entry requirement if you do not have a credit in Art.

Why is a Portfolio Necessary?

The reason we ask for a portfolio is to give us some indication of your ability, and to allow us to assess your creative potential.

What Should a Portfolio Contain?

We are looking for 5 examples of your own creative work, completed within the last 3 years. Portfolios are as varied as the students they represent; however, usually a portfolio would contain examples of drawings in a variety of media. Photographs of 3D pieces you have made such as jewellery, sculpture, packaging, card design, furniture products, interior design or sketchbooks can be included. We are happy to accept portfolios in an electronic format, such as a CD rom, and we will also look at websites.

We are interested to look at good drawing ability and creative potential. Wherever possible, drawings should be from real objects, not your imagination. You may have drawn from architecture, natural form or landscape. If you have done any figure drawing, include some examples.

Useful advice to students in preparing a portfolio:

Try drawing the same subject matter in a variety of ways, changing scale, composition and media. Also a group of objects together offers more scope than individual items.

Interview Guidelines

Prepare your portfolio so that it can be easily viewed or listened to by the panel. Interviews are conducted in a friendly and supportive manner and are normally expected to take approximately 15 – 20 mins. You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions.

The panel will be seeking evidence of the following (applicable to the studio area)