Expert: Patti - 5/5/2011

Question
Hello, i'm currently working on a project for my AVID class. My subject is about art and i'm making an art portfolio. I would like to know what types of techniques can i use for illustrations, also what are the best materials i can use for them? How can i make my art portfolio even better?

Answer

Hi Monica,

When putting a portfolio together, it should contain about 10-20 samples of your very best work. It doesn't matter what medium your work is done in (colored pencil, watercolor, pen and ink, etc.) as long as the work you show is your best. The best materials to work in, are the one(s) that you feel comfortable working in.

When somebody is looking at your portfolio, never make an apology or an excuse for "something that didn't come out right". If you feel you need to apologize the work shouldn't be in your portfolio.

The work in your portfolio should be geared to whichever market you're looking for work (such as children's books, anime or graphic novels, editorial art, advertising, fashion, medical, etc.) If you have work that relates to more than one industry, you would show a different portfolio for each genre. That is to say, you wouldn't show a portfolio containing anime to get a job doing editorial art.

If you don't have any samples from paid projects for "real" clients, don’t worry about it, just show your best pieces done while you are in school. Some clients like to see how you work, so it doesn’t hurt including roughs, notes & sketches in your portfolio to complement the finished pieces. You should be prepared to talk about your creative process.

Take a step back and try to look at your projects objectively. If they don’t wow you, they won’t wow your prospective client or an employer. If you have a hard time deciding which pieces should be in your portfolio, or which should be omitted, have a teacher or a friend from your illustration class tell you which pieces are the strongest, and which are the weakest.

Arrange your work in your portfolio by putting the best pieces first and last in your portfolio… wow them going in, and wow them going out.

Loose samples should be kept as tidy as possible, so perhaps add a pocket to your portfolio, or place in an envelope for those odds & ends that you wish to bring to the interview.

Be sure to bring your business cards, a few printouts of your work (that has your name and contact info on it) so you can leave something behind with whomever has interviewed you.

Here is some more info on how to put together a portfolio:

http://janeheinrichs.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-put-together-amazing.html

http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/2010/08/18/using-self-assigned-projects-...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kXYTJL-yS0
http://art-support.com/portfolio.htm

I hope this helps!
Best of luck,

Patti