I have not studied Art A level/Post-16, how should I prepare my portfolio?
If you have studied other creative subjects for example, textiles, photography, film, design, media, then you should include selected works you have made in these, as well as any independent art, design, or craft projects.
To develop your portfolio, you could attend free or subsidised art and making workshops at museums and galleries at weekends, especially ones related to specific exhibitions. You could also attend evening drawing, ceramics, or other making classes in your area, which are often part of a subsidised local authority offer. This can be a great way to build up your skills.
If you studied Art at GCSE level, you might include a few pieces from this, but examples of recent work is essential.
If you're looking for economical art making, you could:
- make collages
- create a work from the contents of a bag, or cupboard
- make quick sketches on your journey to school or work
- make prints using vegetables or found materials around the home
- create papier mâché sculptures
For experimentation, you could:
- try drawing in the dark, with your teeth, with charcoal tied to the end of a stick
- photograph all the white shoes you see in one day
- write a series of instructions for other people, and paint the words.
Is there a minimum number of pieces to include in my portfolio?
There is no set amount of work to include, and not all the work needs to be completed projects. You could also include sketches, research, and material experiments. We recommend that you try and show at least one example for each of the portfolio preparation guidelines.