
At Ashcan we have a few different really effective ways to help your Art Portfolio stand out among thousands of other BFA applicants
Drawing a view of your bedroom is a great way to add an interesting observational work to your Art Portfolio, that also says a lot about who you are. Observational Art Portfolio pieces, which are drawings, paintings, mixed media works or sculptures created from looking at real-life places, are considered by most schools to be the most important work to have in your art portfolio. This is because including observational pieces demonstrates a level of mastery of fundamental art skills.
When you are choosing the 12-20 pieces to use for your Art Portfolio the order that you present your work matters a lot. Think of it like a narrative, a book about who you are. The work you choose and the flow from one piece to the next needs to be given a lot of thought. A good rule is to open with your best work, and then the second best, and end with your 3rd and 4th strongest works
If you decide you’d like to pursue an education in Illustration, choose a program that is focused both on the creative aspects, technical skills- the computer programs you’ll need to succeed as well as the business of Illustration. For the best Illustration programs you’ ll need a competitive Art Portfolio to apply. These are the BFA Programs that we like the best:
In this video we took a few pieces from an Ashcan Studio student, Angelo’s art portfolio to inspire you as you’re making your own art portfolio. Angelo who was accepted into the Illustration programs at the top art schools Pratt Institute, The School of Visual Arts and The Rhode Island School of Design.