Hi! So I’m a rising senior working on my portfolio for college, however I’m very confused as I looked up the requirements for my schools but I’m getting different information and I’m not sure what is/isn’t quality portfolio material.
Here’s the summary of them
(first choice) Drexel: originality, creative problem solving, systematic thinking. 8-12 piece of strongest/most recent work in a breadth of media that demonstrate a balance of technique and concept. Thematic work or a series of pieces is received favorably. Time-based portfolios should be limited to a 5-minute maximum. Any combination of drawings, paintings, printmaking, photography, graphic design, architectural design, interior design, ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, fashion design, jewelry and metals, furniture, designed objects, animation, computer-generated images, film, video, performance art, audio recordings, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, or screenplays.
Catholic U of A: collection of your work and a personal statement of your creative ability. It presents an image of you and your design/visual skills, how you organize yourself and what your priorities are. Review your thinking and creative skills, not to document your CAD drafting skills. No blueprints or construction drawings from an office or building science courses. The portfolio should include architectural and visual work done in an academic setting. Architectural design and other visual creative work, such as images of your drawings, paintings, sculptures, graphic designs, etc. Show motivation and skills to carry out architectural designs that you begin by including a variety of work or projects that you have carried to some level of completion. Show your ability to develop your design ideas from conceptual sketches, through drawings and study models, to the final design scheme. Can be a very diverse collection of various modes of representations, ranging from pencil drawings and physical models to CAD drawings and renderings and animation stills. The portfolio should demonstrate a level of consistency that is aligned with your personal interests.
Penn SU: The portfolio should include original work that demonstrates the candidate’s potential as an architecture student. It can include examples of architectural design, drawing, construction, fine arts and crafts. It may include drawings, sketches, paintings, photography, models, ceramics, sculpture, woodworking, crafts, video, etc. Selected examples of architectural and mechanical drafting certainly may be included in the portfolio; however, mechanical drafting alone does not constitute adequate material for evaluation.
(I know Penn State doesn’t require one but I might just send the portfolio anyways)
Rensselaer PI: creative achievement in the context of being accepted into an internationally renowned architecture program. Range of media: pencil, charcoal, oil stick, and water color drawings; acrylic or oil paintings; paper, chipboard, wood, metal, ceramic or mixed media models; measured drawings or digital renderings; and black and white and color photographs, music scores, video, and other creative endeavors. Do not include architectural drafted drawings in the portfolio. A portfolio comprised of a range of mixed media that is emblematic of the prospective student’s imagination and creative vision will be deemed most important during the evaluation process.
Obviously I understand they want creativity in the portfolio, and I have about 5 pieces completed. My concern is they are not enough. I have currently:
-an interesting picture of a light with a natural effect to make it look faded
-a drawing I drew of a girl while she was sketching
-a graphite pencil drawing of still life tomatoes
-a real life 3D model of a pavilion (made at a college summer program)
-real life masks used in a show I designed and created under a super visor
other ideas include:
-pastel drawings
-charcoal
-acrylic paint on a persons back
-print making
Alright if you made it this far, I applaud you, now here are my questions:
- Is my portfolio as of now, right? Is it what a college would want or am I going the wrong way?
- Do I or do I not include CAD drawings? I don’t want too if I don’t have too.
- Architectural Design??? What does that mean in this context? Should I be drawing buildings or not?
ANY help would be absolutely wonderful, I want to study architecture very much but I’m scared a crappy portfolio will ruin all of that for me.