<p>Hi, I'm a senior and recently just received multiple rejections from universities that I submitted my portfolio to, like Syracuse and Rice, but luckily I was accepted to my safe-choice school. However, I plan to transfer next year and apply to Syracuse, Cornell, and Cal Poly to give them a last shot.
Here is my portfolio from the application:
Portfolio</a> - a set on Flickr
What should I improve on? What are its strength and weakness?...
I would be very appreciated for your help and opinion!</p>
<p>UGHHH. I’m sorry but I had just typed up a really long response to your portfolio and had just accidentally deleted it xD</p>
<p>Anyway, it is not going to be as eloquently as I had written before but to put it simply:
- Some pieces are better than others
- Question: did you arrange your portfolio to colleges in the same manner on your flickr?
-You only included mostly 2D works, and had a small portfolio
-Still lifes were not as interesting/rendered properly as other works like the black and white drawing with machines/one with the blue streak (I REALLY LIKED THESE, loved the compositions).
-The two drawings of the stairwell and buildings could benefit from the application of color
-Violin was technically excellent but would have been greater with color… however I can understand you wanting to keep the focus on form.</p>
<p>Also, did you work from photos or observation? Were your portraits of friends? And did you consider that maybe you were denied from your schools based on grades/test scores and not just portfolio? Do you have any art awards to your name?</p>
<p>Sorry If I sound harsh (I don’t mean to be, really), and if you have any questions on what I critiqued feel free to ask. :)</p>
<p>And if you don’t mind saying, where are you going next fall?
-Victoria</p>
<p>I will offer some comments on the portfolio, though I have no idea if this was the reason for the rejection;</p>
<p>-Your pencil, ink, and watercolor technique are very good. You’ve done a good job rendering these objects/faces.</p>
<p>-I am not convinced that you have developed the skill to sketch from real life, to really capture what is there. Your still lives are off as far as perspective goes and the cityscape looks drawn from your imagination. You need to look closely; when an object casts shadows are they black, even in color from edge to edge, or is the shadow nearer the object lighter or darker than at the edge?</p>
<p>There is a book; Freehand Sketching: An Introduction by Paul Laseau which I found very good. Work through the exercises and develop you sketching ability. I think it will be more impressive for the schools than the collage work you are currently showing.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>XD Thank you very much for putting into the time and patience to review! It’s very helpful because not many people reviewed my full portfolio and shared useful opinions. Some pieces were rushed so they weren’t carefully crafted with colors, besides I thought my strong suit was sketching so I didn’t think of adding any color. Now it seems like a drawback. I’ll make sure I get plenty of practice on coloring. ^ ^
Answer to the Qs, the pictures on Flickr are the unedited version, I added dates, sizes, and descriptions to the final submission. They look very scattered I know…
The still lives I worked are from direct observation, others are photos and imagination. The portraits are film star Gary Oldman(Sirius Black) and friend though. I have a mediocre grade around the GPA of 3.5, I’m sure the grades play a huge role in the rejection, too. The trouble is, I know how to improve my grades, but not my portfolio. I didn’t have any award towards art :C So I’m working on getting one in the state right now. Next year I will be going to Iowa State University. The class size is small and nice, but I still want to go to another place without cornfields…lol. Do you know anything about this university?
Thank you again Victoria! :D</p>
<p>Hi, Rick. The portfolio is sure not the main reason for the rejection, incompetent grades are also another cause. Art had always been informal to me; therefore the sudden decision of going into architecture really threw me off last summer. I had no idea of what to put into the portfolio so I worked just to complete the portfolio. However, I’m shifting my rationale to restart fresh and prepared. Thank you for your constructive suggestions and strategies! It’s really a new lead that I can follow.</p>
<p>Hi again!
Actually, I do know a little about Iowa State. My best friend has an aunt that went there 15+ years ago and said the professors and the course selections greatly helped her when she went for her official accreditation and into the real world. And if I’m not mistaken, it was ranked this year in Design Intelligence.
Plus, If your instate and getting a 5-year B.Arch, you are getting a pretty good deal… the state I live in only has ONE college that offers a 4 year Arch degree (without accreditation, and not a well-rounded program), and after that the nearest is U of Cincinnati (great school, but I would have to pay out of State tuition, 35k+).
Anyway, I think just give the school a shot- you may end up liking it, and because you would be paying lower instate rates (I’m assuming you are in state), you can always save up for your Master’s degree. </p>
<p>But on the subject of your art, becuase you have mentioned your art education as informal, I think by spending a year at Iowa State and taking some Intro Arch classes or Fundamental Art classes you could sharpen your skills and get some critiques to help you develop your work if you plan on transferring. Have you ever taken a Humanities/Art History course either? I’m currently taking a AP Art History course and I feel so inspired when I leave everyday… xD</p>
<p>-Victoria</p>