<p>Hope I’m not too late- no one’s replied in ten days!
Hello, I’ve just been accepted into FIT’s Illustration program. I’ll tell you what I know!</p>
<p>I took the in person evaluation and the drawing test for General and Fashion Illustraion. I’m giving you info based on the one I did in December, and I’m assuming your’s will be like mine or similiar.</p>
<p>Actually, you only need a normal ink pin, to fill out a quick form or two(so they can record that you came). The other stuff, FIT will supply(charcoal, erasers, ect.). This is the least thing that you need to worry about.</p>
<p>Your portfolio really needs to be from observation from life. That’s probably the one thing that I can stress to the point of exhaustion. The main reviewer for the Illustration Department(before we took the drawing test) even said that FIT really looks for people who draw alot from life. Their programs are pretty rigid. I guess pieces that you are really proud of are fine, but the works from observation are what they are looking for specifically. People sleeping, people on the train, lanscapes- stuff like that! Also, you should really bring a sketchbook. Its not required, but it looks great if reviewers personally see if you draw from life daily. I think my sketchbook full of drawings of bottles, cans and gestures of people was a really great addition to my portfolio. It helps reviewers see your creative process, also.</p>
<p>Have a nice portfolio- presentation is key. I had brand new, slick 11"X17" portfolio, and my large pieces put into a tube were rolled yet unblemished. I gotta tell you- in my evaluation, no one sat with the reviewrs to talk about their pieces- prepare your portfolio accordingly so that a reviewer can go through it easily by themselves. We applicants laid all of our stuff on a few long tables, obtained name-tags to put on the pieces, and went to the other side of a large curtain to do the drawing test. After the drawing test is doen, the person that reviewed your portfolio will call you over, tell you the pros and cons, and tell you whether the portfolio and your two drawings were good or not.</p>
<p>You probably drawing a model for the test. If you want the advice from my experience, here goes!
They give you a 20 minute drawing(bust) and a forty minute one( full body), and the time goes by fast! They probably looking for people who know that you need to get down the full figure and compostion of what you are drawing before you details. If you sit there and only draw the head and work on the details of the face( and not finish the whole body or bust drawing in proportion), this will not be good for you.</p>
<p>I think if you do have anime/cartoon aspects they really should have some element of observation. I think your friend is right, that FIT isn’t as strict as one may think, but like most colleges, FIT doesn’t want to see pieces that are strictly anime and cartoons anyway. If you do do some pieces like this, make sure they show a techinical skill, sense of compostion, storyboarding ability(for a comic), etc.</p>
<p>In took my in-person evaluation back in December 15th, and the reviewer told me he would give me a ‘recommendation for acceptance’ after he saw my portfolio. That friend of yours is right- they are not as strict. If your academic history and essay is alright and your GPA and other grades are good, you should get in if they tell you they’ll give you a recommendation. They say these are the ‘3 deciding categories’ if you will, although I think the portfolio and test are the biggest category to consider. I think its better that you’re doing an in-person review. They have more to work with rather than you just mailing your stuff off, and you get a good idea of what FIT is all about!</p>
<p>I hope this helps! I saw this question on the net and just had to reply!</p>