<p>Any suggestions as to what types of artwork i should put in there? i know they say not to put a lot of CAD drawing.. but is it ok to put one or should i just avoid putting any? What about photography and ceramics.. is that ok? And i'm also really good at still life and figure drawing so maybe those?</p>
<p>I would only put in cad as part of a whole project... for instance, if you have cad drawings of a piece of furniture you built, and also a photo of the finished piece. That's just my advice though, coming from a school where they didn't smile on people who came in as cad wizards on the first day. If you're applying to schools that are more technical in nature, it might be appropriate, and it does demonstrate a certain commitment to architecture that you've spent your time in high school learning it.</p>
<p>As far as what else, I'd say everything else you've mentioned it fair game. It wouldn't hurt if a couple of the drawings were of buildings or city scenes.</p>
<p>I think everything is fair game-- but make sure it is good- Schools for the most part aren't looking for just still-lifes or landscapes or contemporary art or anything incredibly specific. I would put in a range though, don’t just show one thing, diversity of subject matter, style, and to some extent medium-(although a little less so on the medium) is key. Whatever you put in make sure it is good, you should be able to stand behind any thing in your portfolio. Sketches/ drawings are always nice. Personally I haven’t seen too many portfolios with a ton of 3d media, but if that is your strength go with it. I have seen some with extensive photography. Cad drawings for the most part should not be in there, unless it correlates to something that is very creative-- a dream home plan or any type of building plan for that matter might actually hurt you. Great portfolios come in all shapes and sizes but the common link is that they all exhibit design talent.</p>
<p>thank you! that was really helpful! i'm taking ceramics and an art class out at the community college so i've got a wide range of mediums in my artwork.. i've got a lot of pen & ink, oil pastels, color and black & white chalk pastels, watercolors, and a lot of pencil sketches so i'll probably use a lot of those! and then i've got wood projects that i've done that i could take pictures of! my CAD teacher is also the wood shop teacher at my school and since i've already completed all of our projects, he taught me how to make some things in wood.. like right now, i'm making an entertainment center, so do you think if i had pictures of it, would it be helpful in my portfolio?</p>
<p>Oh, and i'm planning on applying to Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, and USC. I know neither Cal Poly SLO nor Pomona need portfolios, but I know USC does. So if any of you know anything about what USC looks for in a portfolio, that would be really helpful!</p>
<p>For USC, just call Jennifer Park and ask. She always sounds a little unhappy, but that's just her tone for some reason, it's no reflection on how she feels about you/your application. She's actually very, very helpful, and is totally used to getting those questions. What they used to have us say when I gave tours was that they were looking for creativity and potential, and that could be seen in any medium, so include whatever you felt was your best work. It's better to just have 15 great pieces than to have 15 great pieces and three mediocre pieces, because the inclusion of those three will make the admissions people question your judgement and ability to be self-critical.</p>
<p>The most typical portfolio includes a mix of drawing, painting, and some photography, but I know people who submitted all photography and got in, and some who submitted beautiful woodworking. So whatever it is you feel is your strong suit.</p>