Portfolio Guidelines

Follow these guidelines for your portfolio submission. Please note that we do not have a specified list of art or design projects to include in your portfolio; we want to see the best reflection of your skills and interests. We do not provide sample portfolios. Please see below for more specific information.

• Online Portfolio Submission
• Letter of Intent
• How to Prepare Your Online Portfolio
• Selection of Work
• Tips from UAlberta Art & Design Experts 

Online Portfolio Submission

BFA and BDes applicants can use the Launchpad application system to submit your portfolio, including your statement of intent, online! You can upload these items any time after you've submitted your application and paid your application fee, right up until May 1st. Please submit 12–15 pieces that show your interests, strengths and versatility.

You can find the portfolio upload page by visiting the Launchpad application system at uab.ca/launchpad. The portal will allow you to include information about each piece such as title, year, dimensions, materials used, etc. Please do include this information.

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LETTER OF INTENT

In addition to the images in your portfolio, please include a letter of intent explaining your interest in our program. Recommended length: half page to a page. Other than that, the format of this letter is up to you. You can address the letter however you like; applicants often use "Dear Assessment Committee" or "To Whom It May Concern".

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How to prepare your online portfolio

For all work, you must include all relevant information such as titles, dates, dimensions or duration, media and any other information needed to help us understand and assess your work. For any collaborations, digital painting, procreate files, renderings, etc., you must provide any context necessary for us to understand exactly what role you played in creating the work.

For instance, please differentiate between things like:

• "image created entirely by me using (example program)"
• "original image or photo by me, manipulated using (example program)"
• "photo from (specify other source), manipulated using (example program)"

For some larger projects it may also make sense to tell us the narrative of a project, for example from sketches to concepts to final product. Some projects may also require numerous images to help convey it, for example larger, 3D pieces.

If you are uploading a single pdf that contains your whole portfolio, it is important that you not crowd your pdf pages with many small images as the media viewer we use does not allow us to zoom in. Letter-size layout is preferable to legal or tabloid for optimal viewing.

If you are uploading separate images or videos, after you upload your files, you must click "Edit details" on each image/file to provide the title, date, media and dimension information for your work, and the info requested above.

Remember to include your Letter of Intent in addition to your images!

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Selection of Work

Select work for your portfolio that represents your own interests, strengths and development. The assessment process is competitive and the quality of work is the main deciding factor. Choose examples that show the diversity of your abilities.

Transfer students from another post-secondary institution are welcome to submit a portfolio that reflects your areas of interest and is more focused on either Visual Art (including any combination of Installation, Digital Media, Time-based work, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and Sculpture) or Design (Visual Communication Design and/or Industrial Design).

For students applying to the first year of the program, you can include a variety of whatever you think are your strongest works from the following areas:

• Some drawing from observation should ideally be included. Copying photographs or other artist's works does not demonstrate your ability to make design decisions concerning the placement of forms on the page. Your handling of the fundamental problems of drawing should be evident in your explorations of basic drawing principles such as perspective, shape, texture, composition, and through the use of a wide range of line and tonal variation. Subjects used can include still-life, self-portrait, figure drawing, landscape and architecture (interior and exterior). If possible, a range of media should be used (graphite, ink, charcoal, conté).
• Pages from sketchbooks may be used sparingly; several pages attached together will count as one piece.
• Colour is an important element that can be demonstrated through a variety of media: coloured pencils, pastels, watercolours, acrylics, marker pens, collage. These can be used for some of the drawings, designs or paintings.
• Composition , or your sense of arranging shapes or forms on a page, should be demonstrated as well as your ability to relate elements together. For even the simplest of drawings on a page, you should consider the placement of the subject on the page and the amount of negative space.
• Three-dimensional works (sculptures, installations, prototypes, etc.) should only be included in photograph or digital image form. Do not feel you must include them if you have not done this type of work before. You are welcome to submit more than one photograph of a 3D work in order to show all sides or show details; that will still count as one "piece".
• Photographs can form a part of your portfolio, but as you are not applying to a technical photography program, we want to see more of what you can do and what interests you.
• Video works, or video documentation of performance art works < are most welcome. Longer works should ideally be edited down to 3 minute files.
• Please do not submit a portfolio entirely composed of cartoon, comic book or fantasy style imagery as these borrow heavily from pre-existing visual conventions and aren't the best way to tell us about you as a visual decision-maker. If these types of work are important to you, consider including a few examples, but only if they are your original work.
• Computer-aided design and renderings are welcome as long as they are own work. Please be clear in the description what aspects of the work are your own original work. For instance, did you start with a blank digital canvas, and create the entire digital painting from scratch? Did you start with a photograph and adjust it? If so, was it your own photo or a found image? Did you use any assets designed or created by other people?
• Collaborative work can be submitted as long you include clear notes about what work is yours and what was done by your team members.
• If you wish to apply to the Bachelor of Design program but have only works that are traditional art works, you can still apply. Observational drawing, 1-point, 2-point and 3-point perspective drawings, architectural drawings, line drawings, etc. are all excellent choices for inclusion in your portfolio.

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Tips from UAlberta Art & Design experts on what it takes to get into our BFA or BDes programs

by Joanna Manchur, Student Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator

The BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Art & Design, and BDes (Bachelor of Design) programs at the University of Alberta are rigorous and competitive. Each year over a hundred students apply for each program – so having a good portfolio that demonstrates your skills (and your potential!) is a crucial component of your application. Three experts from the Department of Art & Design weigh in with answers to the most common questions about how to best prepare a portfolio to gain admission into art and design school.

Caitlin Wells, MFA Printmaking, is the Undergraduate Advisor for the Department of Art & Design. She holds this administrative role while maintaining a diverse studio practice including drawing, video work, and various forms of printmaking. Aidan Rowe, MA Hypermedia Arts, is an Associate Professor and teaches design theory, research and practice. Sean Caulfield, MFA Printmaking, is a Centennial Professor and teaches Studio Art with a focus in Printmaking, Drawing, Artist’s Books and Media Arts.

Why should my portfolio include observational drawing (especially if I’m only applying to the BDes program)?

CW: We recommend that your portfolio include at least one or two examples of observational drawing, which is a common recommendation for all kinds of Art and Design programs throughout Canada. This can include line drawings, tonal (light and shadow) drawings, perspective drawings, with all kinds of subject matter – portraits, still life, landscape, architectural drawings, etc. Observational drawing tells us a lot about you and how you see the world: are you able to concentrate, look carefully and measure what you see, in order to translate that three-dimensional reality onto a two-dimensional surface?

AR: The portfolio does not need to include observational drawings. That being said observational drawings serve as a strong indicator of your ability to observe and draw. Additionally they are something that is fairly standard and also possible for a student to work on independently. As a general rule they are a great thing to include.

SC: Observational drawing is a strong indication of your ability to deal with all the fundamentals of visual art including composition, proportion, space and creative problem solving. For all these reasons, having strong observational drawing skills is helpful no matter what area of visual art and design you are hoping to pursue.

Can I include anime, cartoon, comic book or fantasy style drawings?

CW: These types of work are certainly important aspects of contemporary art, design and visual culture, and may play a role in your work once you enter the program. We don’t recommend that this type of work make up the majority of your portfolio because, generally speaking, these types of drawings borrow heavily from decisions that someone else made – the original creator of the characters, or the conventions associated with these genres. If this is a major focus for you, then you could include a few examples, but please include work that includes your own original visual decision-making.

AR: You can. We want to see any exciting and interesting expression of you work. That being said the work should seriously and appropriately showcase your talents, work, and hopeful future direction. Context is always important, so it makes sense to explain why you are exploring these formats for your work.

SC: The contemporary art world is very pluralistic today, with anime, cartoons, and comic books influencing a wide range of creative practices; therefore, including some cartoons in your portfolio is fine. With this said, the portfolio review committee needs to see a diversity of approaches in your portfolio so it would be a good idea to limit the number of ‘cartoon’ type works to two or three at the most. This is particularly true if these drawings are based on copying other artists.

I’d like to include photographs. Is that allowed?

CW: If you mean your own original photography, yes, of course! As with all the pieces in your portfolio, they should be helping you put your best foot forward, so when it comes to photography we of course want to see excellent compositions as well as compelling subject matter. We recommend that do not limit your portfolio to 100% photography. Perhaps three to for photographs, or 5 – 7 if they are all really outstanding!

AR: Yes photographs are allowed. As always please consider how you are showing the work and whether they need any further information or context, perhaps included on the back of the mounted work.

SC: Including photographs in your portfolio is no problem as many students use photography in intermediate and senior level studio classes. Once again, however, it is important to have a diversity of approaches in your portfolio so be sure to balance photographs with drawing and/or painting and mixed-media works.

How should I arrange my portfolio? What order do I put everything in?

AR: I think it always makes sense to edit a portfolio. You want to remove any work that is weaker or unconsidered. It also makes sense to start with a stronger piece or two, then to show the range of work that you are capable of, then to end strongly with a successful piece or two.

SC: When the committee considers a portfolio they are often looking for a balance between a student’s ability to produce a focused cohesive series of works (such as a series of related observational drawings), alongside a diversity of approaches that demonstrates a willingness to experiment. When putting together your portfolio it is good to have images that demonstrate both of these qualities – focus and discipline alongside experimentation.

What are some common things applicants overlook?

AR: Often students do not fully consider the presentation and order of submission. While you are highly familiar with your work, do try imagining someone that has never seen your work trying to go through it. Additionally it is useful to tailor your work if possible, for example if you are applying to the BDes program, have your work reflect this direction.

SC: It is important to consider how your works are presented. The portfolio should be clean and well organized in a manner that demonstrates that you care about your work. At the same time don’t ‘over design’ your portfolio either by having excessive labelling or distracting typefaces.

Any other tips?

AR: Really consider how you organize your portfolio.Once you think things are organized test it with a teacher, friend or family member that is not fully familiar with your submission. Do they understand it? Does it make sense to them?

SC: Remember that if you are not successful in your first application to the BFA or BDes program you can always enter the U of A through the general BA program and take art fundamentals courses. This is a great way to build up your portfolio and many students then apply to the program in the second year at university.

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