Let's find out!
Now that you know what kind of work should go into your portfolio, it is time to start assembling your pieces! Click on the tabs to go through the process of putting together your digital portfolio.
Gather and Organize Your Work
Get all of the artwork that you have created for this class and lay them out so that you can see them all at the same time. Take a little time and organize them into groups that work well together. You could group them by medium, subject, or style. Make sure to pick only those that demonstrate your best work!
Photograph Your Work
You should have images of your work from throughout this class. In case you don’t, take high-quality pictures of all of your work. Use a neutral background (preferably a white wall) and as much filtered, natural light as possible. Do NOT use a spotlight as this will wash out the colors of your artwork.
Upload Your Images
Upload your images to your computer or tablet so that you can put them into a digital presentation. Any presentation software will work. This is where you will put together your portfolio. Each section should have a label, and the works in each should go together in some way—medium, subject matter, color palette, etc.
Put Together Your Portfolio
Now it is time to put together your portfolio. Create an introductory slide with your name on it, followed by a slide that introduces the first group of artworks. For example, your slide could say “Portraits” and then the images of your portrait works would follow. Then, you could have “Landscapes” followed by your landscape works.
For Example
Take a look at this example presentation. Note: This presentation is shortened because it is simply an example. Your presentation should be much longer (7 or more artworks), but this will give you an idea of what your portfolio should look like.
Notice that the example presentation has a very simple background, and the text is easy to read. These are both important because anyone viewing your portfolio is going to want to be able to find information quickly. They will not want to be distracted from your work. Do not choose a complicated background or too-small or busy font. Look at these two version of presentations slides. Which one looks like a better design for your portfolio? Click on the images to learn why one is better than the other.
You don’t have to use a plain white background and the basic font that is used in the above example, but you should follow some basic guidelines for putting together your portfolio. Click on each Do and Don’t to see more info about portfolio design.
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Center your artwork when possible, but be sure to leave enough space for labeling. If your artwork has a landscape orientation, set it off to the left side with the same amount of space above and below it. |
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Never place your label over your artwork. It will make your label difficult to read and obscure your work. Make your artwork small enough to fit the label beside it. |
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Add slides for detail shots. After the first image of your artwork, add a slide that shows a close up of the part of your artwork that you want to highlight. You can also use a slow animation to pan across your artwork. |
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Avoid fast or distracting animations. You do not need to have your artwork zooming into frame as people go through your portfolio. In fact, do not use any animation on your main image that contains your label. Use a subtle pan only on the slide with your detail shots. |
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Use a neutral background. You may use white, gray, or any other muted color. Be careful with black as it can make parts of your work seem to disappear if you have black near the edges of your work. The best options are white or dark gray for most artwork. |
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Avoid bright or heavily patterned backgrounds. This will detract from your artwork and make your label difficult to read. Also, use the same color background throughout your entire portfolio. Changing backgrounds is distracting and makes a portfolio look unprofessional. |
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Include the title of your artwork, its size, the medium (media) used, and the type of artwork it is. This gives viewers basic information when looking at your work. For example, knowing what the medium is can give viewers an idea of the techniques used when creating the artwork. |
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Avoid writing an artist statement for every artwork. That amount of text will become distracting. Also, you will include a more generalized artist statement at the end of your portfolio. |
When you finish assembling your portfolio, look through the checklist below to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
- Cover page with your name
- Artwork that is sorted and organized in a logical manner
- Sections that start with a cover/introduction page
- Artwork that is either centered or off to the left side (centered top to bottom)
- Label for each artwork that includes the title of the artwork, its size, the medium (media) used, and the genre
- Consistent background and font style that are used throughout the presentation
- Portfolio that is neat and professional looking
When you feel that your portfolio is finished, add your artist statement to the last slide. The next page will give you more information about this portion.
