Your Art Portfolio

What is an Art Portfolio?

Organizing your portfolio

The following information will guide you through a step-by-step process of organizing and maintaining your portfolio.

Once your project work has been completed, it is important to include your best work in your art portfolio. This work is evidence of the type and quality of work you are capable of doing. When deciding how you will organize your portfolio, you should do the following:

Provide a listing and short description of the art portfolio contents. If you don't take time to organize your work, your portfolio could end up being just a scrapbook.
Pay attention to detail. (For example: write captions for your work, provide an explanation of the work and list the tools and materials used, sign and date each item, etc.)

Part of organizing your portfolio includes deciding what accomplishments you want to document and how you want to document them. The following are some suggestions for doing this:

Select the work you want to include in your portfolio. Your work may include:

- hard copies of projects
- digitized photographs
- computer files
- work dubbed to video
- awards received and/or certificates

Apply your best technical skills in the presentation of your work; for example, check your spelling, accuracy in drawings, and straightness of mounted pictures. You may also wish to maintain a design journal of preparatory and supplementary skills and/or ideas supporting the project or activity. Going a step further, you could also develop a reference list of books, art shows, or internet sites that have inspired you.

All in all, your art portfolio should look good and serve as a record of your abilities and artistic development for whoever is to view it.