Portfolio Brief. HELP & ADVICE

Larianne

Yes, beck of luck y'all!

HouseHippo

Larianne wrote: »

So HouseHippo, did you have any luck with an Draiocht course?

I'm sure some Art Teachers must do a sort of grinds for people preparing portfolios. Anyone know of any?

Also, you ask in your opening post where to see portfolios- I know when Colaiste Dhulaigh have their open day they have portfoilios on show.

I did it was excellent.I was actually the only 6th year in the course so I got lots of personal attention. Once I gave the course leader the Brief sdhe broke it down for me bit by bit.

I will be submitting my portfolio in the morning

Larianne

HouseHippo wrote: »

I did it was excellent.I was actually the only 6th year in the course so I got lots of personal attention. Once I gave the course leader the Brief sdhe broke it down for me bit by bit.

I will be submitting my portfolio in the morning

That's brilliant! How did you find the course? What is more school leavers doing the course or 5th years? I hadn't heard anything about it until I did a search that time when you were looking for help.

HouseHippo

Larianne wrote: »

That's brilliant! How did you find the course? What is more school leavers doing the course or 5th years? I hadn't heard anything about it until I did a search that time when you were looking for help.

All 5th years.There was only 6 of us and 4 of them were doing a architechture based portfolio.

HouseHippo

So I submitted my portfolio today and notcied the brief has put a hell of alot of people off. I was in the 200 group.
Last year on the final day of submission they had 700 by 11pm as I was helping out there at the time

Setun

Yep, my cousin just dropped hers in there and she was about 410 I think. Tbh if the brief freaked people out I doubt they'd have gotten on well in first year as it is exactly the type of things you're confronted with in Core. Personally I liked the brief (but this is coming from someone who didn't have to do it ), you can teach people to draw to a great extent, but this brief really brings out the innate creativity in applicants. I mean, you have to be creative to answer the question "What is the opposite of a fish?"

Oh, and good luck everyone!

HouseHippo

Yeah i loved the brief, made it clear exactly what they wanted to see which cut my planning in half. Alos it made me focus on my work as I had exact guidelines to follow. I had great fun doing it and if that's what Core year is like then I really hope I get in

qwertyu

yay handed my portfolio in yesterday,i was number 519 and that was at about 4 o clock so wonder how many they got in the end i loved doing the brief thought it was really interesting especially the combination section, just interested to see what anyone else thought about it.

did my portfolio in colaiste dhulaigh, i would recommend their portfolio course to anyone thinking about it, they're so helpful, and really well organized, they broke down the brief really well and were enthusiastic which i needed because i was a bit afraid when i first read the brief, good lck evryone who applied!

jamieb

So I decided to change courses from Photography to Visual Communications and need some help on the presentation of my vis comm portfolio?

Should there be more than one theme running through my portfolio?
If so, should the themes work together as well as separately?

Do you include explanations to any of the pieces or should it already be apparent from your work?

Should there be much sketch/painted/photographic material included?

Also, does anyone who has submitted a portfolio to IADT or DIT have any tips?

I've done photography portfolio courses in the past so I know the basics, but I've been working on this for a while and I've gotten to the stage where I'm stuck..

I know I posted a lot of separate questions but help on even one would be brilliant!

Thanks in advance!

Larianne

Hello and welcome,

Firstly have a look through this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055357937

I just had one theme running through my portfolio. I think it's easier to keep it simple.

You definitely need to include sketches, drawings, paint work etc. There's great info on what to include in portfolios in the thread above (including my posts. hehe) Have a visual notebook where you develop your ideas. Here you can write your idea and explanations as to where you got your ideas and where the theme is going etc.

Just in case you haven't seen it, this is the suggestions from the iadt website on what to include in your portfolio:

What should my Portfolio include?

You should compile a portfolio of recent work that is easy to look through and well presented. Your portfolio should demonstrate a high level of visual skill, creativity (ideas), commitment, and self-motivation. An edited range of work should be presented to include:

* project work (set projects and self-initiated work) – including notebooks, development work and finished pieces – showing in-depth visual exploration and creative thinking around a theme/object(s)/place/idea, etc
* observational drawing from life/still life (not from photographs)
* drawings/visual studies using range of different/mixed media and demonstrating colour exploration including: painting, collage, etc
* any photographic work (optional) or support work of personal interest
* photographs of 3D work should be submitted instead of 3D work
* notebooks or creative sketchbook indicating interest in this discipline.


I'm going to move this thread into the above thread.

jamieb

that link you provided was really helpful! thanks!

unugh

Hardly anyone from my portfolio course applied.Like 8 from the art class + 2 from the fashion class.So im really curious to see what the results are.I was in the 1st 200 on Friday.
I would love to know what the process is in choosing people.The 1st 300 pick up their portfolios on Saturday.Be curious to know if they choose half from the pile and half from the other 300(i assume it got to 600 by the end of Friday?)

qwertyu

yeah i reckon bout 600 in total, i was 519 at like 4 o clock around then, but the thing is , ncad had outside office hours to put in the portfolios aswell which were up to like 8pm on fri 6th and i think even open for an hour on sat the 7th for people with jobs, so its hard to tell! but going by what they got last yr i dont think they wud have got more than 800.

and i doubt they take half from the first 300 and half from the other cos it wudnt really make sense cos if a portfolio doesnt meet the requirements they arent just gonna take half cos they feel they have to , it could even be 100 from the first 300 and 50 from the second half ya know... but at the open day i asked the guy that designed the brief how they mark and he basically just said that they'll have boxes to tick for each section and they want the brief to be specific and really clear in your portfolio, cos it shows more dedication or some **** like that!!

but we're the guinea pigs i guess ha,, we're being put to the test so its hard to know what exactly they are looking for..

HouseHippo

I left out 2 visual worksheets as I just didn't have time to finish them.
I still had 14 worksheets and a 100 sheet visual notebook.....
Do you think leaving out those two sheets will have a huge effect on my application.
it is quite clear that I put alot of work in on my portfolio and that i worked far beyond the 30hrs recommended..
The brief is also very clear and followed step by step in my portfolio, It is all inter-related and clear throughout the folio. I followed it word for word and even wrote about my opinions on different sections etc...

Also I presented Section 1 in a sketchbook rather than work sheets as alot of it was observational work and this was a more convenient way of making observations.Do you think this will be ok

sonx

Larianne wrote: »

Okay, I took out and dusted down my A1 portfolio. I did Make-up for Film, TV & Theatre so my portfolio wasn't as arty farty as other people in my class but we were all told how to present things in the same way.

First off get yourself a visual notebook - A4 size Daler-Rowney etc. make them with Cartridge Paper <-important!

Write your name on the inside and then think what interests you and what would you like to draw. Do you live by the sea? Do you own a pet? Are you interested in fashion? Do you like nature? Mechanical items?

For me, as the course I wanted to get into was fashion/film orientated I sketched observational drawings of jewellery/clothing/cosmetics/brushes/hands/feet. It's with these objects and how you draw them and where you draw/paint them and expand on that is the key when doing a portfolio.

When looking for something to focus on drawing, look at an environment where objects have contrasting textures -shiny/dull, rough/smooth, etc. Draw at different angles/focus in on a detail. Place them in different situations - say you put a coat on a chair, how the fabric drapes over the chair- giving different lines/shadows and a contrasting texture to the chair. Soft/hard.

Use a variety of different materials (pen/pastel/watercolour/acrylic/fabric/string/wool/nail varnish!) on different paper (coloured/watercolour/pastel/handmade/even paint on fabric) if you can.

These sketches/small drawings will lead to you discovering different ideas and themes and you can expand then to developing a 'piece' on larger paper. The visual notebook will show the art tutor/examiner your thought process and where your ideas have come from, how imaginative you are and the portfolios development.


Life Drawing sketchpad- get a friend/parent/sibling to sit for you. Or just sneak in a few sketches when they are watching TV. Start off doing lots of sketches to practice. Again use different medium - colouring penicls, coloured chalk, pen. Again you can draw the whole body or focus on a certain area at different angles. Then progress from the pad to bigger sheets of paper. Make use of the whole page whether it's A1/A2/A3. Also, just get out into your town or city and sit somewhere and sketch! There's a sketching group in Dublin from Boards that meet up so you could go along, get some tips from fellow artists.

3D pieces- Paper mache/wood/lolly pop sticks/clay/cardboard. I made paper mache hands/masks, hands out of clay and a hand out of twigs - I bent the twigs around each other and glued and I somehow managed to make a cool looking hand! Make sure to take pictures from a variety of angles.

We also had to do a graphics project. Had to design a book cover/cd cover/poster/bookmark related to the theme of the portfolio. So with different fonts and backgrounds, images I designed a few different book covers with the same title and theme. Have each design sized the same, so to have a template.

Photography- You can use photography to support your observational drawings, your 3D projects or if you are interested in photography it's a very good area to include. It will show your eye for detail etc. If possible get your hands on an SLR or D-SLR camera as the quality is brilliant. It might take a while to get the hang of taking pictures though. There's so many digital cameras with fancy extras that they can work out just as well.

You can shoot in colour, black & white or sepia is a nice tone to shoot with. There's always a debate on whether photos look better on gloss or matte paper. I'd chose matte but it's up to you.

Personal project: Pick any area that interests you or you think would be interesting to photograph. I chose churches because of their architecture and decorative details.

Portraiture: Take portrait photos of one or a group of people and link them all in together.

Photojournalism: Where the photos tell the story themselves.

Go to art galleries and museums. Most are free. I went to many exhibitions, didn't have a clue what the artist was on about but gave me plenty of ideas. Also, the zoo is a good place to go. Here are a few I used to go to-
Hugh Lane Art Gallery
National Art Gallery (and the National History Museum beside it but I think its closed at the moment)
The Rubicon
Green on Red
Douglas Hyde Gallery in Trinity college
Gallery of Photography

Okay, that's all I'll post for the moment. I'll add more later. Hope some of that makes sense if not just ask!

That's really good advice!!! The zoo is a great place, animals are a very good source for material!

Weekend Warrior

HouseHippo wrote: »

I left out 2 visual worksheets as I just didn't have time to finish them.
I still had 14 worksheets and a 100 sheet visual notebook.....
Do you think leaving out those two sheets will have a huge effect on my application.
it is quite clear that I put alot of work in on my portfolio and that i worked far beyond the 30hrs recommended..
The brief is also very clear and followed step by step in my portfolio, It is all inter-related and clear throughout the folio. I followed it word for word and even wrote about my opinions on different sections etc...

Also I presented Section 1 in a sketchbook rather than work sheets as alot of it was observational work and this was a more convenient way of making observations.Do you think this will be ok

I'm probably even more clueless than you are, but it sounds to me like yours is very well done. And definitely much better than I managed!
Me, I also went waaaay over the recommended 30 hours! What was that all about?!
For Section 1, I had two (pretty slim) sketchbooks and I did about 4 or 5 A1 paintings, because I didn't really get the hang of the brief at first. I'm stressing a bit because I basically did Section 1 in the 'old' brief style. And also, I kind of forgot to do one of the 'dismantled' objects My Section 1 was very vague.
Section 2 - I did the correct number of worksheets (6 I think) but 4 were A1 and 2 were A2.
Section 3 - I did the Decorative Items for Animals bit (2 A1 worksheets) and the Map a Journey bit (2 A1 worksheets and a video).

Altogether I had two skinny sketchbooks and one fat one, plus lots of A3 and A2 sheets scattered throughout it, and the worksheets. I just put three plain white dividers in with Section A, Section B, and Section C written on them. My art teacher went to Ncad and so I basically followed her advice on laying it out...I'm so hoping to get in but I don't think I will. I was Number 182, so they've probably looked at it/tossed it aside already. :rolleyes:

EDIT: My sketchbooks were A3, I should have mentioned.

Also, I wonder do they rate good ideas over artistic skills or the other way round? Obviously you need both, but which is more important?

unugh

Weekend Warrior wrote: »

Also, I wonder do they rate good ideas over artistic skills or the other way round? Obviously you need both, but which is more important?

Well a lot of people can draw,Every year people who are technically amazing get rejected and people with standard skills but a really creative mind get in.So from what iv heard/seen - creativity.you can improve on skills after all(I think they actually want you to not be totally amazing)

I think a major factor will be the objects you picked - i say there will be loads of 'shoes/lobsters/fruits/plants' portfolios- you know - stuff they get evveerry year.So the more original your objects are, that will probably catch their eyes.

.

unugh

+ from what people have told me there is only a certain amount of places for 6th years + the rest(plc-part time courses etc)
So if thats true and say hardly any 6th years apply doesnt that make it easier to get in compared to the majority being from PLC?

Weekend Warrior

unugh wrote: »

+ from what people have told me there is only a certain amount of places for 6th years + the rest(plc-part time courses etc)
So if thats true and say hardly any 6th years apply doesnt that make it easier to get in compared to the majority being from PLC?

I'm a sixth year, and I was told that 50% of places are reserved for sixth years. So I guess it does make it easier, but then again, as a sixth year you can't devote all your time to it, so I suppose it kind of balances itself out.

HouseHippo

unugh wrote: »

Well a lot of people can draw,Every year people who are technically amazing get rejected and people with standard skills but a really creative mind get in.So from what iv heard/seen - creativity.you can improve on skills after all(I think they actually want you to not be totally amazing)

I think a major factor will be the objects you picked - i say there will be loads of 'shoes/lobsters/fruits/plants' portfolios- you know - stuff they get evveerry year.So the more original your objects are, that will probably catch their eyes.

.

I picked....Hands,Chairs,Shirt Sleeves and Branches

wondering

HouseHippo wrote: »

Anyone who has done a portfolio or anyone who wants to offer some advice.....

Here's the brief
http://www.ncad.ie/portfolio/brief.html

Just managed to delete my last post, fe*k. this one will be a condensed version.

the brief is amazing, confusing, and oh so complicated and inspiring. I cant imagine the responce to 'what is the opposite of fish'.

Looking at this brief has really made me think about where i am, and what i want to do.this is dramatic but its been a bit of a revelation, it was a long time coming.

I am 25 and an unemployed environmental graduate.I am very rusty and really need some time to hone my artistic skills but i'll get there.

Doing an basic art portfolio preparation evening class in LSAD (12 weeks) centered on analytical drawing (study of object of choice, from different angles etc, and observational drawings from surroundings)shetch book- just started.

TBH i personally dont know how any of this fits into a porfolio, or specific brief, i am guessing that this is more for a generic portfolio. the guy who is giving the class used to grade the portfolios in LSAD, so i am for now presuming he knows what he is talking about. I better start asking more questions.

The best advice that i have been given as regards drawing make sure its something personal,or sometrhing you feel strongly about, or have
an attachment to, it really affects how you see it and subsequently draw it. it also means you wount get sick of it.

qwertyu

yeah no what you did sounds fine!


i just find it easier on worksheets for section 1 but evryones different;


im getting so impatient, i wish they sent letters earlier than mid to late march!!

HouseHippo

qwertyu wrote: »

yeah no what you did sounds fine!


i just find it easier on worksheets for section 1 but evryones different;


im getting so impatient, i wish they sent letters earlier than mid to late march!!

Tell me about it,I get butterflies everytime a letter comes through the letterbox

BlueNemo

Portfolio due 5th and 6th of March for D.I.T.... Wish me luck

Any last minute advice i might benefit from??

Larianne

Just make sure it's presented and labelled nicely.

red_bairn

Leave a note saying how great you are as an artist, and gloating on the fact that you are perhaps better than any lecturer in art out there...

Larianne

red_bairn, please keep the comments useful. Your above post is not.

Thank you.

Motorbreath

Found this floating around on the NCAD news section of their website.
Thought it might be of interest to all those applying this year:

http://ncadnews.u123.hosting365.ie/news/?p=85

Anybody spot their portfolio? :pac:


Edit:

Also to confirm what was stated earlier about the lower portfolio number this year, I was talking to the porter after I dropped mine in and he said they got in the region of just under 600. Mine was number 578 with about an hour or so to go till the deadline so the number sounds about accurate. Versus about 800 last year, I imagine the brief might have put a right few off.

Anyway it should be interesting to see how they look at our lot.

Weekend Warrior

Motorbreath wrote: »

Found this floating around on the NCAD news section of their website.
Thought it might be of interest to all those applying this year:

http://ncadnews.u123.hosting365.ie/news/?p=85

Anybody spot their portfolio? :pac:

.

Oh my God, that's mental I feel so sick just thinking about them looking through mine. I can't believe our fates have already been decided! :eek:

Motorbreath

Indeed, the thought is rather unsettling to say the least.

It's a pity they take so long to let us know, it's plain torture >_>

Although I must admit I'm looking forward to collecting my portfolio this weekend to see can I find any clues from the examination....
After a meticulous comb through I'm hoping to get the sweet scent of examiner 'satisfaction' :rolleyes: