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Portfolio Brief. HELP & ADVICE

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    #2
    thebaldsoprano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭thebaldsoprano


    Aye, did one recently I'll be starting in IADT this september. Completely did my own thing and picked up tips from friends in NCAD and IADT on how to present it.

    The portfolio preparation course in IADT is meant to be very good, a friend of mine did it and got offered NCAD and IADT and she loved the course aswell. You'd want to get on to them fairly soon if you're thinking about it though, it fills up fairly quickly.

    Not sure what else to say really apart from have fun and best of luck!


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    #3
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    thebaldsoprano wrote: »
    Aye, did one recently I'll be starting in IADT this september. Completely did my own thing and picked up tips from friends in NCAD and IADT on how to present it.

    The portfolio preparation course in IADT is meant to be very good, a friend of mine did it and got offered NCAD and IADT and she loved the course aswell. You'd want to get on to them fairly soon if you're thinking about it though, it fills up fairly quickly.

    Not sure what else to say really apart from have fun and best of luck!
    Over i missed the boat im afraid. cant afford it anyway


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    #4
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Have you tried Colaiste Dhulaigh? They've a Portfolio course, which I did myself. Everyone got a place in some art related course. They might still have places left.


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    #5
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    Larianne wrote: »
    Have you tried Colaiste Dhulaigh? They've a Portfolio course, which I did myself. Everyone got a place in some art related course. They might still have places left.
    I'm back to school in a week i'm afraid


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    #6
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Oh, so are you going to do the portfolio over the school year? Can your art teacher give you a hand???


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    #7
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    Larianne wrote: »
    Oh, so are you going to do the portfolio over the school year? Can your art teacher give you a hand???
    I wish. She is never in. And the class is hard to control I was put in with all the people who did art cause they didn't want to work at another sub, thought it would be easy


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    #8
    thebaldsoprano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭thebaldsoprano


    Do you have any friends in an art college who might be able to help you out a bit?

    Must say, I got some invaluable advice that way...


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    #9
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    That's a pity, what about maybe approaching another art teacher. They might be able to help after school or during lunch break. Most art teachers I think would be happy to help you out.

    I just found this course with Draiocht. http://www.draiocht.ie/whatson/visual.htm

    Just scroll down halfway.

    I'll have a look at my portfolio and see what areas I covered myself and send you a PM.


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    #10
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    thebaldsoprano wrote: »
    Do you have any friends in an art college who might be able to help you out a bit?

    Must say, I got some invaluable advice that way...
    A few....bit hard to keep tabs of. i did work exp there it was great but they are all off in Europe etc. I will email em though.

    i said an email to the head of the core studies dep 2 weeks ago he hasn't emailed me back and i'm too scared to badger him


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    #11
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    Larianne wrote: »
    That's a pity, what about maybe approaching another art teacher. They might be able to help after school or during lunch break. Most art teachers I think would be happy to help you out.

    I just found this course with Draiocht. http://www.draiocht.ie/whatson/visual.htm

    Just scroll down halfway.

    I'll have a look at my portfolio and see what areas I covered myself and send you a PM.
    OOOO only 160 euro


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    #12
    thebaldsoprano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭thebaldsoprano


    Great! It's a start anyway, and the small tips really can help a lot.


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    #13
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    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.


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    #14
    Weekend Warrior
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Weekend Warrior


    Hello HouseHippo, I'm also going into 6th year and trying to do that same brief over the school year, and I'm equally confused :( I can't really understand what they're looking for, and in what format. :confused:
    My art teacher has good intentions, but I don't know if she has actually read this brief.
    How much work have you done yet, and what's it like; notebooks or finished pieces, etc? I can tell you what I've done, but I don't know how much help I would be :o


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    #15
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    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!


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    #16
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    Weekend Warrior wrote: »
    Hello HouseHippo, I'm also going into 6th year and trying to do that same brief over the school year, and I'm equally confused :( I can't really understand what they're looking for, and in what format. :confused:
    My art teacher has good intentions, but I don't know if she has actually read this brief.
    How much work have you done yet, and what's it like; notebooks or finished pieces, etc? I can tell you what I've done, but I don't know how much help I would be :o
    Ok well so far....I have the brainstorms done, and I picked my objects and I've done a whole load of practice drawings but am scared to start cause I don't know how they want me to present it


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    #17
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭HouseHippo


    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!
    i have the life drawing note book, the A4, two of those in fact.

    So far I have used pencil, watercolour pencil, acrylic, pro markers and sharpies, colouring pencil

    I go to galleries pretty often too


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    #18
    HouseHippo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭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.
    Going to beg my Grandparents for the cash I think they wil say yes. I'm going to ring up 2morro


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    #19
    sarahpie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭sarahpie


    EXPAND !
    think outside the box ,thats what they want

    do some sculpture maybe ? doesnt neccisarily have to be clay,could be wire / chicken fence wire / wooden ..?

    am do some photography ?! but dont stop at the photo...that doesnt have to be the end product , ya could try mess around on the computer with the photos ya dont need photoshop ! i used this cheapy one i got with my camera

    or u could soak them in things/melt/make collages


    ammmm
    they like life drawing too ,maybe some quick sketches on bus/train
    then detailed ones
    use variety of media !!

    amm... yeah ! if i think of anything else i'l let ya no


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    #20
    Banana_montana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Banana_montana


    Im working on the same brief! Im 21 and finished college with a diploma in media and comms, major in photography. But Im hungry for more! Id love to go to NCAD and do visual comms but im applying to IADT and DIT for their degree in photography as back up.

    ANYWAY, I love the idea of a portfolio brief.
    These are just a set of guidelines, you can do what you like with the ideas you come up with! Any form of media is acceptable, tho remember with video it cannot exceed 2mins or something? I dont think il be using that anyway. But yeah, go crazy and best of luck!!

    Also some great tips from Larianne there.
    Thank you :)


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    #21
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Here's some ideas for mixed media to use (hopefully it will inspire you!)

    Egg shells
    Candle wax
    textured wall paper
    string
    wool
    coins
    sweet wrappers
    lollipop sticks
    leaves
    pressed flowers
    dog hair (my friend used it to cover his visual notebook!!)
    Nail varnish
    beads/buttons
    feathers
    sand
    glitter/sequins
    rice
    tin foil
    pasta shells
    handmade paper
    corks
    tin cans
    pipe cleaners
    pictures from magazines
    different texts from books or magazines or newspapers

    Mix them all up, stick them into or onto things, paint over them, layer them, tell a story with them, make something pop up with them, a 3D piece, an animation piece (keep it short), a piece of jewellery.


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    #22
    Banana_montana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Banana_montana


    How is everyone getting on? To be honest Im picking up a lot of inspiration but it's just not happening! Thank god i started this in time! haha!


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    #23
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Banana_montana wrote: »
    How is everyone getting on? To be honest Im picking up a lot of inspiration but it's just not happening! Thank god i started this in time! haha!

    In what way is it not happening? Are you unable to link things together? Tell us what the difficulties are and maybe people can post up help/ideas to help you along.


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    #24
    Banana_montana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Banana_montana


    Well basically I got my brainstorms done, threw down a few ideas, scrapped them so on so forth. Now im at a point where I think I know what direction I wanna go in, but when i try to piece it together, I just can't. Like when I try to make sense of it on paper im not happy... am I making sense?
    Haha sorry, my head is in a jock over it.

    To be honest I just feel like my ideas are lacking, and I wanna just come up with something wonderful but my creative buzz isnt present when i need it!
    I tried sketching a few things last night, now I havent drawn properly in a few years, just the odd piece here and there, and I was just really unhappy woth my work. Ive become slower too which makes sense like. I just need to get back into it i guess!
    Too be honest, i'm far better and other stuff, like photograhy, and collages and piecing things together and making pages and designs and illustrations and creating little stories and scenarios for photoshoots etc... as opposed to freehand srawing which im not great at these days.. maybe i need to focus on what im good at instead. I mean its all about showing what I can do with the brief, i got too caught up in the idea of drawing it all out! Think i just solved my own problem haha!
    So many great tips on this forum tho.:)


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    #25
    Banana_montana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Banana_montana


    And apologies for the awful spelling in that post, haha.


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    #26
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    I decided to sticky this thread as it will be of use to many who are getting a portfolio together.

    Please feel free to add to it - suggestions or questions. ;)


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    #27
    Weekend Warrior
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Weekend Warrior


    The more I try to do this portfolio, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong! :o It's driving me a little bit crazy at the minute. I'm startng on my object for the 'Tools' bit and I just can't seem to think of good ideas or get anything down on paper right :mad:
    Just need to have a rant :rolleyes:


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    #28
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Weekend Warrior wrote: »
    The more I try to do this portfolio, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong! :o It's driving me a little bit crazy at the minute. I'm startng on my object for the 'Tools' bit and I just can't seem to think of good ideas or get anything down on paper right :mad:
    Just need to have a rant :rolleyes:

    Have you got your objects/themes - tool/clothing/location/lifeform?

    Once you pick your objects/themes make a list of the details about each object - how it works, how it feels, what it's made up of, where it's used, what's it normally surrounded by, etc.

    Then have another look at both lists and see how you can work each theme into one another. Maybe something that doesn't seem at first to have a connection with something else actually does from your list? Display how it does. Or take two completely different objects from the themes and see how you can change one into the other.

    Use your visual notebook to write down these lists and ideas, any bit of sketches, cuttings etc. that pops into your head, even if you think it's ****e it's showing the tutor how you think about the process. No point having lots of lovely pictures and the tutor can't see where they've come from!! And if something doesn't work, scrap it and move on. But keep it in your vis book, so the tutor can see where your going and how you can decide on progressing a piece or leaving it. That's very important too!!!!


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    #29
    Banana_montana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Banana_montana


    Weekend Warrior wrote: »
    The more I try to do this portfolio, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong! :o It's driving me a little bit crazy at the minute. I'm startng on my object for the 'Tools' bit and I just can't seem to think of good ideas or get anything down on paper right :mad:
    Just need to have a rant :rolleyes:

    I'm taking a break from it right now!
    Ive got all my ideas bt to be honest I know if I continue with it now I'll go crazy! So I guess I feel your pain haha!
    Maybe take a lil break, you may be suprised the amount of ideas that float into your head while you aren't actually focusing on it.
    Best of luck!:)


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    #30
    sonx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 74 ✭✭sonx


    theres lots of places doing 1 year long portfolio courses, if u wanna go to ncad think they organise one. Try outside of Ireland too, if you can afford it go somewhere a bit more creative!


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    #31
    Sophisticated6y
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭Sophisticated6y


    Hello!
    Ok i'm new on this, much help appreciated!!!
    Larianne you are a god send!

    Have only decided recently that becoming an art teacher is what I want to do. I'm in 6th year now and freaking out because the brief is due for February! AGH!

    And I haven't even started!! One of my Art teachers recommended doing a portfolio course for summer 09 but would that be wasting time? As in, this time next year would I be sitting at home twidling my thumbs?

    Anyone know of any art teacher that does grinds in portfolio courses in the Kildare/Dublin region?
    Have emailed Draíocht today, their course starts tomorro for portfolio prep.

    Any help much obliged!!!


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