Students considering art and design as a career choice should be thinking about transferring CCCC credits to an art school of your choice.
In most cases your application requires a portfolio of your best art work.
Most art schools require you to submit a portfolio of your artwork. The portfolio is your opportunity to show your best work to clearly demonstrate your skill, ability and interests.
Each art school will require a slightly different balance of work that they want to see included in the portfolio, so you need to do your homework and research the specific schools you want to apply to. You will find the portfolio requirements for the school you are applying to on their web site. Study the detail, and make sure you understand precisely what they want to see in your portfolio.
CCCC art faculty are here to support you in your application, so you should approach your art instructor early and let them know that you would like help and advice with your application and portfolio development. We are here to help you decide what needs to go into the portfolio and help you select the classes that will provide you with the quality and quantity of work you need for a successful application.
CCCC offers a one credit Portfolio preparation class every Spring semester so plan this into your schedule when applying to art school.
The three most important categories of art works to include in your portfolio are:
Category One: Observational Art. Observational art is drawing or painting in a traditional method using a still life, (more here) figure model, portrait or landscape as the subject and rendering the subject as accurately as possible. The image should NOT be copied from a photograph or the artists' imagination, but from real life. Size of the artwork should be approximately 18" x 24" or larger in scale and fill the entire surface of the paper or canvas. Most work in this category is done in pencil, charcoal, or other drawing mediums, but it can also include painting and collage.
Category Two: Personal Art. Personal art reflects the artists' unique interests in use of materials, subject matter and concept. Work can be completed in any media including (but not limited to) drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, digital/computer art, film/video, ceramics, sculpture, animation and performance art.
Category Three: Home Exam. The home exam consists of specific work that has been required by a particular college or department.
Please be aware that these general categories will vary from school to school, however they are considered to be consistent to most reputable art school portfolio requirements.
Here are some resources to help you develop a great portfolio: