Strategies for a successful art school application.

For entry to visual arts university programs, the portfolio is key. At a school like NSCAD University, in addition to an admissions essay and transcripts, we require a visual portfolio.

Your portfolio should show breadth and depth. You are at the beginning of your art education when it is important to be open and inquisitive – try lots of ways of working: photo, drawing, knitting, sculpture. Variety can come from working with lots of different materials or by using one material in lots of different ways. Make great things and show us what you are most proud of. We also want to see your sketchbook. Of utmost importance are clear photos of your work. A good tip is to photograph outside, on an overcast day.

Even if know you will study photography or film, at NSCAD, we learn a lot through an applicant’s drawings. We should see “observational drawing” in your portfolio. These are scenes from life where you look at the three dimensional world, process this information, and draw. This isn’t only about developing your drawing technique; you are learning to see. Artists and designers see differently than others. Photographers may see differently than drawers. How does the act of drawing change what you see? Grab a good sheet of paper, set up a still life, and continue to redraw it over a few days, put 5+ hours into it, it should be richly layered. Copying photos of your favorite celebrities, or drawing Anime/Manga is a fun pastime, but it doesn’t show us what we need to see. Taking a figure drawing class is another excellent way to develop drawings for your portfolio.

The sketchbook is a place where creative people observe their world and record their thoughts. It can be filled with collage, drawings, and words, but it is not filled with finished pieces. Here is where you take chances, make mistakes and discoveries that will lead you to make amazing finished pieces.

Be brave, be proud and pull it all together so your portfolio shows us the best of what you can do.