How to Make a Portfolio

You might want to know how to make a portfolio if you are trying to get into an art school or applying for a job in business or modeling.

The first thing to do is contact the school or schools you are interested in and get their portfolio requirements and application deadlines. Some schools might want only original art work while others might prefer slides. To some, a digital portfolio is acceptable, and some might have limits on the size.

It is important to have plenty of time to create your portfolio, so start early.  Check with the school for guidance on how to make a portfolio; some offer free classes or workshops that are designed to help you with your portfolio. You may also find a free or low-cost class in creating a portfolio at a community college.

Most schools want at least one of the following categories in your portfolio:

• Personal Art: Personal art shows your interests and choice of mediums. This can be photography, animation, computer art, and videos, to name a few.
• Observational art: Observational art is the traditional kind of art which includes still life, landscapes, or other subjects from real life. 
• A home exam: Home exam means any particular requirements of the school that need to be in your portfolio, life a drawing of an animal or a self portrait. 

Job Skills Portfolio

A job skills portfolio is a tool that can help you get a job by giving the potential employer a better idea of your skills and experiences than is evident on your resume. It is like taking your resume to the next level. You will need to decide on the format of your portfolio and how it will be organized.

Your portfolio needs to be in a nice looking three ring binder. It does not matter if it has a zipper or not. It should have a table of contents and have sections separated with tabs or dividers. You might also consider putting your portfolio on the Web.  

Following are some categories for your portfolio. You will not need to include all of these; it will depend on the type of job you want.

1. Your resume and/or a text-only version for scanning
2. Summary of your professional goals: interests, work ethic, your future, etc.
3. A mission statement including what drives you and your philosophy
4. List of skills and abilities
5. List of accomplishments
6. Samples including presentation, reports, and any papers that were published
7. Letters of reference can include bosses, peers, clients, and evaluations
8. Honors and awards
9. List of other training like workshops or seminars
10. Description of education: degrees, certification, licenses, etc.
11. Professional development including conferences or associations you joined
12. List of military service and achievements
13. Any activities that relate to your work like volunteering or pro bono work
14. List of references (3-5) including contact information

Modeling Portfolio

The last instructions on how to make a portfolio are for modeling. In the modeling profession, the first impression you give is even more important than in other professions. Set you standards high as most potential employers will remember your worst photograph.  

Your portfolio should hold 8½ by 11 inch pages. Some people want larger photos but 8x10 or 8½  by 11 are usually adequate. Do not have too many photos.  Quality is more important than quantity. Your pictures need to show you at your very best and include a range of moods and ages. Six photos are the minimum and 20 is the maximum for an experienced model. Remember the pictures need to be great, not good.  

The pictures can be from several photographers and you may want to include some in black and white. You may include swimsuit or lingerie photos only if you are comfortable with them. They are not a requirement for a portfolio.