As an artist, the “portfolio” is the resistance piece of your resume, the physical evidence of your creative skills and abilities . The well-known phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” is especially meaningful when we refer to an artistic portfolio.
Many jobs and industries use a portfolio in order to allow you to demonstrate your skills, background, accomplishments and experiences. It is even more true when we refer to the players involved in the art phenomenon: plastic artists, digital artists, photographers, cartoonists, graphic designers and dealers, galleries, agents, publishers, auction houses, buyers and art collectors.
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of samples and documentation that provides proof of your work accomplishments. Can be a physical binder to hold samples of your work, or an online portfolio with digital files.
A portfolio should be simple and friendly to contemplate. Better not to get too stylish in your presentation techniques that might be unique but, can also frustrate and discourage the users. Think of it like an art gallery— pretty and neat with plenty of space to showcase the artwork.
Basic rules of creating a portfolio
1. Gather your best artworks: You know by now what are the most admired art pieces that you have created. Make sure they are part of your portfolio, presented in the “the best light” so to speak, including notes of the critical-acclaimed mentions and awards won.
2. Choose a presentation template: It worth the effort to get as professional as you could when it comes to the overall display and packaging. Use high quality images and fine art media to create a presentation to be proud of. Fine Art Imaging Studio specialized in fine art printing and digital art reproduction could help with your efforts in these regards.
3. Include the right content and features: When putting your portfolio together it is crucial to demonstrate your artistic identity. Every artist has his own specific skills, and it is extremely important that your presentation accurately reflects and connects to your artistic point of view either by displaying an evolution or revealing a theme.
4. The Online Portfolio can be very helpful to be more easily accessible via the internet. Make sure to make it mobile friendly. However, this should not take the place of a hard copy portfolio but be created in addition to one.
Presentation portfolios are the most direct representation of who you are as an artist and allow evaluations and reviews given by art professionals. It is through these portfolios that future projects and opportunities will be granted to you.
Note: the process of building your artistic portfolio may surprise you as a method of self-discovery and confidence building. Thus, we encourage you to address it sooner than later.