Pattern

Portfolio Review Instructions

Art Department

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Art Department Admissions

A portfolio review is a required part of the Art Department admissions process. Your portfolio will be reviewed by a faculty member who will gauge your potential for success in the Art Department. You are strongly encouraged to present your portfolio in person either on-campus during a scheduled review or at any of the National Portfolio Days that Cornish attends. The review schedule is available from the Admissions Office or here online.

Portfolio Requirements

The following guidelines set by the Art Department are quite specific; please read them carefully. You will be presenting ten original works of art, all of which must have been completed within the last two years.

  1. Present five drawings from observation using black and white materials. These works should record what you see — not what you imagine and not what you observed in a photograph. Examples of this type of drawing include:
    • Landscapes
    • Cityscapes
    • Still-lifes
    • Self-portraits
    • Figurative works

    or present five photographs that reflect your observations of the world. The content of these images might include:

    • Commentaries on life or society
    • Strictly design or visual statements
    • Concepts or ideas
    • Your personal view of life
    • Alternative or experimental statements
     
  2. Present five pieces of art that are related to one another and form a cohesive body of work. Ways in which the pieces might relate to one another include:
    • Subject matter
    • Media/materials
    • Concept/idea
The Day of Your Review

You will present your portfolio to a member of the Art Department faculty during a scheduled review or at a National Portfolio Day Association event. During your review be prepared to discuss the work you present, your experience in the arts, and your artistic goals.

Portfolio by Mail

The faculty strongly encourages you to make every effort to present your portfolio in person, either on campus during a scheduled review or at any of the National Portfolio Days that Cornish attends. However, if distance prevents an in-person review, you may document your portfolio in digital (CD or DVD) or 35 mm slide format. Please do not send original works. Send your digital or slide portfolio to:

Admissions Office
Cornish College of the Arts
1000 Lenora Street
Seattle, WA 98121

If you wish to have your portfolio returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage.

How to Make Slides

Care should be taken when photographing your work to make certain the quality and detail show in the slides. If possible, consult a professional for photographing your artwork. Your high school or college instructors might also be able to assist you. If your work is small-scale and you have access to a copy stand, we recommend its use; it will provide better conditions for consistent and even lighting of your work. If photographing your work on your own, follow these general instructions:

  1. We recommend Kodak E-6 35 mm outdoor slide film. Best results will come by photographing your work outdoors on an overcast day; you will be using the diffuse daylight as your light source.
  2. Find an exterior wall that is facing the sun. Use a black surface as your background such as a black cloth drape or board.
  3. Shoot one work at a time; do not combine pieces into one slide. Focus the camera on the artwork and set the f-stop (aperture setting) at 11 or smaller.
  4. Take at least 3 exposures of each piece, setting the camera to a different shutter speed each time and leaving the f-stop the same (a.k.a. bracketing).
  5. Have your film developed at a quality photo lab.
Presentation of Your Slide Portfolio

Slides should be placed in a single 11" x 8" three-hole punched, clear transparent slide sleeve. For the best results please make computer printed labels or print clearly using a fine tip permanent black marker. Each slide should be labeled as follows: