Game Art Portfolio Requirements
Applicants to the Game Art BFA are required to submit a portfolio as part of the admission process. Your portfolio allows us to learn about your artistic voice, creative process and potential as a game artist. If you are applying to the Game Art BA, a portfolio is not required, and admission is based on Cornish’s standard application requirements.
Submit 10-15 works that best represent your artistic ability, creativity, and commitment. We encourage you to include a variety of work in your portfolio, whether you’re exploring an array of media, ideas, or both. Traditional, digital, and time-based media (video/film/sound) are all welcome. At least 3 traditional works are required, and observational figure, still-life, or landscape drawings are encouraged.
While the majority of your portfolio should be completed works, we also encourage you to submit items that can help inform us of your creative process and influences. This can include your sketchbook, process book, reflective journals, and works in progress. We want to understand how you are getting from ideation to execution.
For prospective game artists it is helpful (but not required) to show consideration for the interactive context of one or more pieces of art, either through annotations, caption text, or dynamic representations in the image itself (e.g. the functions of a character or environment in the experience of gameplay.
Portfolios give Cornish the chance to see the passion and commitment behind your artistic work. You do not need to make work specifically for the admissions portfolio. If you have been creating work in your arts classes and as part of a personal artistic practice, you should have lots to choose from.
When it comes time to apply, all you need to do is curate a collection that shows your strengths. When editing your portfolio, ask yourself some of the following questions:
- When were you excited to experiment with new ideas and/or techniques?
- In which works are you most proud of your technical abilities?
- Is there a work where you took a major risk that paid off?
- Which works let you dive into a subject or medium you’re deeply interested in?
- Did you explore the same idea or technique across multiple works?
- Which works really allow your voice to shine through?
Please do not include work that directly replicates another artist’s work (including replications of cartoons, video game characters, anime and manga, or depictions of celebrities and other public figures). These are great for learning technical skills, but we want to see works that showcase your ideas.