Preparing a Portfolio

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Portfolio One of the most important elements of the application process is the portfolio of artwork. It demonstrates your artistic skills and experience to help us identify creative, talented students who will work hard at Otis and be successful. Note: Otis does not accept original artwork and portfolios will not be returned.

What to Include

Foundation Level	10-20 examples of your best and most recent work Any medium, including drawings, illustration, painting, photography, two-dimensional design, sculpture, drafting, three-dimensional design, and time-based projects. Your work should show your technical skills and creativity.

Sophomore Level
Approach A	10-20 examples of artwork The first approach is to show work that mirrors Foundation Year. This would include life drawing of the nude model, observa- tional drawing, 2-D and 3-D Design. It would also include personal work that expresses your interests and creativity. It does not have to include work from the major you wish to study, but rather the core skills of that discipline. For example, if you wish to study Toy Design, your portfolio does not need to include toys, but should include examples of drawing and three dimensional design.

Approach B	10-20 examples of artwork The second approach is to submit work that shows advanced skill in your major. For example, students applying for the Architecture/Landscape/Interiors major may submit a portfolio that consists of drafting, rendering and CAD projects, rather than life drawing and 2-D design. Remember, the portfolio must demonstrate that you have the skills to be successful at the sophomore level. Please note – Fashion Design and Digital Media require life drawing in a sophomore level portfolio.

Second Semester Sophomore (Spring only) and Junior Level (Fall only)	10-20 examples of artwork Highlighting your skills in your discipline and shows that you are ready to tackle junior year without having taken Foundation and sophomore years at Otis. Junior level students are expected to have professional level artwork and to be ready for internships and advanced coursework. For example, a student applying to be a junior in Graphic Design should show advanced work in graphic design. Please note that the Fashion Design department does not accept second semester sophomore or junior level students.

How to Submit your Portfolio Once you submit an application to Otis College of Art and Design you will have the option of creating and submitting an electronic portfolio. You will receive the url to our e-Portfolio site after your application has been submitted. There you can upload your images of artwork, label them, and when you have completed the process, submit the final draft directly to the College electronically. This is the preferred method of submission of your artwork. You can still submit slides or a CD or DVD. Please label all materials clearly with your name and your Otis ID, or another ID such as date of birth. Otis does not accept original artwork and portfolios will not be returned. Regardless of how you submit your portfolio, please include an index with the name of the piece, medium, approximate dimensions, date, and any other information that would be helpful to the review committee. Please do not send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your portfolio.