Art school admission interview... any pointers?
Fellow typophiles,
Next tuesday (november 28th) I’ve got my admission interview at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, The Netherlands. I think I’m going to be alright, but I haven’t got the slightest on what I can expect. I’ve got a good portfolio I think. I have lots of sketches in there, not just final products. I heard admission commitees like sketches. Apparently the creation process is more important than the final product, which I think is rubbish... but hey, if they want sketches, they’ll get them.
But otherwise, I don’t know what will happen, and I’m quite nervous. I suppose most of you have attended some form of formal art education in the past, so I was wondering wether anyone of you had any suggestions or pointers?
Kind regards,
Wouter Spaak
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
20.Nov.2006 10.24am
The process is definitely more important than
the results in education (formal or informal).
I attended Computer Science school, so from me: good luck! :-)
hhp
20.Nov.2006 10.30am
I subscribe to the roller coaster method of portfolio presentation, which is a variant on the old fence post method.
Create build up by having a clean and tidy case, start with one of your best pieces (the initial drop), and then spread the next best works equally throughout (the smaller hills and loops). Then end with a jerk - a piece to leave an impression with the reviewer.
Good luck!
20.Nov.2006 10.36am
Also a question on volume of my portfolio... Though I’ve gathered some fifty-odd pieces I’m actually content with, I’ve only included fifteen or so works in my portfolio, mainly because I didn’t have enough time to write a detailed description for fifty pieces before it went off to the printer’s. Is fifteen enough, or should I just have entered everything?
20.Nov.2006 10.42am
It’s better to be selective than inclusive...fifteen is a solid number.
20.Nov.2006 2.10pm
Get in contact with current students and ask them about the admissions department. Its a great way to find out what the people working there want to see (or not see!), for example, if they’re going to expect you to have some good figure drawings in the portfolio it’s best to know that ahead of time.
Here in the states most schools want to see twelve to twenty pieces, and it’s usually a good idea for at least half of them to be at least 18”x24” in size.
Lastly, don’t show anime/manga styled work unless it’s outstanding. Art school admissions departments throw away piles of anime/manga portfolios every day because they get so much of it, and art teachers don’t like teaching kids who believe that line art is the ultimate achievement of human civilization.
20.Nov.2006 3.49pm
hey Wouter,
regardless of what’s in your portfolio:
*be confident
*be passionate
*have a point-of-view
succes!