r/graphic_design • u/cyber1989 • Feb 19 '25
Portfolio/CV Review Portfolio Review for uni admissions.
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u/Licorath Feb 19 '25
Honestly a fantastic level of work for a uni application.
I would consider removing the first life drawing as the other human studies are a step above the first.
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u/unsourire Feb 19 '25
You have two typos in your descriptions - “intermediate” is the correct spelling.
also you alternate using periods and not using periods, please standardize (e.g., Personal project. Collage on paper.)
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u/DillyDing_DillyDong Feb 19 '25
Hey nice work! Looks great! I've helped filter submissions to a uni course in the UK and my advice would be to see if you find a way you can show that you can develop your designs.
By this I mean show, roughs, increments of the work decisions that you made in the design, and the final outcome. this may seem counter productive in a portfolio where you only show your best work but the lectures I worked with really liked this in a portfolio! Don't do this for every project just 1 or 2!
Good luck!
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u/cyber1989 Feb 19 '25
what would that look like? like more sketches ? i’m just having a hard time understanding what that exactly means
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u/roguesimian Feb 19 '25
Take along sketch books with your rough ideas, exploration of medium used to achieve the final pieces and general working. When I applied to uni and art colleges the sketchbooks were an essential element to a portfolio. I appreciate times have changed and your portfolio will probably be reviewed online now but if you have an opportunity to let people see your sketch books at interview stage it’ll add a bit of extra value to your work.
Lovely work though. Good luck.
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u/djabudda9 Feb 19 '25
When I applied to different design faculties, they all were more interested in seeing conceptual work like sketches and progress on par with the finished product. But I don't know of course what portfolio conditions your uni of choice has :)
With that said, I would make the descriptions smaller and make them take less space, as they seem almost AS important as the pieces themselves. Great work btw!
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u/SirFanger Feb 19 '25
...Damn, that's amazing, i remember my admissions. they feel like preschool level compared to this xdd
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u/ccmgc Feb 19 '25
not hating but idk. It's more art than graphic design. No one does these type of old style graphic design in professional work in today's world.
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u/cyber1989 Feb 19 '25
all the art schools i’ve applied to focus admission portfolios on showing fundamentals not graphic design pieces.
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
You're exactly right. Most courses aren't looking for graphic designers; they're looking for creatives to train in graphic design. Honestly, I can see lecturers' eyes light up when they see your portfolio because it shows artistry, and it's mostly done by hand rather than digitally.
The more you learn Photoshop, the more tempted you will be to go digital, but your painting and drawing skills can really set you apart. Try to keep it up if you can
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u/jahblaze Feb 20 '25
Yeah love this comment. A prof I had opened the class up with… if I took your computer away, could you still do the job? Sure he was old school and did just that but it was an interesting thought exercise.
Almost all of my work for that class took on that challenge. Was a really fun way to think about approaching problems in today’s digital world and really got some creative results.
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u/BeeBladen Creative Director Feb 19 '25
Looks great for Uni! Your first year at an art-specific college is going to be very broad and most likely include figure drawing, sculpture, photography, etc. so you are showing good examples across the board. No one expects professional level work, that’s why you apply to uni.
Keep it up! Good luck!
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u/rossibossy Feb 20 '25
I'm working on mine rn, I think i am thinking too hard about this, seems like concepts and exercises are more the way to go then. These comments are SO helpful, thanks guys
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u/OpeningDifficulty731 Feb 19 '25
Wow my senior AP art portfolio from 10+ years ago had a simmer portraiture as the first image. Took mine on a flatbed scanner, I did it in pastels. This took me back
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u/steaimh Feb 19 '25
correct me if im wrong but isnt red the complementary color of green? Wouldnt it be a darker red in the case of the third slide instead of a purple color?
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u/cyber1989 Feb 19 '25
it’s more of a chartreuse or yellow heavy green so it’s complement is a magenta or red-violet. the green on the star was closer to it’s saturated color but adding mars black to any yellow or yellow leaning green makes it jump towards a deeper green.
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u/cyber1989 Feb 19 '25
I'm struggling with the page layout on slide 10 so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Buy any and all feedback would be super helpful. I do plan on adding short descriptions in the bottom left i just haven't gotten around to writing them yet.
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u/Expert-Budget4473 Feb 19 '25
If I were you, I would move your original sketch down to the right of the title on that slide. You can then enlarge your finished pieces a bit!
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u/MaverickFischer Feb 19 '25
Note: This is a fine arts portfolio, not a graphic design portfolio.
If you’re looking for a degree in fine arts then you might want to seek a sub Reddit that is focused on that.
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
Completely disagree.
Maybe it was different 20 years ago, but my university wasn't interested in seeing graphic design in our portfolio when I was applying for my degree. We weren't expected to know it, that's what the course was for. What they were interested in was the fundamentals; drawing skills, understanding perspective, lighting, creativity, and a good eye. The design skills can be taught.
This portfolio might not be for every university or course, but some will love it.
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u/MaverickFischer Feb 19 '25
You completely disagree that this not a graphic design portfolio?
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
I disagree that this is not a portfolio for a design degree, yes. I disagree that they should be seeking out fine art courses and subs instead.
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u/MaverickFischer Feb 19 '25
Well if you would like, I can search and find some examples of what a design portfolio and a fine arts portfolio looks like for you.
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
No that's very kind of you, but I'm well aware of what portfolios look like. Besides, I'm sure you could find plenty of portfolios from graphic design and fine art graduates, not what students submit for application.
Note: This is someone who hasn't studied design yet. I explained why this is a good portfolio for someone looking to apply for a course but apparently, you didn't read past the first line.
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u/MaverickFischer Feb 19 '25
I read everything you said.
You didn't explain why it is a good portfolio for someone looking to apply for a course. You simply stated that your particular university wasn't interested in a design portfolio.
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
I thought it was pretty clear I was making a general point about what some, if not most universities and art schools are looking for by using mine as a point of reference.
Even OP said himself "all the art schools i’ve applied to focus admission portfolios on showing fundamentals not graphic design pieces."
A former classmate is a guest lecturer at Central St. Martins; widely considered the best graphic design course in the UK. This is what they look for in a portfolio, not some fake brief an 18-year-old sets themselves for some imaginary cafe.
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u/MaverickFischer Feb 19 '25
I think you need to re-read what I wrote and make sure you comprehend it first, instead of just arguing. Cool?
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25
Note: This is a fine arts portfolio, not a graphic design portfolio
Wrong. This is a good admission portfolio for a lot of courses.
You completely disagree that this not a graphic design portfolio
Yes. I clarified this further since you were having issues with comprehension
Well if you would like, I can search and find some examples of what a design portfolio and a fine arts portfolio looks like for you.
You'll find plenty of graduate portfolios, rarely if any pre-grad portfolios. Portfolios for most art and design schools look like this.
You didn't explain why it is a good portfolio for someone looking to apply for a course. You simply stated that your particular university wasn't interested in a design portfolio.
Yes I did. Using my university as a point of reference I explained what most art and design colleges look for. I even gave you a further example of Central St Martins.
Here's their pre-admission portfolio course, and course advice BTW. They don't even focus on design,
https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/apply/portfolio-advice
https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/short-courses/portfolio-preparation-short-coursesPlease feel free to tell me where my comprehension has lacked because it sounds an awful lot like you're not actually saying anything just replying with 'nah'.
Being wrong but in a snarky, confident way doesn't make you any less wrong. Your advice was incorrect, I politely replied explaining why and you've said sweet fuck all since then.
Probablly best if you just fuck off at this stage and annoy someone else. Cool? I'm just going to block you at this point either way so lets just say yes. Happy designing x
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u/kopflampe Feb 19 '25
I think there‘s a typo on slide 9, it should be «Il Furore». Other than that, nice, good luck!
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u/papalapris Feb 20 '25
For uni SUBMISSIONS???
I don't think my uni final was this creative and interesting. Awesome job!!
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u/Humillionaire Feb 20 '25
This is for getting INTO uni? I don't think you're going to have any trouble, this is some serious talent.
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u/theTRULYdeadguy876 Feb 20 '25
Really beautiful, you are very talented. Im honestly gonna use a similiar format for my own work, thank you
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u/Swimming-Comfort-155 Feb 21 '25
Unis look for potential and you have that in spades. True, this may not be straight up design, but it shows your skill in visual literacy that admissions might be looking for. Congratulations on a wonderful portfolio. I would not overthink it beyond spell checking. Also i'm obsessed with your wearable sculpture.
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u/MelodicCarry6998 Feb 19 '25
For some reason I couldn't see all of the slides, but just wanted to say i loved the self portrait.
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u/BannedPixel Senior Designer Feb 19 '25
Your portfolio highlights the common gap between school and the real world—one of the key reasons many graduates struggle to find work. While your collection demonstrates strong technical skills and visually engaging pieces, it lacks a crucial element: practical problem-solving. In a professional setting, success isn’t just about creating aesthetically pleasing work; it’s about translating a client’s vision into effective, marketable solutions. As others have pointed out, this leans more toward fine art than graphic design.
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u/tameoraiste Creative Director Feb 19 '25 edited Feb 19 '25
I disagree entirely with this. That's what design school is for. That's a skill that can be learned. I went to an art and design school and they weren't interested in people coming in with 'graphic design' portfolios; they wanted to see creativity and talent.
Practical problem-solving comes from having practical problems to solve. The course should give you practical problems to solve to build up that skill. Just out of school 18-year-olds aren't making up these problems for themselves.
I think it's a great portfolio for a COURSE, not a job. Lots of lecturers would be excited to work with them.
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u/HibiscusGrower Designer Feb 19 '25
I would not include the first image (self portrait). I like the textures and style but the anatomy of the face is way off compared to your other life drawings. Everything else looks good to me.
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