14.6.16

What You Need To Know When Applying For Art School

By Betty Edwards


If you are an aspiring visual artist who desires to enhance their skills in a professional academic setting, then you should consider applying for art school. There are plenty of top colleges and universities with exceptional arts programs, and even specialized institutions dedicated to exclusively teaching art to students. So when you want to realize your creative pursuits, you must first impress the admissions office by sending a great portfolio submission via these helpful guidelines.

Your first order of business is to determine the specific submission requirements of the schools that you are applying to. You need to know whether they want applicants to submit essays on advanced color theory or video documentation of their previous works. Knowing such details will give you ample time to prepare everything that you must check off your list of things to do.

Learning how to draw or sketch is a vital skill since a lot of visual artists begin their projects by creating two dimensional studies rendered in pencil or ink on paper. That is why it is necessary for you to keep several sketchbooks drawing implements on hand whenever inspiration strikes at unexpected moments. Use these as possible inclusions to your portfolio submission.

One of the best secrets to crafting a compelling portfolio is to implement elements or themes tied directly or loosely on your personal experiences. Most artists are trying to make statements based on their emotional states or perhaps conveying their opinions in a more nonfigurative manner. The trick here is to strike a balance between being emotional and being cerebral.

As a suitable alternative, you can make do with exploring conceptual ideas that you do not usually go for. An admissions panel is looking for individuals who are unafraid to challenge themselves in bold and new directions when it comes to expressing their art. As such, you would be wise to employ some innovation and originality in your works.

When you are a creative visionary who can express himself in various mediums, then that is a very significant advantage. But do try to show some restraint by paring things down to the essentials and focus primarily on your core strengths as an artist skilled in a particular style. Doing this will eliminate the hassle of having too many ideas distracting your process.

Because the world of art is automatically subject to criticism, you must be emotionally prepared to face tough comments from anyone reviewing your work. Desensitize yourself by having more established creators take a look at your pieces for their opinion. Chances are, the things they will say to you might also be the same things that your prospective school would agree with.

Parallel to the previous point, you must not allow yourself to become a doormat for critics. Show some backbone and be your own ardent defender of your artwork. You will ultimately gain the respect of others if you show them you are not just an artist driven by emotions, but one who also happens to be erudite, articulate, and knowledgeable about art.

Before you become a serious art student, you must pass the hurdle of wowing an academic panel with the best art portfolio that you have. And as long as you dutifully heed these handy hints of advice in this post, then success is surely in your future. Above all, stay positive and never be afraid to stay true to your outspoken artistic voice.




About the Author: