No matter what your creative dreams are, there’s one thing that every aspiring artist should have—an art portfolio.
A portfolio is an edited collection of your best work, usually meant to showcase your style or approach. They’re most commonly used when applying to art schools or pitching to a potential client or employer.
In this post, we’ll show you some art portfolio examples, including digital samples on artist websites, and teach you how you can start building your own.
What Should an Art Portfolio Include?
It can be daunting when you’re first starting to think about what to include in your portfolio, and your head is probably swimming with questions. How many examples of art are in a portfolio? When should you update your online art portfolio with examples of your work?
While every portfolio will be as unique as the artist they’re showcasing, there are a few areas to consider including in yours—regardless of whether your end goal is to be accepted into an art program or make your next career move.
Mix Your Mediums
It’s easy to think that if you’re a watercolor painter, you should only include watercolor pieces as your portfolio examples. But that’s not the case. Particularly if you’re applying to an academic program, the admissions team will want to see diversity and breadth in your skills. Include a mixture of mediums and techniques to demonstrate both your creativity and technical abilities across the field.
Keep in mind, however, the program or position that you’re applying for. If you’re trying to snag an illustration job with Pixar, they probably won’t be that interested in your sculpture work or graphic design.
While it’s smart to include one or two pieces from alternative mediums, when you’re thinking about your art portfolio website examples, weigh your choices more heavily on the style and direction that you’re hoping to move toward as a creator. If there’s a piece you’re particularly proud of and would like to include, tailor any written explanations to discuss why it’s relevant to the program or job you’re applying for.
Be Observational
One of the most difficult technical skills as an artist is observation. Whether your preference is for drawing or painting objects or people, showing that you can take what’s in front of you and put it on paper effectively clearly demonstrates understanding of the fundamentals of art and design.
Be sure to include at least two observational works in your final portfolio. This is especially important if you’re thinking about how to put together an art teaching portfolio as you’ll be expected to have strong skills in this area in order to teach your students how to do the same.
Make It About You
The joy of living a creative life is in expressing yourself through your medium of choice. That’s what college admissions teams and employers want to see!
When schools and businesses are making choices about who to bring into their program or job, they’re often choosing between candidates with very similar backgrounds. When you think about some of the artist websites you love and their portfolio examples, they probably all look very different, even if the artists are using the same medium.
When you only have limited space to show a judging panel for a job or college placement why you’re the perfect choice, it’s important to put your best work forward and highlight the aspects you love most. That could be the style or technique you use, the subject matter within your work, anything at all that clearly says, “This is who I am as an artist.” The best way to stand out is to do what you do best—just be you.
How to Make an Online Art Portfolio
These days, there are plenty of online tools that can help to make your art portfolio stand out and give a true representation of your best work. Having your own website is the perfect place to start and gives you full control over what you put out into the world. It also means that you can grow and adapt online as you progress through your creative career.
WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, and Showit are some of the most commonly used website builders for artists. They’re fully customizable content management systems, giving you the opportunity to make your site look exactly as you want and to show off your work in a way that feels authentic to your style and creative vision.
Don’t let the unlimited potential of a digital space overwhelm you. The best art portfolio examples focus on quality over quantity, with crystal-clear photography to capture the final product at its best.
Wondering how many examples of art there are in a portfolio? Most only show 10 to 15 pieces at a time. It’s especially important if you’re applying to art college that you check the requirements before submitting your portfolio, as most have submission limitations to keep the process equal for all applicants.
Make Your Portfolio Stand Out From the Crowd!
Professional Portfolio Presentation
13 Examples of Online Art Portfolios
Now that you’ve got an idea of how to create an eye-catching portfolio, take a look at some real-life art portfolio website examples from artists around the world.
1. Michelle Carlos
Michelle Carlos’ whimsical style is clearly displayed in her vibrant website, showing her range of illustration abilities.
2. Adrian Cox
Adrian Cox arranges his website by year and exhibition collection. Several of these pages have text discussing his work, one of the best examples on how to write up an art portfolio.
3. Jessica Hardy
Jessica Hardy demonstrates her breadth of experience in her website. She’s a great example of how to put an art teaching portfolio together ahead of a job interview.
4. Ricky Leung
Ricky Leung’s minimalist website helps to highlight his beautiful illustrations without any distractions.
5. Emma Block
Emma Block’s site is a perfect example of showing your range as an artist, with examples from book illustrations to wedding invitation designs.
6. Darren Hughes
Australian artist Darren Hughes is known for his animal portraits, whether wild or pets. His portfolio is a simple showcase that highlights his best work.
7. Brooke Cormier
Brooke Cormier’s website is neatly arranged into different categories, making it easy to find relevant work as a potential employer or client.
8. Brandon Celi
Brandon Celi’s diverse portfolio expertly highlights his skills across multiple mediums, including animation.
9. Mary Iverson
Mary Iverson’s giant wall paintings are mirrored in her website design. Nods to her well-known constellation piece frame the site background, while maintaining focus on the final works.
10. Xaviera Lopez
Chilean artist and animator Xaviera Lopez keeps her tones consistent across both her work and website design to create a balanced and cohesive portfolio.
11. Sarah Leigh
Skillshare instructor Sarah Leigh highlights both her paintings and hand-lettering pieces on her vibrant online portfolio. Learn how to make your own portfolio in her class, Create A One Page Art Portfolio Website in WordPress.
12. Shantell Martin
Shantell Martin’s portfolio is a perfect example of letting your personality come through in your online branding. Her quirky site design reflects her eclectic pieces and famous clientele.
13. Banksy
As one of the most famous artists in the world, Banksy’s website is a collection of his best work. The minimal design lets the art speak for itself and the lack of text throughout the site is a nod to his mysterious identity.
If you’re thinking about when you should update your online art portfolio, we hope you’ve found some inspiration from these incredible artists to help you on your way!
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FAQs
How do you write an art portfolio example? ›
- Read the criteria closely. Every school has its own set of requirements for a portfolio. ...
- Organize examples effectively. ...
- Write clear, concise labels. ...
- Be ready to discuss each piece. ...
- Tell stories. ...
- Don't get hung up on quantity. ...
- Get outside advice. ...
- Showcase your technical ability.
Application reviewers say that a strong art portfolio includes a few observational works created from something you can see in real life. Be sure that these works reflect your take on the world around you—they should not be copies of work by other artists or fan art.
What is a portfolio and examples? ›A portfolio is a place where you keep examples of work that you are proudest of. It will often be in the form of a website, but it is also possible to use a platform such as Instagram to increase your visibility.
What are examples of student portfolios? ›That means a portfolio could include anything from samples of writing the child has done, tests the student has completed, pictures of the child in the classroom, notes from a teacher about things the child has said or accomplished, self-assessments by a student, and more.
What are 5 things a great portfolio includes? ›- Table of Contents.
- Career and professional development goals, tailored for each interviewer.
- Work philosophy statement; personal mission statement.
- List of areas of expertise.
- Works in progress (activities and projects)
- Be selective about what you incorporate. ...
- Take out your best work. ...
- Go for the right platform for portfolio design. ...
- Keep it Smooth. ...
- Diversify your work. ...
- Stay Updated. ...
- Go for the right format. ...
- Deliver your story confidently.
Getting Started
First of all, you want to make sure that you give yourself enough time to put your art portfolio together. Many art students take at least a year to create the pieces they use in their portfolio, so start thinking about your portfolio and preparing pieces well in advance of the deadlines.
- The Aggressive Portfolio.
- The Defensive Portfolio.
- The Income Portfolio.
- The Speculative Portfolio.
- The Hybrid Portfolio.
There are three different types of portfolios: process, product, and showcase. Although each type is compiled for a different audience, all have a developer, purpose, spe- cific audience, and reflection section (discussed in Chapter 3) for reflecting on the evidence.
What type of examples should be in your portfolio? ›- Stocks.
- Bonds.
- Mutual funds.
- Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- Real estate investments, like real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Cash equivalents, such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or savings accounts.
How many art pieces should be in a portfolio? ›
Your portfolio should be a selection of your best 12 to 20 pieces of art. Fewer than 12 doesn't allow you to show the breadth of your skills; more than 20 may dilute your overall portfolio submission. At least four of those pieces should be observational drawings.
What is a personal art portfolio? ›A portfolio is an edited collection of your best work, usually meant to showcase your style or approach. They're most commonly used when applying to art schools or pitching to a potential client or employer.
How do I write a student portfolio for me examples? ›- Introduce yourself. Tell readers who you are in the first line of your portfolio introduction. ...
- Aim for a friendly, casual tone. ...
- Decide which professional experience to include. ...
- Consider listing awards and accolades. ...
- Add a few personal details. ...
- Include a photo of yourself. ...
- Proofread and edit.
A creative portfolio should not just be a collection of your best creative work. Rather, you should think of your portfolio as a visually coordinated, fully cohesive 'creative work' in its own right – a creative job 'packaged like a product and clearly thought out' (Cleaver).
How do you start a student portfolio? ›- Step 1: Determine the purpose of the portfolio. ...
- Step 2: Create an evaluation plan. ...
- Step 3: Organize the portfolio. ...
- Step 4: Select what content will be included in the portfolio. ...
- Step 5: Determine what format the portfolio will take.
- Write a plan. Compose one sentence that sums you up as a designer. ...
- Curate your best work. Select the best projects to showcase within the scope of your goals. ...
- Sequence projects and preview. Try and start and end your portfolio with strong work.
Take the time to shoot good quality photos. Avoid copying a reference photo verbatim, where you are not changing or manipulating any aspect in your drawing. Confusing slide formats that have too many images that make it hard to focus on the artworks.
What should an online art portfolio include? ›Including things like titles, dimensions, mediums, creation date, sale price, and the story behind your art shows that you take your work seriously—and it also gives you an edge when presenting your portfolio to clients. There's always more to a work than meets the eye.
What are the 4 qualities effective of portfolio? ›- Effective Diversification. What do you think of when you think of a diversified portfolio? ...
- Active Management. ...
- Cost Efficiency. ...
- Tax Efficiency.
- State clearly what you want to do. ...
- Curate for the job you want. ...
- Add your design experiments. ...
- Share how you think and approach your work. ...
- Create a memorable About page. ...
- Add your side projects. ...
- Don't use a template.
What are the 7 steps of portfolio process? ›
- Step 1 – Identification of objectives. ...
- Step 2 – Estimating the capital market. ...
- Step 3 – Decisions about asset allocation. ...
- Step 4 – Formulating suitable portfolio strategies. ...
- Step 5 – Selecting of profitable investment and securities. ...
- Step 6 – Implementing portfolio. ...
- Step 7 – ...
- Step 8 –
- Is Non-Paying Work Ever OK? ...
- Ways to Build Portfolio Pieces with No Experience.
- Blogs and Content Sites. ...
- Article Marketing. ...
- Write for Non-Profits. ...
- Write Mock Pieces. ...
- Using the Sale to Build Your Portfolio. ...
- Start Building Your Portfolio.
How many pictures and what should you include in your portfolio? Here's the killer: your portfolio should contain only 8 to 12 pictures. Photo buyers are busy people. The worst thing you can do is to swamp them with photos that are redundant.
What do I put in a portfolio? ›Your portfolio should contain written and visual overviews of projects and significant pieces of work that you've managed or been involved with. It should also include an insight into skills you have, methods you've used, the impact of your work, along with any relevant outcomes and / or lessons you've learned.
How do I label my art portfolio? ›- Artist's name.
- Nationality, birth year (Optional. ...
- Title of the artwork (in bold or italic), year created.
- Medium used to create (ex: crayon on paper)
- Brief description (This is where you can include any information about the artist, why they created the piece, how they created the piece, etc.)
- Conservative portfolio. This type is also called a defensive portfolio or a capital preservation portfolio. ...
- Aggressive portfolio. Also known as a capital appreciation portfolio. ...
- Income portfolio. ...
- Socially responsible portfolio.
- Stocks. Stocks are also known as equity funds or shares. ...
- Mutual Funds. Several people combine their funds and then invest in several businesses. ...
- Public Provident Fund (PPF) ...
- Bonds. ...
- Exchange-traded funds. ...
- Gold. ...
- Real Estate. ...
- Certificates of Deposits.
Paper Portfolio: As you know, the most common form of portfolios is a collection of paper products such as essays, problem sets, journal entries, posters, etc. Most products produced in classrooms are still in paper form, so it makes sense to find ways to collect, select from and reflect upon these items.
What your portfolio should look like? ›A diversified portfolio should have a broad mix of investments. For years, many financial advisors recommended building a 60/40 portfolio, allocating 60% of capital to stocks and 40% to fixed-income investments such as bonds. Meanwhile, others have argued for more stock exposure, especially for younger investors.
What is a basic portfolio? ›A portfolio is a collection of financial investments like stocks, bonds, commodities, cash, and cash equivalents, including closed-end funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). People generally believe that stocks, bonds, and cash comprise the core of a portfolio.
What are the 4 types of portfolio used in education? ›
Seely (1996) identifies four types of portfolios: showcase, documentation, evaluation, and process.
What is the most important part of a portfolio? ›The pictures in your portfolio are, without question, the most important aspect overall. If the photographs of your previous projects look unprofessional, it's unlikely that prospective clients will want to put their trust in you for their building project when they can't even see the quality of your work properly.
How do I make an impressive portfolio? ›- Gather inspiration.
- Choose a template.
- Showcase your best projects.
- Use high quality images.
- Include the right content and features.
- Improve your portfolio's UX.
- Work on your site's SEO.
- Make it mobile friendly.
Your creation should substantially transform the pre-existing work. Additionally, you must identify all pre-existing work(s) in the Written Evidence portion of your Portfolio. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It's unethical and violates copyright law.
How do I start my own personal art collection? ›- Trust your instinct. ...
- Follow your favourite artists on Instagram. ...
- Original prints can be an affordable option. ...
- Get to know the graduates. ...
- Get it framed right. ...
- Move it around at home.
- Psychological expression. Visual images preceded written language as a means of communication. ...
- Love, sex and marriage. ...
- Death, Morbidity and Illness. ...
- Spiritual Concern. ...
- Aesthetic Expression. ...
- Intellectual Inquiry.
Your artist statement is an introduction to your work and should be no more than 100 -150 words. The opening sentence should be distinct and captivating and draw the readers in. Begin with a short paragraph about the basic premise behind your work, artistic style, and vision. What do you want to say with your art?
What is the best portfolio for beginners? ›- 401(k) or employer retirement plan.
- A robo-advisor.
- Target-date mutual fund.
- Index funds.
- Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- Investment apps.
- Choose a theme. There are a variety of themes you can use for your online art portfolio. ...
- Add content. Add pages to your website where you can place your content. ...
- Add about and contact pages. ...
- Customize. ...
- Optimize, publish, and update.
- Introduce yourself. Tell readers who you are in the first line of your portfolio introduction. ...
- Aim for a friendly, casual tone. ...
- Decide which professional experience to include. ...
- Consider listing awards and accolades. ...
- Add a few personal details. ...
- Include a photo of yourself. ...
- Proofread and edit.
What order should I put my art portfolio in? ›
- Rate your images and choose the top few. ...
- Place your best two images first and last. ...
- Spread out your other great images evenly in the middle. ...
- Also order images by narrative flow, if they need to tell a story.
Your artist biography should be a summary of significant facts about your art career written in third person. Begin by introducing yourself with your name, medium, and some background information. This can include where you were born, where you work, and when you first became interested in art.
How do you introduce yourself as a student examples? ›- I am a student of class 10 studying in Delhi. Basically, I am from a small village of [village name with the state]. ...
- Hello, I'm [Name of the person]! I've been working in [name of the profession] for [time of working]. ...
- Hello Sir/madam, ...
- Good morning,
...
How to design a portfolio cover page
- Open a blank document.
- Create a design.
- Type the title and your information.
- Proofread.
...
Here's a starting list:
- Who is your audience?
- Who are your influences?
- Explain your work to a child.
- How do you make your work?
- How do your materials inform your concept?
- How is your work unique?
- Table of Contents.
- Career and professional development goals, tailored for each interviewer.
- Work philosophy statement; personal mission statement.
- List of areas of expertise.
- Works in progress (activities and projects)
Your portfolio should be a selection of your best 12 to 20 pieces of art. Fewer than 12 doesn't allow you to show the breadth of your skills; more than 20 may dilute your overall portfolio submission. At least four of those pieces should be observational drawings.
How many things do you need for art portfolio? ›Number of pieces
It is a good idea to include 15 to 20 pieces of work in your portfolio. Less than 10 may not show enough diversity of ideas. More than 20 can become repetitive. Include only your strongest work instead of trying to show everything you've done.