Creative Arts Portfolio Guide

Sharing your portfolio and sketchbooks is an opportunity to showcase the quality and range of your work, skills, individual personality, and potential for further creative development. Your portfolio should be professionally presented and include all stages of the creative process. It should explore ideas; initial research, drawing and gathering information/inspiration; experimentation and exploration with 
media/materials processes/techniques; and the potential conclusions and realisation of your personal responses.

What should I include in my portfolio?

• A range of work showing exploration and experimentation across broad Art and Design practices, including a range of techniques using diverse media to develop creative outcomes.
• Examples of drawing from original sources, looking and recording using line, marks, textures, colour, surface, composition and space. Use examples of conventional, unconventional and experimental approaches to drawing. 
• Use of materials and technical ability, demonstrating sensitivity in the production of work using diverse materials, media, methods, techniques and processes.
• Development of ideas and thinking using visual and practical skills to push forward creative practice and expand possible directions for development.
• Awareness of artists and designers, using critical evaluation to identify personal insights and indicate how and why this inspires 
  personal practice. 
• Show us your personal interests and curiosity. Portfolio content, sketchbooks, annotations, thinking, development and statement should reflect personal influences and individual creative journey so far.

Top tip

We are interested in your personal approach, ideas, thinking and development. Remember to share your sketchbook pages in support of your portfolio. This will provide an essential insight into your processes, experimentation, questioning, problem solving and creative curiosity.

This exciting new course is very diverse. You will explore the future of fashion and tackle the many challenges facing the fashion industry, covering topics from sustainability to technology. It sets out to train the next generation of designers and innovators to make their mark on this industry. Therefore, we would like to see a portfolio that demonstrates your explorative, experimental, and creative approach to fashion. 

This can range from using textiles and other materials to constructing garments and accessories alongside your digital and analogue design skills. We also like to see your research work demonstrating your contemporary and historical inspirations. Additionally, it’s always great to show your approach to styling and fashion editorial.

Your portfolio should showcase a diverse range of work, including approximately 20 pages of research, design, and making. It must be edited to have the most vital pieces that highlight the key practice-based skills you possess. Sketches in the form of fashion illustrations showing your exploration of designing for the body will also be a significant bonus.

What should I include in my portfolio?

• Evidence of your knowledge and interest in fashion and apparel, including images of sketchbook ideas, artist, and designer references.
• Development of ideas from initial concepts through to designs, fashion illustrations, and prototyping.
• Worksheets, storyboards, design development sketchbooks, experimentation with materials, and colour inspiration. 
• Finished work including garments, products, costumes, or installations and possible styled photoshoots. 
• Other work could include any 3D, graphics, or fine artwork that may be interesting – we do not expect to see only fashion work in the portfolio.

Top tip

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – show your ideas for the future of fashion, however eccentric!

Fine Art at Loughborough University is a broad course that can include painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, new media (film, video, and IT) and sound-based practice, as appropriate. As a result we would like to see a portfolio that demonstrates that you can think independently, have an experimental approach to using materials and that the work is informed by contemporary and historical frameworks within art history and visual culture.

Your portfolio should include a diverse range of work including approximate 20 individual pieces plus sketch/ drawing books. It is important that your portfolio has been edited to include the strongest pieces which highlight the key practice-based skills that you possess. Drawing will be very important, and we would hope to see a range of drawings that would be from observation and experimental. Using a range of processes, materials and techniques would also be appropriate as this allows us to gauge your ability to undertake independent study.

What should I include in my portfolio?

• Approximately 20 pieces of work using a range of materials which reflects your own practice.
• If appropriate to your practice, a selection of painting (exploring materials, processes, and techniques).
• Documentation of any sculpture work and installation.
• Photography and its related processes where appropriate.
• Video or audio work where appropriate.
• Sketchbooks.

Top tip

Please ensure you include work that has been self-initiated as this will enable you to talk through your ideas.

Portfolio Assessment

Here are some guidelines to help support the development of your portfolio:

• Start Well, End Well ​- Begin with a strong project and end with a strong project​
• Give Us the Context ​- For each project, briefly explain: what was the brief, what were you asked to do? ​
• Show Us Your Thinking and Process​ - We love to see behind the scenes; show us your ideas, show us photos of making the work​
• Include Personal Work or Extra-Curricular Projects​ - We love to see work you have done in your own time/through your own initiative, it gives us more insight into the kind of designer you are.
• ​Start Putting the Portfolio Together Now​ - We will ask you to send us your portfolio within two weeks of when we request it. You can always add more work to it as you develop it.

What should I include in my portfolio?

• Initiation and development of substantive ideas through drawing and other forms of mark making.
• Experimentation, exploration, evaluation, and effectiveness through a wide range of materials and media.
• Appropriate use of techniques and presentation skills at all stages of the creative process.
• An ambitious, practical, inquiring, and critical approach to work.
• Not less than 6 substantial projects with associated development work.

Top tip

We’re interested in your ideas just as much as your outcomes, so make sure to show us sketchbook pages that highlight your thinking and experimentation.

Before starting your portfolio think about your creative identity. What sort of creative practitioner do you wish to become? Are you tech-focused or more interested in analogue processes? We expect applicants to demonstrate a good understanding of their chosen subject and the broader comprehensive understanding of creative arts.

Work should be presented using photographs with a clear indication of scale and materials used. It is desirable to show a handing of textiles and/or other relevant materials, although this is not necessary. We can see potential through pattern work, drawing abilities, visualisations, and use of colour. It is good to show experimentation though a variety of mediums, including digital and hand-rendered drawings.

What should I include in my portfolio?

• Evidence of visual research: to include sketch books of ideas, artist, and designer reference, drawing and sketches which record inspiration, original photography and found images.
• Development of ideas from initial concepts through to a conclusion: work sheets, story boards, design development sketchbooks, experimentation with materials, and colour inspiration.
• Drawings showing analytical and observational skills, this is often life drawing or drawing from sets or still life.
• Finished work: to include samples, garments, products, costumes, or installations.
• Other: to include any 3D, graphics, or fine artwork that may be interesting – we do not expect to see only textiles work in the portfolio.

Top Tip 

Be true to yourself and show the best of your work.