How to Build a Good Portfolio?

You have a job interview in the coming days, you'd better have your portfolio ready! It is the calling card of artists, the first contact an employer will have with your work. A good portfolio can also get you new clients or make other artists follow you. There are few tips to keep in mind such as what to put in your portfolio, where/how to display it...

What to put in my portfolio? Gather about 15 pieces to show what you are capable of, as well as a clear resume including a list of your drawing skills. Try to maintain this number of pieces throughout your career to have other paintings to show if necessary. For a potential employer, the most important is to see an artist’s skills, but previous experiences and personality are important too.

Which pieces to select? It is recommended to show professional works or strong personal projects, and not fan art or work in progress. Those can be displayed on Instagram or a personal blog. Usually, we advise alternating good works and weaker ones. It allows you to maintain your viewer’s attention and to balance the level of your pieces. If you attend art school or you just finished, try to add personal work you have been doing and not just the school tasks.

You will choose the pieces according to whom you display it for. If you look for clients or if you apply to an outsourcing studio, display more than one art style. Indeed, you better show that you can adapt because you will usually be expected to do so in your work. If you apply for an Environment, be cohesive by selecting pieces which come closer to its style.

Which format should have my portfolio? We must find it easily, so having it ready on the Internet is a good solution. You can have a printed version if you attend conferences and workshops, for example. Your online portfolio should be easy to find and to navigate into on a phone and a computer, because if it is too slow or complicated people could give up looking. Showing your work on Artstation and/or Behance is the most common option. Instagram is also a social media more and more used by the artists, allowing them to gain a lot of credibility. Facebook is more used to show personal content, work in progress, sketches… If you don’t publish the same content on your various social media, it can be easier to build a professional portfolio on a single website. Don’t forget to update what you do because you always improve, and you'd better show this to others.

Good luck to everybody who is building his/her portfolio =)