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We've all done it – scribbled in the margins of a notebook, made a
finger painting which still hangs on the refrigerator at home, created a sidewalk
chalk masterpiece that melted away ages ago. Drawing is such an obvious element to
a portfolio, it begs the question: what kind of drawings / paintings
should be in a portfolio?
Observational drawing /painting skills.
If there is one comment admissions counselors say to prospective students over
and over again it is: “Work more from life”. We cannot over-emphasize
the importance of showing good observational skills in your portfolio. Work
directly from an object or a person, as opposed to copying from a photograph
or working from your imagination. If you plan on studying other areas like photography
or sculpture, you should still have a sampling of this type of work in your
portfolio in addition to your other work.
Here are the basic kinds of observational drawing:
Still-lifes
 phone still life A still life is not just a
bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers; it’s any kind of arrangement of
inanimate objects. Try to make your still life fill the page in a
challenging and interesting way. Choose objects that will engage you in
the process of putting the image to paper or canvas.
Environments / landscapes
Working from an indoor or outdoor environment directly is also important. Draw
from where you are (observation), not from where you have been (photographs).
Figure Drawing  portrait Drawings of the human form, preferably from a nude figure, are
recommended for your portfolio. Many colleges offer a satellite figure
drawing program geared for high school portfolio development. MIAD
offers such a program on Saturdays, as well as open figure drawing (no
instructors) every Tuesday evening. High school students who attend the
Tuesday evening figure drawing class need prior approval from the
Pre-College Office, as well as a permission slip from a parent or
guardian. Call 414-276-7889 for further details.
Self-portraits
Drawings of you can often be the most revealing and difficult
works to complete. MIAD recommends a self-portrait as a basic portfolio entry.
 self-portrait
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