How to make a good portfolio! 🖊

You should be sending a single file and / or website that includes images of your work. It is not necessary to include a bio, or an artist statement.

Some websites or services you can use are the following:

a) social media, such as instagram, twitter, tumblr, etc.;

b) a carrd site;

c) a professional portfolio site such as Artstation;

d) any self-hosted website of your choice, such as on Wordpress;

e) a google docs / slides document you are sharing the link of;

f) a PDF of your portfolio;

g) a google drive folder with your images uploaded to it (please keep in mind to only include ONE
folder, and not subfolders).

All online links should be accessible at the time of the portfolio evaluation. This means social media should not be private or locked, and shared links from google services should have permissions granted for panel members to access them. It is a good idea to send your link or file to a friend to check whether it works okay before sending your application in!

You may choose to only send a link to a site, only an attached file, or both. Artists seeking to apply as a shared table should be sending one application with both artists’ artwork compiled into a single file / website. This makes it easier to keep track of applications with multiple people involved.

Social media websites linked should be exclusively for art, and it is recommended to avoid sending personal SM accounts, as these may include non-relevant content or images such as memes

The portfolio should include a selection of images* of what you have created yourself, and what you legard is the best of the best of what you make! These should be finished images in any size and format that can be viewed from a computer. 🖊

The portfolio should be formatted so it is easy to navigate and see what the content is. For example, the portfolio for AA is a single tab inside your artist website. It is recommended that all images you wish to showcase are within a single page on a website, or in a single document / folder you have uploaded. The fewer the clicks, the better! 🖊

Around 5 to 7 images in total is fine, but you are free to send more or less depending on what you make. Seven images is a good average for the panel to get an idea of what you intend to bring to the event if you are to sell there. It should showcase a limited range of your creations, and can therefore includes photos of your merchandise, a collage of your previous con table setups, finished mock ups of merch you’re planning on making… Videos should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. 🖊

*An image in this case is understood as one single visual file, and thus, a single image can contain several photos or graphics, as in the collage or prototype examples. It is recommended to not include too much content in a single image, as it can make the portfolio feel cluttered.

1. WIPs – a portfolio for artist alley is not a portfolio for art school, and therefore works in progress should not be included. An AA portfolio is meant to showcase your best work and your artistic capabilities, not the potential for finished work.

2. Too many images – having too much content can be confusing and time-consuming to look through. Make a selection of a few pieces of artwork you believe best summarise your art. Between 5 and 7 is recommended, but it is not a hard limit.

3. Too many different types of media / creations – it may be confusing for the panel to figure out exactly what you would be selling at the event. Try to offer images, if you make handmade items, of products you would potentially have at your table.

4. Studies or visdev work – much like WIPs, while they may show your artistic capabilities, they are largely irrelevant for artist alley, unless you are selling, or plan to sell, these studies as prints.

5. Copyrighted / trademarked intellectual property you do not own – unless you own the IP or have drawn / designed the art yourself, you are not allowed to use copyrighted, trademarked, or stolen art as components of any of your merchandise at AA. Jewellery makers and artisans who buy materials for their pieces (for example, hanging charms, or accessories they have made from a resin mould bought online) are not affected by this rule, unless the accessories themselves include copyrighted / trademarked / stolen material.

6. AI generated art.