School of the Arts applicants
Visual arts and design
All visual arts and design applicants must submit a portfolio in order to be considered for admission into the following visual arts and design departments and programs: art education, art foundation, communication arts, craft and material studies, fashion design, graphic design, interior design, kinetic imaging, painting and printmaking, photography and film, and sculpture.
A portfolio is not required for the Bachelor of Arts degrees in art history, fashion (merchandising) or film (cinema), or for performing arts majors (see admissions requirements below).
Portfolio preparation guidelines
The portfolio can be mailed with your application but it is preferred that you submit it online. Visit www.vcu.edu/arts/prospective_students for instructions. VCU’s art and design students spend two semesters in Art Foundation prior to entering the department majors. Art Foundation seeks to extend the depth and range of a student’s skills in preparation for a career in the arts. Choose one of the following two portfolio options to most effectively convey your vision, creativity and commitment.
Transfer students applying to the School of the Arts follow the same portfolio guidelines as prospective freshmen.
Option one – Body of Work
Submit up to 16 images (a minimum of 12) of art that you have created within the past two years that show your promise in visual arts and design. Present your strongest work and demonstrate your potential to develop a diverse set of skills and ideas should you be accepted into the Art Foundation program at VCU. We prefer to see a range of 2-D and 3-D media, but if your work is concentrated in a single medium your portfolio can be weighted in that area. Drawing from observation is highly recommended, while copying anime, cartoons, graffiti or tattoos is discouraged.
Digital format
- Images must be submitted in JPG format on a standard 4.75-inch CD-R.
- Maximum JPG dimensions should be 800 x 600 pixels at 72 dpi.
- On an 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of paper describe each image by filename, title, dimensions and medium(s).
- Test your CD-R on multiple computers to ensure that the disc is functional.
Slide format
- Label each slide with your name and a slide number.
- Organize 12 to 16 slides in a clear plastic slide sheet.
- On an 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of paper describe each image by the slide number, title, dimensions and medium(s).
- Send duplicate slides only. The slides will become part of your permanent record and will not be returned.
Option two – Drawing and design exercises
Instead of a slide or digital portfolio, the following 10 projects may be included with your application. Follow the directions carefully. Some of the exercises are worded in a way that requires your interpretation as an integral part of the exercise. Please do not call the School of the Arts to request further clarification. Each exercise must be completed on a separate sheet of 8.5- x 11-inch paper. If you choose to submit these exercises as your portfolio you must send the originals. On the back of each completed piece print your full legal name, your date of birth and the exercise number in the lower left-hand corner. These projects become part of your permanent file and will not be returned.
- Make a freehand perspective drawing of a corner of a room within your dwelling. Include at least three pieces of furniture. Draw this view as carefully as possible.
- Make a drawing of two or more transparent objects. Make your drawing as accurately as possible.
- Draw a geometric volume that is being vigorously affected by an internal force. This is an exercise that requires your interpretation. You should determine what theinternal force is and how it is visually affecting the geometric volume. We are interested in your interpretation.
- Select three objects and place them in a windowsill or in a similar location where you can see both the objects and a landscape or cityscape beyond. We are interested in how you choose to represent this juxtaposition. Consider scale, composition, light and space.
- Select two objects that have completely different characters and scale. In a series of at least four drawings, transform one object into the other.
- Render a self-portrait from observation using a mirror. Do not use a photograph. Alternately, you may draw a friend or family member from direct observation. When planning your drawing, consider composition and the use of positive and negative space. Complete this exercise with as much detail as possible.
- Draw a device of your own invention that solves a problem that you have encountered.
- Using a digital or analog camera, provide a photographic illustration for Page 87 of your autobiography. Print the image on an 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of paper. If you do not have access to camera equipment, you may create a drawing for this exercise.
- Arrange a still-life composition consisting of at least three objects touching one another. Consider the objects you choose carefully. Before making your drawing, physically alter one or more of these objects. Using a pencil, draw your creation as accurately as possible.
- Using any medium, depict an unconventional interior space that you would like to inhabit. You may use conventional drawing, photography, digital programs, collage or other media. Carefully and thoughtfully present your proposed space.
- (Optional) You may submit up to four additional pieces of your choice in digital or slide format. (See formatting instructions listed above for portfolio option one.)
