When preparing your portfolio for review or drop off at a convention, please keep these tips in mind.
GUIDELINES ON PREPARING YOUR ART PORTFOLIO FOR REVIEW WITH TOP COW PRODUCTIONS.
1. Only show your best work. We know you've been drawing for some time but while we're interested in your development, we want to see what you can do now.
2. Keep it at 10 pieces or less for the presentation portion. If you have been published, definitely show that work. If you have supplemental pages keep them too, just in case we want to see more.
3. Put your best pieces of work at the front of your portfolio, then the second best, third, fourth, fifth, etc. Remember that it is the first impression that counts the most, so you want to start off with a bang. If the first piece is not great, the reviewer will have formed an opinion before ever getting to the good stuff.
4. Inkers/Colorists: We need to see the source work beneath the your work. Inkers, have copies of the pencils you inked over. Colorists show us the black and white line art before you added the color.
5. Include dynamic shots (pinup/splash pages) and panel-to-panel sequential work (for storytelling). The above guidelines still apply to what we’re looking for.
For pencilers: Storytelling pages are crucial. At least 4 consecutive pages are necessary to see that you can carry and continue a story. Choose a story that allows you to showcase not only your strong points but utilizes a wide range of settings, situations, props and character types.
For inkers: Storytelling pages provide us with an insight to how you handle a wide range of circumstances.
For colorists: Include pages with scene progression, action and quiet moments. Show us you can utilize color to evoke a mood, are conscious of and consistent with lighting and can clearly separate a scene.
6. It is nice if you can show a finished piece of art, something that has been penciled, inked and colored, but we need to see the skill you are representing. If you have finished pieces, but want to be a penciler or inker, let us see your contribution to the finished piece separate from the other influences.
7. Know your basics. For characters: Anatomy, facial expressions, body language and details. For settings: Perspective, props, and details. This does not only apply to pencilers; inkers and colorists both need this knowledge.
8. Don't show half-finished work. Sketch pages are not portfolio materials but they are useful back up materials and we may ask to see it to flesh out our knowledge of you, but they do not make a finished portfolio. If there is a particular piece you like, finish it. This goes for half inked or colored pages, as well.
9. Don't show us pages you rushed through. Bring us the work you're proudest of. Not the six pages you drew in the hotel room last night.
10. Don't submit art that you have copied (Trace? Who me?) directly out of your favorite comic book. If you are going to submit images of popular characters, you can stay true to the style, but put the character in your own setting, pose, etc.
11. When presenting your portfolio, look and act professional. Wear clean clothes, introduce yourself, be ready to answer questions about your art, how you work and your influences. Be ready to be critiqued. This is like unto an interview. We are judging you as well as your work.
12. Leave-behinds. We don't require these, but we may ask to keep a photocopied packet of your work so it's best to be prepared. If you can’t make it during our portfolio review times, this may be the only way to get your work in front of an editor. Copy the pieces in your portfolio and label each page with your name and contact info (Name, E-mail address, physical address and daytime phone #).
13. Keep practicing! And remember practice does not make perfect if you are practicing wrong. Take art classes, learn from professionals. Make sure you have all the fundamentals down before you branch off into your own style.
14. Observe. This may not pertain directly to the preparing of you portfolio but it will be evidenced in the materials contained within it.
15. Listen up! Take the advice you are given to heart. If you are told to work on your anatomy or your perspective, work on it. There’s no need to be defensive during a review. Just understand that time is limited and we want to give you as much feedback as we can during that time. Going back and forth over a comment or critique you don’t agree with is likely going to limit useful feedback.
16. Keep practicing! This one is worth repeating. |
