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Portfolio Resources

So you’re working on your portfolio - good job!  This page will list some general best practices and tips, as well as links to specific portfolios to look at as examples. Additionally, you’ll find items for AGPM majors at the bottom.

1. Decide who is your target audience

  • Is this portfolio for a class?
    • Follow the guidelines in the assignment closely!  
  • Are you going to use this for employers as you apply for jobs?
    • Make sure to showcase your best work, especially your diverse skills, which would be assets in the workforce! 

2. Select your best work using these criteria

Selecting which artwork to include in your portfolio is tough! Consider the following parameters:

  • Quality 
    • What are the projects that you are most proud of, have received the most positive feedback on, or folks consistently rave about?
    • Do your best to ensure that you have high-resolution images of your work. This is essential so that visitors will see its full vibrance and quality.
    • If video or audio is involved, make sure they are hosted on a site that can be accessed easily and the video/audio quality is crisp and clear.
  • Versatility
    • Don’t reduce yourself to one theme or technique. Employers often want to see that you can do different tasks, modalities, and concepts.
    • Include a mix of old and new work, and pieces that demonstrate a range of skills and styles.
    • If you’re out of ideas, get creative with subject matter, lighting, shading and brushes.
  • Relevance
    • Don’t forget the purpose of your portfolio.
    • Include pieces that your target audience wants to see.
    • It’s ok to tailor your portfolio to a specific industry if that’s the ONLY area that you are pursuing employment.
  • Quantity
    • Keep your portfolio focused and manageable with well-curated selections.
      • Beginner artists: include at least 5-10 pieces in your portfolio.
      • Experienced artists: if you are an experienced artist with a larger body of work, aim to include 15-20 pieces in your portfolio.

3. Consider the portfolio structure

Portfolios should always include at least these 2 things:

  • Artwork
    • Usually accessible from the landing page, your portfolio can showcase a variety of artworks, including personal projects, commissioned work, and collaborations. 
      • Provide information about the pieces using labeling and descriptions.  Your project description might include the title, date, and medium. It can also be a good idea to share briefly about the process, the techniques used, your direction and inspiration.
      • Make sure to include projects that you’ve been a collaborator on, and clearly indicate what your role was and how you contributed to the final product.
      • Don’t be afraid to feature fanart in your portfolio. Be honest about your inspiration but make sure that the message is easy to understand for a non-fannish audience.

  • ‘About me’ page link
    • The purpose of your about me page is to show the artist behind the art. For a professional portfolio, focus on your education, work experience and accomplishments. If you have a wider target audience, you can get personal and write about your inspiration, artistic vision, and the development of your personal style.
    • Make sure to include your contact information!  Whether you built your portfolio for your clients or your fans, they’ll want to know where to find you. Have a professional email address and link to LinkedIn or your ARTIST social media accounts when relevant.
    • It’s always a good idea to have your resume (screenshot or hyperlink) on your About Me page - that way employers can easily see your experience, skills, history, and projects.

4. Pay attention to excellent organization

A poorly organized, hard-to-navigate site can turn folks away!  Make sure yours is inviting, simple, and easy to navigate. Think ‘clean and streamlined’. 

  • Create a clear navigation menu
    •  Use a top or side toolbar with no more than 3 categories (ie “Artwork”, “About Me”, “Award Winning Pieces”, etc).  
  • Consider the layout and design
    • Keep it clean and streamlined!  Best practice is to have a simple landing page with 3-4 clear links on the navigation bar.  Each of those pages can have multiple links to your projects and work, but don’t overwhelm the viewer by putting too much on the landing page.
    • Allow your portfolio to breathe. Mind the spacing of your artworks so that things don’t seem cluttered or overdone.
    • Make sure to have an ‘About Me’ tab that includes a brief statement about what your artistic approach is.  Consider having a link to your resume and/or LinkedIn profile.  A portfolio is not just a few pictures or reels of your work, it is a whole website! Show you are a whole person, let the employer access different parts of who you are.
    • Have some of your ‘best’ work first and last.  You should start and end on a high note!
  • Categorize
    • If you have an abundance of art to show, sort them into categories – ie character design, concept art, video reels, sound mixing, team collaborations, etc.
    • Show at least 3 panels for most projects (except film or audio) - beginning, middle, and final product.  This shows employers that you can take a project from concept to completion and that you have the necessary skills for the middle portions.
    • Include helpful descriptions or captions to help your audience understand the context of your work.
  • Make it mobile-friendly
    • If you go with a website builder, you don’t need to think about it too much; but whatever you design, always have a friend check how it looks on mobile.

5. Pick a host site and get started! 

Don’t let ‘perfect’ be the enemy of ‘good’!  We artists can get paralyzed and slowed down by wanting to make sure everything is ‘perfect’ before showing it to the world.  Pick a site and GET STARTED, even if your end result is not perfect - something is absolutely better than nothing!

There are a lot of good sites for hosting your portfolio.  Here are a few links to get you started. Decide which of these (or any others that exist out there!) is right for your skill level, price point, and needs. Then GET STARTED!

6. Update your portfolio regularly

  • Add new work to your portfolio whenever you create something you’re proud of. This will showcase your current and constantly evolving skills. This also means saying goodbye to some of your old work that no longer represents you. While they hold sentimental value, only the best of the best belongs to your portfolio. Whenever you feel unsure, ask for feedback from artists, friends, teachers or coworkers to determine which are your strongest artworks to date.
  • Besides your artwork, also keep your “about me” page up to date to showcase recent career highlights, mentions in media, changes in contact information, etc.

Great portfolio examples from real artists!

AGPM specific info