I'm trying to build an art portfolio to help me get work as an illustrator. What should be in it?
A portfolio, being like a resume for artists, is subject to change through your life and as your skills and knowledge grow so while you always want to keep only your best works in your portfolio, just remember you can add and remove as often as you like.If your looking to make your illustrations your business, then you should find your niche. Which is a consistent subject which you love drawing/painting. Things like children's book illustrations, minimalistic designs, abstract art, photorealism etc.. Then when you know what you like you need to find where you personally fit into this category.Myself as an example I have always love fantasy paintings but have studies alot in concept art for video game design, so my niche I discovered only in the past few months, is characters with unique designs in a fantasy world. This is what I enjoy painting most if you want to take a look at what I am talking about my protfolio is next to my name or on this ‘one' >[1]Just know I am not saying that you need to continuously create the same thing over and over again. You can still experiment and practice and grow as an artist. Just make sure your protfolio is consistent in quality all throughout. And when you make what you love, then when someone is looking for say a children's book illustrator then you will come to mind if that's your style.Also I highly recommend watching this video. While it is about concept artists the order and layout can be translated to all arts.Footnotes[1] .
Do you need a Bachelors Degree to become an Creative/Art Director?
Education & Training Most employers require prospective art directors to have a combination of education and experience. A degree or diploma in a visual communications subject, such as graphic design, visual arts, general design, or photography is usually the minimum educational requirement. These programs are offered at universities at colleges across the country. Some programs, such as fine and visual arts, provide students with a general background in art and design. Others provide more specific training. For example, some graphic design programs deal with print and website design, while others focus on advertising. Education requirements can also depend on the industry in which you’d like to work. For example, to work as an art director in the movie industry, you may be required to have post-secondary education in film and video production or a related subject. Certificate and diploma programs can be excellent ways of entering the field of design. However, as is the case in most fields, those with bachelor’s and master’s degrees generally have more career choices available to them. Bachelor’s degrees usually take between 3 and 4 years to complete. A master’s degree can take an additional 1 to 2 years. Experience requirements vary depending on the employer and the type of media. Though art directors working on large successful productions or publications are usually required to have at least 5 to 7 years of experience, some employers will consider those with 2 to 5 years of experience. Hope this helps