What to Include in Your Portfolio
- Artwork from each studio course being transferred. Please include as many examples as possible to support your request, presented in an organized manner and sorted by course.
- A completed Transfer Form. (Download from the section above.)
- Transcripts from your previous college, if available at the time of review.
- Course descriptions of transferred courses (from the previous college’s catalog).
Acceptable Forms of Artwork
Original work is the preferred presentation for 2-D design and drawing portfolios; however, photographs or digital submissions are acceptable. Poorly organized portfolios may not be reviewed.
Original artwork may be delivered in a portfolio or protective container. Please be sure that the items are secure and can be easily taken out for review and replaced.
Large works of art should be photographed for submission due to limited storage space and for ease of transport. Photographs of artwork must be good quality. Multiple views of folded works, booklets and 3-D artworks are recommended. Please label photographs with dimension, medium and course name.
Digital submissions must be sorted by course and may be delivered on a USB drive or by emailing cloud storage or URL links to the Art Department. Please refer to the How to Submit Portfolios tab to the right. Do not attach art to emails. Digital submissions must show sufficient detail in order to assess concept and design. Items that fold, booklets or 3-D artwork and design examples should include multiple views. Images should be no larger than 1000 pixels in height or width at 72 dpi. File formats must be pdf, jpeg, png or gif.
Portfolios for Digital Media Foundations Courses
Transfer students may submit a USB drive or link to a cloud storage account or URL via email with up to 20 images of their previous digital media work.
The submitted work sample should include, but is not limited to, 2-D pixel-based and vector-based digital art, digital photography and digital manipulated images. 2-D time-based, 3-D modeling, rendering, animation, 3-D prints and video game design work may also be submitted.
Students have the option of including any combination of images, video links, etc. on video hosting sites, such as Vimeo or YouTube. Static images should be in jpeg format.
Name each jpeg file with “Artist’s Last Name_Artist’s First Name_Number.jpg,” (e.g., “Evans_Amy_01.jpg”, “Evans_Amy_02.jpg” etc.). Video files should be mpeg4 or mov format. Please note the committee will not view video samples that exceed five minutes, so please edit your materials accordingly. Any other projects, such as applications or video games, should be compatible with Mac computers.
Portfolios for Studio Concentration Courses
Students may submit portfolios for ceramics, digital media, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, metalsmithing and jewelry design and sculpture.
Portfolios for Photography
A portion of photography portfolios may be submitted in digital form; however, a selection of prints and proof sheets must also be included.
Portfolios for Other Concentration Areas
Transferred courses that do not have a direct equivalent at RIC typically remain in the elective category. However, work from other studio art concentrations may exhibit skills that demonstrate readiness for more advanced coursework. Students may submit work from concentration areas not offered at RIC (e.g. glass, fiber arts, etc.) for review if they feel that their work will support requests for program credit in foundations or concentration courses offered at RIC.
Portfolios for Foundations Courses
Because the majority of transfer portfolios are for foundations courses, the following foundation courses offered at RIC will describe the specific criteria used in the review:
ART 101: Drawing I: Basic Drawing
The portfolio must demonstrate adequate abilities in the use of art elements and compositional strategies. Competent use of line, shape, value, proportion, organization of space, perspective and composition are essential considerations.
ART 104: Design I: Two-Dimensional Design
The portfolio must demonstrate adequate abilities in the use of art elements, including color theory and principles of organization. Competent use of visual structure, color, organization of space, problem-solving skills and quality of execution are essential considerations.
ART 105: Drawing II: Figure Drawing
The portfolio must demonstrate the use of the basic visual language to effectively design coherent and unified compositions based on the analysis and interpretation of visual perception, as well as skills in two-point perspective, foreshortening, shape, line, tone, composition, expression, media and anatomy. Competence in the use of structural and gestural lines, linear variation and tone are essential considerations.
ART 107: Foundations in Digital Media
In order to receive credit for Foundations in Digital Media, students must prove basic proficiency in digital image capture. Please include digital photographs or video. Portfolios must demonstrate basic abilities of organizing visual elements, composition, form and space, light and color and combine fundamental artistic knowledge with pixel-based and vector-based digital imagery.
ART 114: Design II: Three-Dimensional Design
Portfolios must demonstrate adequate skills in visual structuring, basic problem-solving, process and media as it relates to the development of form and basic materials construction and manipulation skills. Competence in visual structuring strategies, sequencing, dimensional evolution, understanding and use of both planar and volumetric form, sophistication of concepts and craft are essential considerations.
ART 204: Synthesis/Three-Dimensional Emphasis
If submitting a portfolio to request program credit for ART 204: Synthesis/Three-Dimensional Emphasis, the portfolio must adequately demonstrate abilities more advanced than the first five foundations courses. Typically, students at this level of study are simultaneously enrolled in a level-one studio concentration course. A series of works that demonstrate a consistent personal investigation and a high level of technical proficiency must be present in the portfolio for a positive review.
ART 205: Synthesis/Two-Dimensional Emphasis
If submitting a portfolio to request program credit for ART 205: Synthesis/Two-Dimensional Emphasis, the portfolio must adequately demonstrate abilities more advanced than the first five foundations courses. Typically, students at this level of study are simultaneously enrolled in a level-one studio concentration course. A series of works that demonstrate a consistent personal investigation and a high level of technical proficiency must be present in the portfolio for a positive review.
