portfolio objects?

Silent Grape

hey, im doing a portfolio course next year and i cant think of any interesting unusual ideas for objects to use! its driving me nuts!

ive had a few gud suggestions and ideas but none that im really into. i did a sheep skull in a sourse i did last year, which was a little boring, so i want to do somethink really interesting, any suggestions would be great!

thanks a mil!

x

p.pete

Does it have to be a physical object. Sometimes they can be impressed by people who have a portfolio full of something that they are not used to seeing, grafitti for example (www.eiresol.com for some inspiration). Also what kind of mediums would you normally prefer to work in?

havok*

I girl i know baced her whole portfolio on a mannequin. The finished p/f was excellent.


Personally, I dont think i'd be able to spend that much time on one object. You could pick something natural, like a peice of fruit or a bunch of leaves for example and over a few weeks make stuides of it while its decaying.

p

How about you do a study of portfolios?

p.pete

Another one I thought of could be something like an old television or a computer - not too exciting, but everytime you get bored with it you could strip another piece off. You could take it apart with a screw driver or a hammer, doesn't really matter - depends on how pissed off you are

By the time you are nearly finished you will be down to loads of boards and bits of solder and tubes (cathode ray) and stuff. Kind of like the decaying fruit idea but without the smell.:cool:

Raife

Cool suggestions p.pete.

Well Silent Grape, I'm going to be working on my portfolio next year aswell, I'm taking a year out, so I'm gonna try different things.

I'll be drawing in stephens green during the summer, after the LC though, I'll be doing 15min sketches to 30+ of the surrounding area and the goings on of people hanging about, although this is not at all the focus of my portfolio but just to get me going, something like that could work well, depending on the weather.

Try drawing a still life object numerous times but in different colours and at different angles, close ups work really well, I like shiny pots myself, but don't froget to explain briefly what you were trying to do as I hear it helps.

Hope I was of some help.

p.pete

I'm great at coming up for suggestions for other people, unfortunately crap at coming up with ones when is me that needs them

Monkey

Why not pick an idea/theme and try to explore it in different media rather than focusing on an object ?

If you start with an object there is the danger that the work won't go anywhere all that interesting and will just be a series of drawings of the object that don't say anthing about it other than what it looks like.

Pick something that interests you. It doesn't necessarily have to be some theme of monumental importance like war or starvation or anything it could be as simple as smoking or bus journeys or something like that.

jammy_dodger

I did a bicycle for my portfolio. it was good cause there's loads of little interesting bits that you can do close ups of, so if u get bored of drawing the bike, u could do a close up of the gears, cables, chain ect.
I moved on and drew the bike in motion,
And where the body connects with the bike ie. handle bars, saddle, pedals.
And then i bashed the bike up and drew that.

The points is, take an ordinary object and make extraordinary. Colleges love that kind of stuff.

smiles

My sister did some of hers on skulls and bones of various animals and stuff.... (clean, dried and usually shaped usually)

Some of them were based looking out of the animals eyes at different angles, rather cool looking.

<< Fio >>

smiles

Originally posted by jammy_dodger
The points is, take an ordinary object and make extraordinary. Colleges love that kind of stuff.

Just saw that line and had a thought... how about using kids building blocks and making things from them and then drawing them.... dunno appeals to me for some reasons...

<< Fio >>

deezoid

I did an entire portfolio based around cigarette boxes. Different media, different styles, still lifes, scrap books, models, you name it I did it! It was an excellent finished piece.

Silent Grape

those are all really good suggestions, ive got a few good ideas like using different types of mushrooms and the whole decaying thing, then different types of seaweed, a dead fish, the whole sycle of a caterpillar to a butterly, (im really keen on that one but ill have to wait and see what my teacher thinks)

the idea of using an old tv and taking it apart, i love that, ill have to see about obtaining one somehow, (or something like that).

i know its lovely to have an idea or a theme but by starting from certain object you create a theme anyway, but thankyou for the suggestion. i do liek the smoking/bus journey idea though, but really its only yourself who lets an object get boring, you can create links and broaden out completely abstractly.

the thing is ive already done a portfolio course so i know whatits all about, i just want comewthing really interesting to work on.

nice one with the bike! that sounds really cool.

my boyfriend is a graffiti artist so he'd be well chuffed if i did my portfolio on graffiti, tis a cool idea, but what can u do with it?

i really like the whole smoking thing, and u could completely broaden out loads into loads of different ideas,

thankyou so much for all your ideas, its well appreciated!

x

p.pete

Originally posted by Silent Grape
my boyfriend is a graffiti artist so he'd be well chuffed if i did my portfolio on graffiti, tis a cool idea, but what can u do with it?

Mostly trains, unfortunately there is not enough legitimate outlets for graffiti in this end of the world.

FX Meister

There is plenty without having to resort to trains, even though it will be cleaned straight away so why not just so a wall instead

Silent Grape my boyfriend is a graffiti artist so he'd be well chuffed if i did my portfolio on graffiti, tis a cool idea, but what can u do with it?
Are you sure? nearly all portfolios and theses on graffiti are dire anyway.

petek

hi sorry if this is really late in the day as far as this thread is concerned (i only saw it today when that guy made the comment about graffitti)

but i had no idea people actually based their whole portfolios around one particular object. that sounds so boring to do and look at. i know for a fact tutors in college dont give a **** about that. at least tutors in any college worth going to. they want someone interesting whos capable of putting together a strong portfolio with a lot of evidence of experimentation with materials and subjects.
if your portfolio is only drawings and paintings of one particular subject then its going to look like you didnt spend that much time on it, because your ideas should develope with time. its fine if youre useing bones or rotting fruit or meat as a starting point (total cliche) as long as by the end of your work you've moved somewhere else conceptually. (that doesnt mean your portfolio should go cronalogically either).
also if you're mounting your work, mount it on white paper rather that the black sugar paper that comes in the plastic sleeves in the portfolio cover.

oh and by the way if anyone is ever filling out an application form for a college and it asks you about artists that influence you, even if you love salvidor dali, never EVER say that. if its really important to you that you choose a surrealist, at least look into it and choose a more contemporary version, like mark ryden or something. probably something like 90% of everyone claims dali is their favourite artist.

Silent Grape

hey everyone, this was my little sisters thread, started about a year ago! shes going to NCAD so all is well.

cheers though

wondering

Im doing a portfolio course and also need ideas.

Covey

This is photography forum

Why are you all talking about drawing and painting

Ricky91t

wondering wrote: »

Im doing a portfolio course and also need ideas.

Hi wondering,Welcome to boards
You would be better off posting a new thread with as much detail as possible as i'm sure someone here may have done the course and be abele to help you


EDIT:This thread is 4-5 years old Covey

wondering

Ricky91t wrote: »

Hi wondering,Welcome to boards
You would be better off posting a new thread with as much detail as possible as i'm sure someone here may have done the course and be abele to help you

thanks

wondering

Covey wrote: »

This is photography forum

Why are you all talking about drawing and painting

w