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Overview
Ready to apply? Admissions Advisors are available to guide you through every step of the application process, including offering feedback on your portfolio, answering all your questions, and providing assistance along the way.
Portfolio Guidelines | BFA Degree
Candidates considered for acceptance into the BFA program must convey an intermediate-level foundation in traditional art and/or design, or possess strong proficiency in computer graphics. Ideal candidates have received formal art training in the form of individual art courses or intensive self-teaching.
Students are welcome to request a preliminary review of their portfolios prior to submission. If you are interested in receiving feedback regarding where you stand in relation to Gnomon’s portfolio requirements, please send your work and information regarding your program of interest to admissions@gnomon.edu.
Cornerstones of an Admissible Portfolio
Portfolios are judged based on four cornerstones of admissibility.
What to Include
Your admissions portfolio should showcase your creativity and technical proficiency in collaboration while reflecting your artistic interests and identity. Ideal portfolios will reflect a broad range of influences, styles, and subject matter. Portfolio pieces should display creativity and artistic range.
Examples of entertainment art are highly recommended and can include characters, environments, vehicles, and props. Portfolios should contain between 15-20 samples of original artwork by the applicant for review.
This can include, but is not limited to;
- 3D art
- anatomical studies
- figurative and gestural pieces
- hard surface and perspective renderings
- traditional and digital paintings
- sculpture
- graphic design
- 3D art
- animation
- motion graphics
Examples of entertainment art are highly recommended and can include characters, environments, vehicles, and props. Portfolios should contain between 15-20 samples of original artwork by the applicant for review.
We recommend showcasing your creative process through a range of sketches and renderings, including early concept design sketches, design variations, and finished renderings.
All pieces should be labeled with the approximate date of completion, the medium or software used, as well as any other information about the piece that will provide insight into how the piece was conceptualized and executed. Artwork created from reference must indicate so and give proper credit to reference sources. Other artists' work is not considered an appropriate reference source, with the exception of pieces created in 3D from 2D concepts. Artwork created directly from a tutorial is not considered an original piece and should not be submitted.
Presentation
Presentation is a component of your portfolio that can either enhance or diminish your artwork. Your portfolio should be presented in a thoughtful and organized fashion that is convenient to access and view. Portfolio submissions must be labeled clearly with the applicant's name and contact information.
We accept the following formats only:
- personal URLs (no social media websites please)
- video files
- PDF documents
Traditional artwork should be scanned or photographed and presented digitally in PDF format, providing adequate lighting, cropping, and image size considerations are made.
Submitting Your Portfolio
All portfolios can be sent digitally to admissions@gnomon.edu or emailed directly to your assigned Admissions Advisor. Large files may be sent using third-party file-sharing services, if necessary.