Portfolio Presentation

So you have all of your drawings done and ready to go, but there is one last thing that you have to consider before you send them in, and that is how you are going to present it. Presentation is an entire section that you are marked on, so make sure that you give a lot of thought into how you present the portfolio that you have worked so hard on.

First, you will need a portfolio case, something to keep your drawings safe and also make them look nice and professional. I would suggest the Itoya Portfolios because they are very good quality. However, any other portfolio that displays your work well should be fine.

Then there is the matter of what size to get. My portfolio case was 11" x 14", but I have seen them as big as 18" x 24", the size of the average sheet of newsprint, or as small as 8.5" x 11". It really depends on your personal preference. I chose the size that I did because I wanted most of my drawings to be originals. In other words, I didn't want to have to scan them down to fit them into my case. Make sure that if you did scale your drawings down that you include them in a back pocket. The only things that did not fit were my life drawings, and I included the original panels for my storyboard. I put these drawings in a manilla envelope at the back labelled "originals". When I got my portfolio back I could tell that the drawings were looked at so make sure you include them.

A table of contents is also a good thing to include. It just gives your portfolio a really organized and polished look. I also included little page numbers in the corners of the pages so the people that were looking at it could navigate quickly through my portfolio. Before each section, I also included a divider/title page that said the section, my name and student ID number.

Before you put each drawing into the case, put your name and student ID number on the back, that way, none of the drawings can be misplaced. Also on the back of my drawings, I put a piece of double sided tape just to secure them in (especially the character drawings because they slip around a lot). Make sure that the drawings look level before you stick them.

On every page where there was a drawing, I printed out a mailing label that said the section, the drawing, and again, my student ID number. I even downloaded a font that I thought looked good and suited my personality. Seriously, I REALLY wanted to get in.

Lastly, I designed a kind of logo for myself, like a little self portrait (it's the header of this blog) that I put on the table of contents and the pages before each section. I have seen a lot of people do this and I think that it adds to the presentation, but it is definitely not required.

Good luck and happy drawing!