What’s in a Portfolio?
An animation portfolio typically includes a diverse collection of drawings such as life drawings, object drawings, interior and outdoor layouts, character designs, and hand drawings. These components are crucial for demonstrating an applicant's observational skills, understanding of perspective and composition, and ability to translate imagination into believable characters and environments. For instance, life drawings must be drawn "from life" and not from photographs, while character designs often require a "turn-around" showing various views and expressions.
WHAT'S IN A PORTFOLIO?
Top animation programs require you to submit a portfolio of drawings. How your portfolio is judged decides whether or not you receive an offer of admission. Competition for spots means it’s not enough to simply meet the requirements. To get into an animation program you need to aim high and distinguish yourself with outstanding drawings.
A typical animation entrance portfolio will contain a mixture of the following components.
LIFE DRAWING
The majority of animation school entry portfolios require some drawings of the human figure in various poses. These drawings must be drawn “from life” and not from photographs. Most schools will give the applicant an option of including drawings of models that are nude or clothed, and will ask specifically for drawings of the model that are made from both short and longer sustained poses.
OBJECT DRAWING
Drawings of individual common household objects. Often these objects are based on basic geometric forms such as a sphere (an orange?), a box (juice carton?), a cylinder (water bottle?), a cone etc. An awareness of the structure that lies beneath the surface of the objects you draw will enable you to draw any given object from different angles.
What are Layouts I for an animation portfolio?
Layouts I for an animation portfolio involve drawings of an interior space. These drawings combine a working knowledge of linear perspective and an understanding of composition with a feeling for a story to build a convincing and interesting layout. To create these, use 2-point perspective to draw a room in your house (kitchen, bedroom?). When choosing a view of a room, avoid facing a wall directly; look toward a corner instead. Positioning yourself 12 to 15 feet away from a corner of the room will allow you to see and draw a satisfying wide-angle view of the room.
What are Layouts II for an animation portfolio?
Layouts II for an animation portfolio involve drawings of an outdoor space. These drawings show your ability to bring together imagination, aerial perspective, solid convincing forms, composition, and a sense of story to build an interesting layout. It’s your chance to create a world from imagination. Like the room layouts, composition, visual interest, and creativity are important; however, these drawings rely less on linear perspective to show depth.
Character Drawings
Your character design will show your ability to take something right out of your imagination and translate it into solid believable drawings that show creativity and personality. Other portfolio drawings are based more on observation and this one is all about visualization and imagination. Design an animation character and draw a turn-around of the character (front view, ¾ view, side view etc.) along with various action poses and facial expressions.
Hand Drawings
A number of drawings of your hand (sometimes in a before/after sequence) should show familiarity with gesture and structure. Drawn not from photographs but from observation.
Sketchbook Drawings
Grab a sketchbook and head to your local cafe, museum or zoo. Using your sketchbook plays a crucial role in developing your drawing.
Storyboards
Storyboards are a comic-book-like series of drawings of shots as in a film sequence. You may be given an open-ended outline of a simple story, a character design to work from and asked to draw a number of storyboard panels or you may be asked to come up with your own story and characters. Basic story-telling skills, character drawing skills, shot composition and creativity are evaluated.
ANIMATION
Some schools (Sheridan for example) require a brief sequence of hand-drawn animation – a number of sequential drawings that make up a brief film sequence. You may be given a time limit or a maximum number of frames. This is a chance to show your creativity and demonstrate some knowledge of animation basics and character drawing skills.
Personal Artwork
In addition to the required drawings, you may be asked to include artwork of your own choosing. Some schools may offer parameters for this portfolio piece (paintings, illustrations etc.). This is an opportunity to show a wider interest in other kinds of art that you create on your own.
Why is drawing excellence essential for an animation portfolio?
Drawing excellence is essential for an animation portfolio because if your dream is to get into animation, you need to know how to draw. No “short cuts” or “tips on portfolio-making” can ever substitute for doing the work. We know because drawing is all we do. 25 years of excellence in animation portfolio preparation has shown us that learning how to draw takes time and it’s worth it.
APW VIDEOS
APW Live
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Want to get into animation school? Animation Portfolio Workshop directors Gerard Sternik, Vince Peets and Joshua Miller talk shop with APW grad Blake Evason (Sheridan Animation 2028) about the all-important stage of learning drawing first – then applying it to Character Design Process, Life Drawing and the process of learning that led to Blake’s accepted Sheridan Animation Portfolio (89%). Enjoy!
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Want to get into animation school? If you are making or planning to make a portfolio to get into a college-level animation program then this video is for you. Animation Portfolio Workshop directors Gerard Sternik, Vince Peets and Joshua Miller chat with APW grad Gianna Pellerin (Sheridan Animation 2028) about her Life Drawings and Layouts and the process of learning that led to her accepted Sheridan Animation Portfolio (90%). Enjoy!
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Animation Portfolio Workshop grads Thu Pham and Kacey Cheng present and explain their accepted Sheridan Portfolios! APW grad and 2024 Sheridan Animation grad Jacob Rodela shares his portfolio (rejected ones and accepted one) to offer insight into the process behind making a successful portfolio. Animation Portfolio-related Q&A. Enjoy!
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Want to get into animation school? Xinman Wamg talks about her 98% portfolio score and the creative process that led to her awesome portfolio.
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Want to get into animation school? Weiyi Chen talks about her 96% portfolio score.
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Want to get into animation school? APW grad Bibi got a 99% score on her accepted Sheridan portfolio!
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Want to get into animation school? APW. The first. The original. The best portfolio prep course in Canada.
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Want to get into animation school?
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The First. The Original. The best animation portfolio prep course in Canada – serving students world-wide. Jacob shares some drawings that reveal the process work that supports his character design of Sushi Cat. This kind of process is typical of the thorough approach Animation Portfolio Workshop students learn as they create their animation portfolios.
