Portfolio Requirements

Your portfolio should reflect your most imaginative, strongest, and most recent work, ideally created within the last two years. We recommend including work across at least two to three different mediums to demonstrate your versatility as an artist.

All submitted work must be your own original creations. Submitting work that is not your own, either by copying or misrepresenting, violates AUArts' Student Conduct Policy and intellectual property rights. Violations are subject to disciplinary action.

Only digital portfolios are accepted. Once you apply to AUArts, you'll gain access to the AUArtsApply Portal where you will upload both your Portfolio and Statement of Intent before the submission deadline.

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You must submit 12 pieces of artwork, compiled into a single multi-page PDF document accessible through the AUArtsApply Portal after you have applied.

Your portfolio must include:

• 1 Observational Drawing
• 10-11 Additional Pieces of finished work
• 1 Piece of Process Work from a sketchbook or notebook may be included in place of one finished piece. (Optional but strongly recommended)

Finished Work

Select artwork that represents your best final work, showcasing a range of subjects, styles, and media.

Important: Each piece should be accompanied by a short description (up to 50 words) explaining how the idea for the piece developed.

Observational Drawing

Create a drawing based on real life, not a photograph or image found online. Subjects could include:

• Objects (e.g., a bowl of fruit)
• Environments (e.g., buildings, natural landscapes)
• People or animals (e.g., friends, pets, self-portraits)

Process Work (Optional but strongly recommended)

You may include 1 piece from your sketchbook or creative notebook that illustrates your thought process, experimentation, and research. Multiple sketchbook pages must be compiled into one PDF file and counted as one submission.

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We welcome a broad range of traditional, digital, and experimental media. A strong portfolio typically shows creativity and originality across varied materials and subject matter.

Traditional Media Examples

• Drawing
• Painting
• Collage or Mixed Media
• Sculpture
• Ceramics or Pottery
• Jewellery
• Textiles and Wearable Art
• Installation Art (documented)
• Other traditional forms

Digital Media Examples

• Digital Painting or Illustration
• Animation
• Video
• Web Design
• Performance or Installation Art (documented)
• 3D Models
• Photography
• Other digital forms

Note: A strong portfolio demonstrates strengths in many areas with original design and stylistic approaches. As such, a diverse range of media and subject matter is important, while not catering to one specific genre (such as anime/ manga). Please do not include fan art or artwork that directly copies another artist's intellectual property. Artwork that takes influence from an era or historical artist (such as impressionism) is acceptable, and must be credited to the original artist.

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Alongside your portfolio, you must submit a Statement of Intent through the AUArtsApply Portal in either PDF or Word format.

The statement should not exceed 300–500 words in either essay or cover letter format and address the following:

1. Why do you want to attend art school and earn a degree?
2. What other interests or activities inspire you outside of art?
3. What excites you about joining AUArts?

This is your opportunity to introduce yourself, express your passion, and show how your goals align with AUArts' creative environment.

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Portfolios must be submitted as a single multi-page PDF document that contains all 12 pieces including descriptions, titles, dimension and materials used for each piece. 

Portfolios are only accepted as submissions through the AUArtsApply Portal. Access to the portal is granted after you have applied to AUArts.

A PDF template is provided in the AUArtsApply Portal. As only images can be added to the PDF document, links to videos are permitted in lieu of an image. Additional instructions on how to use the PDF template are provided on the AUArtsApply Portal.

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Originality & Conceptual Exploration
Present creative, original, and well-researched ideas that reflect your personal interests and social relevance. This applies to both the visual pieces, but also to the explanation supporting each piece of artwork selected for the portfolio.

Range of Media & Subjects
Demonstrate curiosity and willingness to experiment with materials and topics. Show experimentation in different mediums – 2D and/or 3D and/or digital – including the use of traditional and modern materials and processes. Show variety in your subject matter. Explore topics that interest you in your own life - politics, people, emotion, experiences, dreams, etc.

Manual Skills & Technical Execution
Showcase your craft, control, and technique in the artwork you present.

Presentation & Documentation
Submit clear, professional-quality documentation. Include multiple angles for 3D work and crop image edges cleanly. Each piece should have a brief descriptive caption.

Process Work (Optional but strongly recommended)
Artwork should demonstrate problem-solving, clarity of process and depth of research as proven by the notebook or sketchbook submission. Examples of media for process work may include images, videos, or models of sketchbook work and/or creative research or documentation.

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We offer a range of experiences and resources to help you strengthen your portfolio before applying:

• 1-on-1 Portfolio Review (with a Recruitment and Admissions advisor)
• Portfolio Prep Courses (Continuing Education & Professional Development)
• Pre-College Program (for high school students)
• Portfolio Review Days
• AUArts @ NPDA Review Days (external events)

Have questions? Reach out to us at admissions@auarts.ca