Friday January 2nd 2026
Local art portfolio tutor and mentor, Julie Read
Written by local art portfolio tutor and mentor, Julie Read of Portfolio Oomph
January – it’s that time of year when teenagers across the UK send off their UCAS applications. Plenty of nerves and just as many stressed parents who contact me for extra support. For anyone applying to art and design courses, the process has extra layers and digital portfolios will be on your mind. Grades matter, but creative evidence often matters more. Portfolios, set tasks, extra written work and sometimes interviews all influence whether an offer is made.
Understanding what a portfolio actually is can make things easier. Many assume they know, but a portfolio is simply a collection of artworks a student feels proud of. It should show their interests, how they think and how they create. It’s less about perfect technique and more about ideas, curiosity and creative development.
A common mistake is including only final outcomes. Strong portfolios show the journey as well as the destination. Development work, experiments, rough sketches and research help demonstrate thinking and problem-solving. Schoolwork is useful, especially recent A level, Higher or Advanced Higher pieces, but universities expect to see work created independently too. This shows initiative and genuine engagement.
Life drawing can help, especially for courses where the figure is important, though it isn’t essential for every specialism. Students apply to many areas such as painting, textiles, illustration, graphic design, interior design and performance costume. General drawing will appear across most portfolios, but the work should also reflect the chosen subject.
Universities don’t expect finished designers or artists. They’re looking for potential and for signs that a student understands the skills linked to their chosen area.
Referencing influential artists and designers can support this. It shows awareness of the wider creative world and how research feeds into personal ideas.
Some parents are surprised that a few universities don’t always require a portfolio for specific subjects. Edinburgh College of Art, for example, currently doesn’t ask for a portfolio for architecture, while UCL’s Bartlett School demands a detailed process including set tasks. Most courses still expect a portfolio though, so it’s worth checking requirements early on.
Drawing remains central. It should appear in sketchbooks and in the main portfolio. Drawing communicates ideas clearly and shows understanding of form, tone and structure. Whether a student is applying for jewellery, animation, sculpture or fashion, drawing supports almost every discipline. A range of materials is useful, but variety shouldn’t overshadow strong ideas.
Sketchbooks are often misunderstood. Some students treat them as scrapbooks for neat pages or stuck-in final pieces. A sketchbook should be a working space – a place for experiments, notes, mistakes and reflections. It should show how ideas grow and change. Pages ideally shouldn’t be torn out, even if the work isn’t liked. Admissions teams want to see decision-making and development, not perfection.
Most universities now ask for digital portfolios. This means submitting clear photos of physical work. Images should be well lit and accurate in colour and tone. The digital portfolio should show the flow of projects and the strength of the ideas. Each university sets its own limits on image numbers, so submissions will need adjusting each time.
Teachers can offer guidance, but requirements change often, so always check directly with each institution. The portfolio process takes time and commitment. It encourages students to understand who they are, what interests them and how they communicate visually. With a clear grasp of what’s needed, the whole experience becomes far smoother for families.
A strong portfolio isn’t about perfection. It’s about exploration, curiosity and honest creative thinking.
Best of luck!
If you’d like deeper guidance, you can explore my book Creative Careers; unlocking art school admissions, which expands on these ideas in more detail. And if you want personalised support for your young person’s digital portfolio, you’re welcome to book a call and we can talk it through together.
For more on Portfolio Oomph click here.
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