2025 Guide to BFA Art School Portfolios

should you go?

• Is it worth it?
• School rankings
• Self-taught vs. school
• Should you go?
• Student loan debt
• Who goes?

research

• AI & Cheating
• Applying is stressful
• BFA/MFA graduates
• How to find schools
• Other students
• School tour photos

art student interviews

• CalArts rejection
• CalArts
• CalArts Sketchbook
• CalArts vs. RISD
• Gobelins/CalArts/RISD
• MICA
• RISD/Brown
• RISD Animation
• YouTube playlist

sketchbooks

• RISD/Brown
• RISD Illustration
• YouTube playlist
• Sketchbook area
• Sketchbooks

1 on 1 SUPPORT

• Artist calls
• Personal art curriculums
• Portfolio critiques
• Statement editing

group support

• 2023 Art School Portfolios Group
• Discord

Studying art at a non art college

• University Art Programs
• UCLA students
• Prof Lieu’s take 1
• Prof Lieu’s take 2

art student advice

• YouTube Playlist

portfolio: Start here

• How to stand out
• How to start
• Portfolio mistakes
• Stay motivated

Prompts

• Art Dares
• Prompts list
• Photo collection
• Tracks

prof lieu Q&A

• YouTube playlist
• 2023 Q&A
• Q&A 1
• Q&A 2
• Q&A 3
• Q&A 4
• Q&A 5

national portfolio day

• Tips for attending

portfolio: subjects

• Avoid cliches
• Brainstorming
• Getting ideas
• Observational work
• Prompts List
• Tips for subjects
• Tutorials by subject
• Use prompts

portfolio: media

• Color
• Digital Art
• Drawing
• How to stand out
• Life drawing vs. photos
• Mixed media
• Sketchbooks
• Skill isn’t everything
• Tips for art media
• Tutorials by media

accepted portfolios

• Portfolio examples
• Cat Huang

statement & resume

• Artist statements
• CV/resume
• Editing service
• Your essay matters

photographing artwork

• How-to
• Mistakes
• Presentation

CRITIQUES

• Critique marathon
• Critiques Area
• Everyone does this
• Group critique demo
• High school critique1
• High school critique2
• Portfolio critiques
• YouTube playlist

opportunities

• Summer programs
• Student competitions

REJECTION

• What to do

attending art school

• Advice for students
• Art mentors
• Classroom critique
• Difficult professors
• Favorite projects 1
• Favorite projects 2
• Group critiques
• Time management
• Personalities
• Social life

art school issues

• Faculty exploitation
• Life after art school 1
• Poor career prep
• Racism at art school
• Why I left RISD

After art school

• Art careers
• Art jobs can ruin your art practice
• MFA programs
• Pro Development
• Student Interview
• Roger Mandle’s advice for grads