verdricity

I'm submitting a visual arts supplement to Stanford, and I'm curious to see who else has had experience with this, especially since most threads I've seen have dealt with music supplements.

Specifically, what do they look for in the portfolio (traditional work based on observation, vs your own style/more abstraction), and how much can your supplement affect your overall admissions decision?

Actually, I'd love to know more about visual arts at Stanford in general, so if anyone can shed any light on this at all, it would be much appreciated.

hanstuy

i did submit an art supplement, i had several drawings and paintings and collages and mixed media... some were traditional, i had a surrealism piece, etc...

i guess it's a typical art portfolio where you find some still lives and some abstract and some conceptual... i don't exactly know what stanford is looking for either so im just crossing my fingers =D

good luck to you

FashionCapital

I submitted a photography portfolio for SCEA in October. I honestly have no clue how much weight an arts supplement carries on an application, so...yeah. Hah.

ultramarine

well I made a website on music AND art, so you can take a look at it:

yichunteng.blogspot.com

still working on it though
I'm not sure how much this will influence their decision, but I'm sure that if you show that you are outstanding in whatever you're submitting, it can only be a plus

mamae

Ultramarine, you are very talented!

BigMike3541

Unless you are extremely talented as defined by the visual arts/music/drama dept at Stanford, the art supplements won't really matter much.

whoaness

BigMike... are you an artist???? Just wondering.

I did send in two art supps. First and foremost, Verdricity, in judging you work examine the technique. Are brushstrokes (if you paint) even? In other words, does it look like the art of a novice or someone with quiet of few years of experience?
Second, does it show promise? When compiling your portfolio try to show work from over the years, not just from this year/recently. Submit works that show your improvement.

Once you've examined your technique, take a stab at attempting/showcasing a myriad of different styles. A true, learning artist doesn't just do one thing. If you were an established artist then you could stick to one style. But an artist that is still learning explores various styles. However, this doesn't mean you lose yourself. Try to put a little bit of whatever your signature might be into every piece. Make sure you present pieces that are distinctly YOURS!

After all that, it comes down to what the art department at Stanford thinks. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you accomplish the first two, then the third is just a crap shoot. You can just sit back and cross your fingers and hope that they understand your intent with each piece.

verdricity

Ultramarine - your portfolio is very impressive. I love your portraits.

whoaness - thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I've already made prints of my artwork, and I don't have time to run off more prints, so I guess it's all up to Stanford's art department now.

Here's my portfolio. I've been told it's a little twisted, but I assure you guys I'm not mentally ill =) At this point, I'm pretty sure it's not what Stanford wants at all, but ah well. I'm too tired to stress about this anymore.

whoaness

Freakkyyyy... and interesting. I think you would be taken seriously by the department. You've shown some diversity here with mediums and techniques; definitely something that they might appreciate.

I liked it (fellow artist to fellow artist)... lets see what Stanford thinks