CreativeReality

I'm currently a high school freshman hoping to attend Parsons for some sort of design major, and these are some of my pieces so far. Any ways that I could improve, or strengths/weaknesses, really would be appreciated .

CreativeReality's Photostream

RainingAgain

You have a mixed bag of tricks here. When it comes to applying to colleges, some are useful, some are not. When a piece is conceptually driven - like the first image of the girl on the dresser - it is good. When it is simply a byproduct of Photoshop, then it has limited, if any, value - such as the Warhol-esque image of two faces. Portfolios laden with Photoshop'ed imagery are very common and become redundant to portfolio review committees, so keep them to a bare minimum unless they are uniquely brilliant. As it stands, images 1,5,6, and 10 have merit, in my opinion. Your off to a good start though. It's clear that you have an eye for type, color, and composition. You have a few years to discover and develop your interests. Work hard and your potential will be realized.

CreativeReality

Thanks so much, it really means a lot! So the pieces that have more of an idea behind them, other than just being a castoff of photoshop, are the ones worth pursuing? And only a few of them at that?

I'm guessing Parsons would like to see more drawings?

RainingAgain

Absolutely.

Photoshop is a very typical starting point for many students and it is absolutely fine to play around with it to see what it can do. But as you understand now, when the idea is strong, the message (concept) speaks for itself and the media - ideally - becomes transparent (though we can still admire craftsmanship).

You will definitely want to include other types of media, especially observational drawings. Hopefully your art classes in High School will give you ample opportunities to broaden your portfolio.