Hi all, I am a high school student planning to apply for top Canadian and UK schools such as Cambrige, UCL, and McGill. Recently, my art teacher recommended doing a nude drawing based on the portfolio instruction's emphasis on life drawing. However, I do not feel very comfortable with it but am willing to do it if Colleges prefer it over other alternatives.
I would like to know if including a nude drawing would be advantageous and if it would elevate the quality of my portfolio. Any knowledge you share helps.
Thanks in advance.
Non Sequitur
Sep 17, 15 3:18 pm
Yes, double yes even.
Mcgill, Carleton and Waterloo still have nude life drawing as part of their undergrad programs.
Brud-G
Sep 17, 15 3:23 pm
All the hot girls of Montreal... there must be something in the water
Mr.Splash
Sep 17, 15 3:28 pm
Would it be better if I include multiple of them rather than one?
Non Sequitur
Sep 17, 15 3:33 pm
^ depends on the size of the portfolio. If you're limited in page counts, then it's best to have one that takes up the entire page rather than an assortment of small sketches.
If you're applying to a school that requires interviews (in person), then you can bring the originals, which if you're doing it right, should be on 3'x4' sheets of newsprint... or larger.
anonitect
Sep 17, 15 3:34 pm
Are you enrolled in a class where you're doing life drawing?
Do you have portraits, still lifes, or landscapes/cityscapes? Use those first.
Yes, you'll do nude drawings as part of your coursework if you take drawing classes in college, but those are exercises, not artistic statements. I'd avoid using nudes unless they're beyond exceptional.
Do not include drawings from photographs in your portfolio.
anonitect
Sep 17, 15 3:36 pm
which if you're doing it right, should be on 3'x4' sheets of newsprint... or larger
Bullshit. Don't listen to that guy.
Non Sequitur
Sep 17, 15 4:00 pm
Anonitect. I've taught life drawing to first year students. I know a little bit how it works.
btw, this: "Do not include drawings from photographs in your portfolio."
Is the best piece of information you can receive when building a portfolio.
Sep 17, 15 4:25 pm
I had taken drawing classes where there were nude models. We didn't use anything larger than 3'x4' I believe from my experience we were using something manageable on the eisel.
anonitect
Sep 17, 15 4:32 pm
Non,
Drawing big is great, but it isn't a requirement. Look at someone like Michelangelo- one of the deftest hands in history, who worked on notebook-size sheets.
I've taught drawing, too. 3' x 4' sheets would mean that all of the students would need to be at easels, and they'd have to deal with those huge sheets when starting every new drawing. Sounds like a mess. Better to teach them to actually compose a drawing on an 18" x 24" pad, and to do lots of fast drawing, in my opinion. And- it is a question of opinion, which is why I reacted to your use of the word "should. " Should is usually arbitrary in art.
Non Sequitur
Sep 17, 15 4:41 pm
arbitrary, yes. Should is probably the wrong word and 18x24 seems reasonable when there are 50+ students. Much better than a 5x7 moleskin thou...
I warmly remember thesis sketching on a 4' wide roll of Mylar pinned up on my studio walls.
Sep 17, 15 4:46 pm
Yeah.
Mr.Splash
Sep 17, 15 4:49 pm
I was planning to include one nearly photo-realistic portrait drawn from photograph. Would that be fine? Since it's just one and it demonstrates my drawing abilities in terms of shading and composition. Also, to my knowledge, Cambridge doesn't have any size limitations so do you guys think it would be better to prepare a portfolio that is as big as possible or something that is more manageable to handle.
Mr.Splash
Sep 17, 15 4:52 pm
Oh and thanks for the input guys. There seems to be some different views on the inclusion of nude drawings.
accesskb
Sep 17, 15 10:28 pm
depends how good you are. Do your drawings look like someone working for Disney did it? My suggestion is don't just put a lifelike drawing. Show some creativity in it. Perhaps your skill with color, eye in framing the subject, method in emphasizing forms, how light/shadow affects the body etc.
One could even get accepted by submitting stick figure drawings that have more meaning and though behind them than life-like images that are just copies.
shellarchitect
Sep 17, 15 10:49 pm
Good advice above, just don't draw wieners, no one wants to see that
awaiting_deletion
Sep 17, 15 11:08 pm
years ago I was interviewing at a predominately gay male firm, they got really excited when they saw the torso I was modeling in 3D, pointing at the muscle structure....know your audience!
boy in a well
Sep 18, 15 12:00 am
hi mr. splash!
from your post, id guess you've got some ideas in a tangle that could use a bit of an untangle. you're hung up on the idea of 'nude' drawings. when you draw from a model for say a life drawings class, you are not drawing 'nudes'. Sure. youre drawing naked bodies with absolutely everything that entails - but you're drawing by hand, with your eye, learning to measure, proportions, composition, line, tone, the how shapes move in space and perspective, getting to know the structures beneath clothed figures . .. .you're not drawing 'nudes'. Any drawing done by hand which recognizes that kinda stuff will prolly serve you well. A shitty 'nude' will just look immature. I would hope your art teacher would have said as much and that you lost something in translation, but who knows.
JeromeS
Sep 18, 15 11:05 am
Please share your drawings here so that we can make a more accurate assessment. ;)
Mr.Splash
Sep 18, 15 9:18 pm
Jerome S, I don't really have any photos of my work on my laptop but here's my facebook profile picture that I drew off of a photograph
Hi all, I am a high school student planning to apply for top Canadian and UK schools such as Cambrige, UCL, and McGill. Recently, my art teacher recommended doing a nude drawing based on the portfolio instruction's emphasis on life drawing. However, I do not feel very comfortable with it but am willing to do it if Colleges prefer it over other alternatives.
I would like to know if including a nude drawing would be advantageous and if it would elevate the quality of my portfolio. Any knowledge you share helps.
Thanks in advance.
Yes, double yes even.
Mcgill, Carleton and Waterloo still have nude life drawing as part of their undergrad programs.
All the hot girls of Montreal... there must be something in the water
Would it be better if I include multiple of them rather than one?
^ depends on the size of the portfolio. If you're limited in page counts, then it's best to have one that takes up the entire page rather than an assortment of small sketches.
If you're applying to a school that requires interviews (in person), then you can bring the originals, which if you're doing it right, should be on 3'x4' sheets of newsprint... or larger.
Are you enrolled in a class where you're doing life drawing?
Do you have portraits, still lifes, or landscapes/cityscapes? Use those first.
Yes, you'll do nude drawings as part of your coursework if you take drawing classes in college, but those are exercises, not artistic statements. I'd avoid using nudes unless they're beyond exceptional.
Do not include drawings from photographs in your portfolio.
which if you're doing it right, should be on 3'x4' sheets of newsprint... or larger
Bullshit. Don't listen to that guy.
Anonitect. I've taught life drawing to first year students. I know a little bit how it works.
btw, this: "Do not include drawings from photographs in your portfolio."
Is the best piece of information you can receive when building a portfolio.
I had taken drawing classes where there were nude models. We didn't use anything larger than 3'x4' I believe from my experience we were using something manageable on the eisel.
Non,
Drawing big is great, but it isn't a requirement. Look at someone like Michelangelo- one of the deftest hands in history, who worked on notebook-size sheets.
I've taught drawing, too. 3' x 4' sheets would mean that all of the students would need to be at easels, and they'd have to deal with those huge sheets when starting every new drawing. Sounds like a mess. Better to teach them to actually compose a drawing on an 18" x 24" pad, and to do lots of fast drawing, in my opinion. And- it is a question of opinion, which is why I reacted to your use of the word "should. " Should is usually arbitrary in art.
arbitrary, yes. Should is probably the wrong word and 18x24 seems reasonable when there are 50+ students. Much better than a 5x7 moleskin thou...
I warmly remember thesis sketching on a 4' wide roll of Mylar pinned up on my studio walls.
Yeah.
I was planning to include one nearly photo-realistic portrait drawn from photograph. Would that be fine? Since it's just one and it demonstrates my drawing abilities in terms of shading and composition. Also, to my knowledge, Cambridge doesn't have any size limitations so do you guys think it would be better to prepare a portfolio that is as big as possible or something that is more manageable to handle.
Oh and thanks for the input guys. There seems to be some different views on the inclusion of nude drawings.
depends how good you are. Do your drawings look like someone working for Disney did it? My suggestion is don't just put a lifelike drawing. Show some creativity in it. Perhaps your skill with color, eye in framing the subject, method in emphasizing forms, how light/shadow affects the body etc.
One could even get accepted by submitting stick figure drawings that have more meaning and though behind them than life-like images that are just copies.
Good advice above, just don't draw wieners, no one wants to see that
years ago I was interviewing at a predominately gay male firm, they got really excited when they saw the torso I was modeling in 3D, pointing at the muscle structure....know your audience!
hi mr. splash!
from your post, id guess you've got some ideas in a tangle that could use a bit of an untangle. you're hung up on the idea of 'nude' drawings. when you draw from a model for say a life drawings class, you are not drawing 'nudes'. Sure. youre drawing naked bodies with absolutely everything that entails - but you're drawing by hand, with your eye, learning to measure, proportions, composition, line, tone, the how shapes move in space and perspective, getting to know the structures beneath clothed figures . .. .you're not drawing 'nudes'. Any drawing done by hand which recognizes that kinda stuff will prolly serve you well. A shitty 'nude' will just look immature. I would hope your art teacher would have said as much and that you lost something in translation, but who knows.
Please share your drawings here so that we can make a more accurate assessment. ;)
Jerome S, I don't really have any photos of my work on my laptop but here's my facebook profile picture that I drew off of a photograph
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=626430367492638&set=a.112724075529939.13853.100003770423628&type=1&theater
as long as you don't included sketch drawings from Jonah hill's high school character in "Superbad" then you should be ok.
Oh, yes @non Sequitur....size matters.