Guidelines for applicants to Fine Art Uploading Images (electronic folio) & Supporting Text (folio statement) http://application.gsa.ac.uk/
Stage One Application How is my application assessed? Admissions staff will: view the uploaded images (electronic folio) read your Supporting Text (folio statement) read your UCAS Personal Statement in order to evaluate and establish how well you represent yourself visually through the folio and in writing through the UCAS statement and folio statement.
What we look for in order to evaluate your stage one application and where we would look for this (7 aspects) How your e-folio demonstrates your interest in Fine Art and the specialist area you applied for You will be expected to include work that uses materials and methods that demonstrates appropriateness to the specialist area applied for. (e-folio) Course awareness, why this course You will be expected to communicate why you consider the course applied for is the appropriate one for you. (folio statement)
Your development process You will be expected to show how you progress your ideas through experiment and visual enquiry. (e-folio) How you represent your sources and influences You will be expected to show your source material, references and influences through sketchbooks, or through other supporting material. (efolio and folio statement) This can be demonstrated by uploading photographs of sketchbook pages/ notebooks/ development sheets and finished pieces.
Range and application of practical skills We expect the portfolio to represent your experience with materials, methods and experimental work. (e-folio) This can be demonstrated in a variety of ways including drawing / painting / analytical / abstract / 3Dwork / photography /CAD etc. It can be represented by uploading photographs of your sketchbooks, preparatory sketches, development sheets and final pieces.
Course work You will be expected to provide examples of work that you have undertaken as part of a prescribed course (e-folio) Independent applicants (who may not have recent course work) will be expected to represent appropriate experience of practice through their folio and statement Independent / Personal work You will be expected to include examples of work that you have undertaken that builds on your experience and demonstrates a potential for independent learning. (e-folio)
Image requirements by Fine Art Departments Painting and Printmaking Finished work: 10 images 15 images Preparatory work/research materials: 5 to 8 images (sketchbooks, studies, preparatory drawings, development sheets) Observational studies: 5 to 8 images
Sculpture and Environmental Art Finished work: 5 to 15 images This need not be all different work. If work is three dimensional you may want to show different views Preparatory / Research work: 5 to 15 images (sketchbooks, studies, preparatory drawings, development sheets) Time based work: 5 to 10 images that story-board the work.
Fine Art Photography Finished work: 15 to 20 images Preparatory / Research work: 5 to 10 images
Some notes for guidance in preparing your e-folio Preparatory/ Research work: This can be sketchbook pages, studies, development sheets, preparatory drawings that demonstrates/tracks the development of a finished piece of work. We are interested in the concepts and ideas behind your work and how they progress and develop; from the initial starting point / source of inspiration through to a finished piece of work. We are also interested in finding out more about your interest in Fine Art, artists that you are looking at (for example exhibitions visits, internet, books, magazines and newspapers). We want to know what or who has motivated you or influenced you to apply for the specialist area.
Finished work: We want to see work that is an outcome of your development work and is more consolidated and resolved. Time based work: (film / video work / sound pieces / slide shows etc.) If you are submitting a time based work it needs to be presented as a story board with 5-10 images.
Supporting images The 25 uploaded images should contain examples of different work. If you wish to include different angles of the same piece of work or detailed sections please do so within one image. Before you finally submit your application, check each image to ensure you are happy with the size and level of detail you can see as this will be what admissions staff viewing your application will also see. Maximum size of 200kb per image Resolution of images does not need to be more than 72dpi.
In order to show us the development of your ideas throughout a project you may wish to show several drawings/pieces of work together within one image: you could do this by photographing several drawings/pieces of work together at once, or by photographing several pieces individually and using Photoshop (or similar programme) to combine them into one image. This can be particularly useful when trying to show work that cannot be photographed at the same time for example a series of pages in a sketchbook
The following slides show some of the ways in which work could be presented. These are given as guidelines only; we understand that each applicant s work is personal and this will influence the way in which they choose to present the work. You may choose to group some work together within one image for example sketchbook pages and/or small drawings showing the development of your ideas. Or you may choose to show just one or two pieces of work per image if they are very detailed or you consider them to be final/finished pieces.
Stage two Applicants selected for interview will be asked to bring their portfolio of work to the interview. The portfolio interview is a two-way process: for you to gain a better understanding of the GSA and your chosen course and for us to view your portfolio and ask you questions about it and your interest in your chosen specialism. The portfolio interview will last about 20 minutes and will normally be with 2 members of staff.