Art college or regular college?

What can I do to get into an art college?

• Hello, I'm a sophomore attending a public high school and I'm wondering what I can do to get into an art college? I have a GPA of 3.4 and I have not started on my portfolio yet. I know I'm starting late and my grades are not that great but since my sister is aiming to go to an art school, my parents also want me to give it a try. And I know that's not really much of a reason but after seeing her do it, I want to get into an art related career too. I've won a third place prize in last year's AAA poster contest and received an award at my school for my artistic talent last quarter if that's anything to go by? I'm taking a Drawing and Painting class at my high school but I don't feel like I've learned much from it. None of the other students in my class take it seriously and I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to get enough portfolio pieces by the end of high school at this rate. My sister is taking private lessons on the weekends and my parents said that if they have enough money, they'll send me to private lessons as well except on weekdays AND weekends too so I can make up for lost time. But I don't think we have enough money to do that, since having two daughters trying to get into an art school is kinda expensive. We've went and visited a few private tutors and none of them offer any discounts and after seeing what the students do there makes me scared that I'm just going to eat my parents' money. I already know that I have to start drawing from three dimensional observations but is that not enough to just work at home? At one of the private tutors, they had their students make clay sculptures as still lives for them to draw on paper (and they were AMAZING). Is there a way for me to do that at home? The private tutor that I'm most likely going to be sent to is the one my twin is attending right now but I don't like the way they teach there. I know I just have to stop complaining but they only focus on the upperclassmen there and there are like twenty students per unit. I'm letting my sister teach me what she knows but I want to be completely prepared to get into an art college. I know all schools are different but what can I do to get into a good college? My sister is planning to take a pre-college course this summer and my parents won't have enough money to send both of us. I have little experience with a lot of art mediums and most of my work now used some sort of photo reference( but I'm learning to use them less now). I only have a handful of drawings in my school sketchbook and they are all done in ballpoint pen - it's a theme sketchbook - so is that an acceptable medium? I will upload a scan of some of my work if need be. And if you have any tips for me to raise my academic score, that will be great! One of the private tutors I've visited told me that as long as my GPA is above a 3.2, it's fine but my sister's private tutor said it has to be at least a 3.6 and I don't know which one is more accurate. Thank for your help!

• Answer:

  My daughter is in Fine Arts, she was as stressed as you are. Only 40 people were accepted into the college she applied to. She didn't have much education when it came to arts except for the classes she took in high school. She didn't know techniques, she didn't take private lessons. What I would suggest to you is.... When you prepare your porfolio, make sure the presentation looks good. Label your art, give them a name even sign them etc... Include lots of different kinds of arts, don't make all your art similar (eg..don't make your drawings all of faces, or people or animals etc...) Put some drawings, some paintings, fruits, abstract, people, buildings, paintings on a canvas oil paint, pencils, inks, if you have created sculptures, put pictures of that whatever...make it diverse. They don't just look at your art (obviously it has to be good enough) but they also look at the potential you have and at how serious you are about it. My daughter is now preparing her portfolio for university...the stress never ends lol GOOD LUCK!! EDIT: as for using photo reference, my daughter used to do that also. She still does every now and then and she's graduating college Fine Arts so I wouldn't worry too much. Like the teacher who interviewed her told her... "there is no point of me accepting great artists, what would I have to teach them that they don't already know" Potential, seriousness...that's what they are looking for. At least the school my daughter is attending. also, one more thing, I wouldn't put manga or comics I don't really think the teachers consider that Fine arts