Portfolio Tips: What to Include
The 2011 SCBWI Summer Conference is around the corner; time to start honing that portfolio for the showcase! Below, I've listed a few basic guidelines for what you can include. Keep in mind there are exceptions to these rules, but this gives you a basic idea of what's commonly looked for.
- 12-20 illustrations, suitable for the children's market
- Scenes that convey a story
- Color and Black & White work
- Three or so different scenes that show the same characters (displays your consistency)
- Characters interacting with each other
- People of various ages, most importantly children
- Animal characters
- Character sketches (optional)
- Scenes displaying ability to render backgrounds; interior, urban, and rural
What NOT to include:
- Original artwork
- A mishmash of styles (if you have two styles, keep them separated into two sections)
- Unfinished work
- Editorial work or illustrations not suitable for the children's market (picture books - young adult)
Anyone who can add more to these portfolio tips, please do share in the comment section. Thanks!
Reader Comments (1)
Fantastic tips, Eliza! Thanks so much for sharing them.