Annual Spring Portfolio Review

SPRING 2024 UNDERGRADUATE IDA ILLUSTRATION, DESIGN AND ANIMATION PORTFOLIO REVIEW

(The application process ended March 15)

This Spring review accepts 36 to 40 students into a combined Illustration, Design and Animation program. Students are not IDA emphasis until the passage of this second review. The first review is for admittance into the School of Art and declaring your interest in becoming an IDA student.

ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST

• I have a minimum cumulative UA GPA of 2.0 to be eligible to declare a major in the School of Art.
• I have taken the majority of my First Year Experience (FYE) classes.
• I have taken or am currently enrolled in ART 265 and ART 266. It is best to take at least one of these classes in the Fall before the review. But there is no penalty for going through the review multiple times so you should apply even if both required classes are being taken during the review semester. (Transfer students should make sure they have had the equivalents of ART 265 and ART 266. Check with School of Art advising to confirm).

PORTFOLIO REVIEW PROCEDURES

• Online submissions of portfolios will be available from Wednesday, March 13 and are due by 10 a.m. on Friday, March 15.
• IDA faculty will review and rank the applications. This procedure may take a few days.
• You will be notified via email of your acceptance and the required classes for Fall 2023. Please note that if you do not register for the required classes in the Fall, you will forfeit your place in the IDA program.
• You will also be notified via email if you are not accepted into the program. You will also be notified of times available for advising appointments to discuss your next steps and get feedback on your portfolio.

PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES

You may use this Google Slides Template and save as a PDF to upload or create in any program of your choice.

You may find this document on Combining PDFs helpful to create a multi-page landscape 1024×768 pixels format PDF portfolio that includes the following pages.

SLIDE 1

This slide should contain your completed 2024 IDA Application Form which includes a brief 300-word count (max) statement addressing what attracts you to the IDA program and your areas of interest.

SLIDE 2

Show your visual response to the prompt of the below image and at least one word from the word list. Respond to them in a way that’s meaningful to you and incorporates your preferred medium and style. Consider how the combination of image and word creates a new meaning when brought together. Note the mood, directionality, composition, shape, and/or color and what you might bring to this visual by changing its context, scale, framing, positionality, mood, etc.? Note that the image may or may not appear in your final solution.

Pitaya

Chevron 

Magic hour

Hidden

Tongue 

Trap

A high-resolution image of the photo can be downloaded here.

SLIDES 3 – 5 (use as many slides as necessary)

The next slides should showcase one of your projects from process to finish. This should include a project description, research, thumbnail sketches, roughs, iterations/alternate variations, color studies etc. Use as many slides as necessary to clearly show your process of creating one of your assignments. Your chosen assignment should preferably come from ART 265 or ART 266. Transfer students may choose any project from prior classes or self-initiated work.

NEXT SLIDES

The next slides of your portfolio should present 3 sample projects of your choice. For each of these 3 works please include a short description and final image of the project. If your project is 3-dimensional or multi-page, use as many viewpoints and detailed images as needed to clearly show your work. Animations, videos, and websites should be displayed with a single still image from the project and contain a hyperlink to the work online.

*A note on “fan art”. The IDA faculty prefers that all work be original and not include characters, imagery, or other visuals sourced from the internet without permission. If your work includes imagery not of your own creation, please describe in detail how and why the use of these elements is necessary for communicating your unique point of view. 

FINAL SLIDES

Please scan or photograph 4-6 pages from your sketchbook. These pages should not be finished artwork but rather show process, exploration and personal interest.

Submission Process:
Please name your PDF portfolios using your first initial and last name with the .pdf extension. (K-Leslie.pdf). Your PDF portfolios should be under 100MB. If you are having trouble reducing your MB size you can compress your PDF file here.

Contact Kelly Leslie <kleslie@arizona.edu> if you have questions.

EVALUATION, ACCEPTANCE, AND ADVISING

• The work submitted should: Show an eye for composition and application of formal principles (scale, balance, weight, texture, direction, etc.); Communicate an understanding of form and sensitivity to materials; Show a clear understanding of color relationships; Demonstrate excellent skills and attention to detail; Show a facility with software. Ideas embodied in the work should be innovative and strong. Digital uploads should be clear and readable.
• If you have been accepted into IDA, your name will be placed on a list allowing you to register for the required courses* online. Register on time to get a seat in fall classes. You will only be guaranteed courses in the sequence indicated on the IDA grid (included with acceptance). If you do not register for the required classes in the fall semester, you forfeit your place in the program. If there are extenuating circumstances, contact IDA Program Chair Kelly Leslie (kleslie@arizona.edu) to discuss.

*You must maintain a 3.0 GPA in IDA classes in order to be guaranteed admission into IDA classes. Any grade below a 3.0 will place you on probationary status for the remainder of your time in the program.