Starting my portfolio

It is so hard to find confidence in yourself when you can hardly figure out what you want to show in your portfolio. I cannot pick many projects I am extremely proud of, or any that I am close to proud of, but I suppose it is the progress in finding what you want in your portfolio that helps you develop it to it's full potential---if you know what you're doing, that is. I, for one, am really lost and feel my work could be so much better if I put forth more effort, but I just feel it doesn't show what I am truly capable of right now. I feel it is sub-par and hardly unique, but I suppose that is my duty to change that by making it far more than just a few images in a black case.

In order to develop my portfolio, before I move on to the first step, it is crucial for me to decide:

• What I want my portfolio to convey about me as a graphic designer/illustrator
• Who my portfolio is trying to reach (clients, art directors, companies, etc.)
• What kind of work I want to have once I graduate. (my career path)

For my career focus, I am highly interested in conceptual art, design and illustration, so I will have to keep my portfolio very illustration-based--maybe a few posters, book covers, etc. Doing some research about portfolios for artists and designers, I found that it was important to understand the concept of "less is more" and that you have to spend your time during an interview for only as long you are welcomed--no one wants a portfolio that is extremely crowded and long, even if the work is exceptional. I have come to the conclusion that a portfolio of about 6-10 pieces maximum, according to the portfolio submission guidelines I have found during my research, is ideal, and that is what I plan on sticking to in regards to content.

I do not feel I have work that is entirely portfolio-ready yet, but so far I seem to have only images that I need to "fix up" first. I have separated them from "Less effort fixing them up" to "Most effort required to fix up"

Most "prepared" works:

• Break Free posters
• Redemption (3 piece conceptual photo-manipulation series)
• Will Wight's book cover collaborations (3 book covers my sister and I did for the author Will Wight... I plan on sticking to mainly the Crimson Vault and the new book cover we are working on for the book "City of Light")
• The Mountains of Madness concept (Illustration done for self-directed study course)

Least prepared works:

• Portal Cover (illustration)
• Grape Escape game concept art (in progress)
• Chad Leito's Mungus book cover (in progress)
• (maybe something I do this semester, I have yet to find out!)

I feel I need to add more work for my portfolio to be complete, maybe projects I will do during this semester. Right now, I feel this is all I really have that is remotely somewhat ready for my portfolio and something I would feel confident sending to a potential employer. I feel I have a lot missing so far, and I really need to work on the image of myself as a graphic designer and illustrator. I tend to be very indecisive, and I want to change that and try to really focus on myself as a singular entity as opposed to the "other twin" or "Ch-Caitlin/Ca-Chelsey---ah, whoever the fuck you are!". I hope to focus on layout in my portfolio to ensure that my portfolio stands out amongst the crowd, tells a story, and reflects my passion for art and design.