Your BFA Portfolio Checklist is on the way to your inbox!
If you’re serious about getting into your dream BFA program, my free training is the right next step:
FREE ON-DEMAND TRAINING
How to Build An Art School Portfolio That Gets Accepted
For BFA Students & Parents
After reviewing 1000+ portfolios over the years, I’ve noticed 3 mistakes BFA candidates make that prevent them from getting into art school. In this FREE on demand training, I'll help you build a portfolio so you can get accepted to your dream school – the first time.
Only 20% Of Applicants Get Into The Top Art Schools
The people in charge read 200+ portfolios per season, spending about 90 seconds on each one before moving on to the next. That means the students who spent years developing their talent are being accepted or rejected in less time than it took to make a single sketch.
Your Raw Talent Is Not Enough To Get You Into Art School.
Admissions teams aren’t reviewing your potential as an artist, they’re reviewing a snapshot of your work in a single portfolio.
That means if you choose the wrong pieces, miss the range they’re looking for, lean on the same clichés as every other applicant…your talent will never enter the conversation.
The students who get into their dream art schools aren’t always the most gifted, they just know how to put together a strong portfolio.
MEET CLARA
Hi, I’m Clara Lieu (aka Prof Lieu)
I spent 16 years teaching at RISD, sitting on the other side of the admissions table while thousands of portfolios crossed it.
Now I run Art Prof, where I help BFA applicants (and their parents) skip the guesswork and build portfolios that get accepted — because I believe talented young artists deserve to get into their dream programs & your portfolio should not be stopping you.
Give Me 90 Minutes, I’ll Help You Get Into
Your Dream BFA Program
After reviewing thousands of portfolios over the years, I’ve noticed three major gaps that show up again and again. I’ll walk you through how to avoid them so your portfolio feels like a fully realized reflection of your skill and potential.
The 5 Glaring Clichés That Make Your Portfolio Virtually Invisible To Admissions Teams
Reviewers see the same montage of tired subjects over and over, and once they spot one in your portfolio, it starts to blend in with the rest of the pile. I’ll share the common clichés to avoid and how to replace them with ideas that feel exciting and original.
The 1 Shift In Your Material Use That Signals “This Student Takes Smart Risks”
Most students stick to using materials in obvious ways (paint brush to paint to canvas). I’ll show you how pushing past that expectation adds dimension to your art and tells admissions teams you’re willing to experiment instead of just execute.
The Foundational Skills Schools Want To See That Most Students Are Skipping Or Phoning In
Most applicants are weak in the same handful of basics and admissions teams can call them out within seconds of looking at your work. I’ll walk you through exactly which skills you need to sharpen to pull ahead of the pack and why they make such a difference.
Know Your Portfolio Is Ready Before You Hit Submit
Learn how to tell if a piece is adding value to your portfolio or just filling a slot because you think you’re “supposed to” have it
Understand the difference between skill and ideas and what to focus on to make sure your pieces have both
Know the balance of technique vs experimentation admission teams want to see in an accepted portfolio
Learn how to build pieces around personal narrative and perspective that still feel technically sound
Leave with a clear sense of what to fix or add to get your portfolio ready for admissions season
You Deserve A Real Chance At Your Dream School
You already know where you want to go. The acceptance letter, the campus, the next four years — you’ve pictured it. Don’t let a portfolio mistake you didn’t know about be the thing that gets in the way.
IT WOULD BE MY HONOR TO HELP YOU GET THERE.
FREE ON-DEMAND TRAINING
How to Build An Art School Portfolio That Gets Accepted
Join me in this FREE on demand training and I'll help you build a portfolio so you can get accepted to your dream school – the first time.