PERFECTING YOUR PORTFOLIO

       Before we even start on talking about your portfolios, I want to take a GIANT step back a moment.  Get OUT of your producing Artist Selves a moment…  picture yourself as a REP……YOUR REP! 

       You are a PROFESSIONAL.  You are presenting yourself as a PROFESSIONAL.  This is a business, and you are a PROFESSIONAL.

       Even is you are not published yet, Just out of school, Just getting into the Children’s Publishing market from another market…………..you ARE A PROFESSIONAL.  …………OR you DON’T need a portfolio!!

       This is called ATTITUDE!!   And you need a good, strong professional attitude in anything you want to do that’s going to pay you to do it!!  You need to be focused, have done your homework, learned about the market, perfected as much as currently possible your style, and produced some pretty outstanding samples of your talent and style..to SHOW OFF.

       NOW YOU NEED A PORTFOLIO!    What is a portfolio???    It’s more than just a big envelope or leather-like carrying case.  It IS YOU!  It is a PRESENTATION AND REPRESENTATION OF YOU!     It’s your resume if you’re corporate…your audition if you’re a musician or dancer or actor….your “head shot” if you’re a model.  It’s ONLY PURPOSE is to show off your talent and style to potential buyers you hope will HIRE and PAY you to do a job for them.  REMEMBER THAT. 

       I have made this initial point so OVERCLEAR to you because if you can firmly accept this premise, it makes doing up a portfolio so much easier………and presenting yourself to buyers so much less stressful.

FORGET putting your favorite piece in -even tho’ you KNOW the hand is Weak, or the painting isn’t quite the best you could do.

FORGET putting in 6 different styles in your 15 pages…because YOU Haven’t yet decided WHICH is YOU…and hope the buyer will pick.

FORGET putting your beautifully rendered fine arts NUDES in your Children’s market portfolio

These choices DO NOT show professionalism or awareness of the markets needs.  These choices will HURT you………not help you.

*What you put in your portfolio must be appropriate , technically proficient, easily viewed, neat and clean.  You want to leave them WANTING MORE……… and with a CLEAR view of WHO YOU ARE!

The AD or editor needs to be able to clearly remember you artistically in a positive, comfortable, professional way.

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