Here’s a question that comes up quite frequently when artists talk about their portfolios:
Should I include all my different styles or just one style?
It’s an excellent question without a hard and fast rule as an answer. Here’s why.
When you’re prepping any art portfolio, the first question you need to answer is, “Who is my audience?” The answer to that question is going to narrow down your options of what samples to include.
The business of art is a widely varied marketplace. If you’re selling retro Japanese-style killer robot art, then the creative director of Mother Earth is probably not your best bet. If you sketch cuddly critters in pastel fields of love and rainbows, the hiring manager of RazorbackKillerz Graphic Design Studio is going to look at you a little funny. There may be laughing after you leave.
Very simply, you need to structure your portfolio toward the industry and type of work you’re trying to get.
I had a great conversation about this with Richard Miller of Calyx Design. We’ve both been in the position of having to hire artists and we’ve both been equally frustrated when we saw awesome talent that we couldn’t hire.
In the animation world I once had the responsibility of bringing in a new storyboard artist. A week after posting an ad, I sat in the office surrounded by over 100 portfolios and demo reels. Several times I pulled one out of the pile and marveled over the amazing artwork in front of me. Incredible stuff. Sometimes I brought in producers and other directors to gaze in wonder at the mind-blowing talent and beauty that lay before us. I think we even wept. There may have been fainting, it’s a blur.
Couldn’t hire them. Sorry. No can do. Throw another ‘folio on the barbie, mate.
I looked at gorgeous oil paintings that I would have loved to hang in my home, but what I needed was an artist who could quickly sketch an idea in a fast-paced story meeting under pressure of producers, directors,writers, and designers. I needed to see sequential drawings. I ached to see that the artist knew the language of film and how to visualize a script.
Think about that.
Your portfolio may be awe-inspiring but if it’s not appropriate for the person or company you sent it to, it’s a complete waste of time.
Do not waste your time. Do not waste someone else’s time.
So you have lots of different styles and mediums and skills. What to do?
Take a close look at the kind of work the company you’re targeting produces. Do your homework. If you think you have something that fits, then show 8-12 examples of your work that’s closest to it. Better to show fewer that hit the mark than more that confuse the viewer.
If you feel strongly that your alternate style is just so outstanding that it must be seen, then include it – but put it in the back of your book with a short note explaining that you understand it’s different. This shows that you’re paying attention and if it’s truly good work, you might make an impression.
Can you tell that I hate hard and fast rules? You know, I just don’t think they exist. For every artist that’s heard, “you shouldn’t show two styles,” there’s another that shows four styles and always gets work.
It’s not a science, it’s an… well. It’s an art. And it’s just good marketing.
The only time I would say that you should blanketly include a little of everything you do is when you’re applying to a school. The reason is that the whole purpose of an art school (a good one) is to guide you in a direction based on your skill and talent so you can have a successful career. A Career Counselor’s job is to review the work you’ve done and help you decide where to apply your strengths. They want to see that you’ve been using your skills (so they know you’re not there on a whim), but showing something that isn’t well-developed isn’t seen as a weakness; it’s a window to your potential.
It’s quite different in a professional setting. It’s brutal and no one is there to guide your career. People want to hire artists that can do the appropriate work without any doubt. Period.
Now let me show you something really cool and more fun than that last sentence.
In the world of children’s literature, Richard Scarry is very well-known (to understate the case). He’s known best for his Busy People books, with silly characters like Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm. Take a look at this.
These are three very distinctly different styles from different periods, all done by Richard Scarry. The thing to take away is not that cramming all your styles into a portfolio is suddenly okay because a famous illustrator did it. Nope-i-tee nope-i-tee no.
Take a look at the work here. Richard Scarry mastered these styles. They are all beautiful and finely illustrated in their own right.
What’s important to learn from this is to not limit yourself because you think developing different styles is inherently bad. You’re an artist, your job is to create art in the way you see the world. Never bend to the voices that tell you it’s wrong. Do it! You have to love your work or there’s no point.
But if you’re going to show it to get work, make sure you’ve mastered it first. If you look deep inside yourself with honesty, you’ll know when that is. If you’re still doubtful, find a group of trusted pros to give you feedback.
If you have questions about what to include in your portfolio, I’m happy to steer you in the right direction. Send an e-mail to sparky [at] sparkyfirepants [dot com] with the subject line, PORTFOLIO HELP. Include a link to your online portfolio if you want and I’ll check it out. Write a short note about the industry or field where you’re trying to get work. I’ll reply as soon as I can, largely depending on how many e-mails I get after this post. It’s a first-come, first-served kinda thing.
If you’re feeling bold and fearless, you can do the same in the comments here and I’ll answer you publicly. I also invite others to join in, but I caution you that nasty, hateful comments will be deleted at my discretion. Please be constructive and say something positive. If you can’t think of anything positive, then remember what Mama said and don’t say anything at all.
Great post, and if I may let me add a corollary to this advice: put the kind of work you *want to get* in your portfolio. Clients will see what you have done in the past, and use this as a basis for choosing you for their project. If a client sees your character design work, they are going to consider you for their character design project. Another reason to keep your styles tight. Clients want to know what to expect from you, and will come to you based on what they have seen in your portfolio. If you have work that is similar to what they want, they will consider you.
It might be painful to leave out that big-name client because the work was a bit out of character for you, but in the long run it just makes your portfolio schizophrenic. Make a “Client List” page and list them there.
Another benefit of keeping your portfolio centered on one style and also geared towards the kind of work that you want to create in the future is that the work you do will be right up your alley, making it easier to create, and with each project you refine and perfect that style. Win, win, win.
Also, a good general business tip I got from a book: typically there is a certain mindset that the type of customer/client that approaches an individual has—they want an expert. That means going niche. It sounds counter-inuitive to offer “less”, but what you are actually telling these potential customers is that you focus on one specific area and have mastered it. *You* may be impressed with artists who have mastered many styles, but you need to think of your portfolio not in terms of impressing other artists, but in communicating properly to potential clients.
Always remember: the second half of the phrase “jack of all trades” is “master of none”.
I agree with George above, Great Post…in fact I agree with pretty much all of the above especially that “Master of None” part.
When I was a barely formed baby illustrator (mostly children’s books) dragging a portfolio around NYC and responding to absolutely any query for an “Artist”…I once answered an ad and to my dismay, it turned out to be the offices of “Screw” magazine. Well there we were, about 30 “Artists” sitting in a crummy waiting room, gripping our identical black portfolios with white knuckles.
A guy who needed a shave came out and gave us all a spec assignment to draw and bring back the next day!
The freebie was to be an UberVargas pinup type wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bustier type thing and 23″ inch heels and a lot of black leather or rubber. I think a whip may have been involved.
Hahahahahaha!
Later that day I returned back to my 6 floor walk up in the East Village and attempted to draw something even in a neighboring Universe…..it was NEVER going to happen! No one that a well executed illustration of that subject would appeal to….would Ever be fooled by me.
I never went back with my drawing…..it might as well have been a bunny.
I decided that day to eschew anything that just wasn’t what I do, what I genuinely am……so maybe there’s a bit less, but that less is so much more.
And the best part is that when people see my work, they believe me.
Thanks David/Sparky for a great topic!
Thing thing that jumps out at me here is your point that “it’s not a science, it’s an art” – boy is that ever true!
The best advice that I was ever given seems appropriate here, so I’ll pass it on:
“Trust your instincts”
Hey, maybe that’s why those guys that break the rules seem to always be working!
@George: Yes! Sometimes it can be scary to work in your niche and exclude possibilities when you’re just starting out. It can also be freeing, not having to worry about trying to get those jobs you’re not entirely sure about.
Re “Jack of all trades…” At the same time, I think it’s good to stretch your skills, branch out, learn new things. Sometimes that helps you decide what things you really like to do and what stuff you can let go.
For example, I illustrate in three different “key” styles. I mess around with other methods and styles, but they definitely are not “ready for prime time” yet. Someday they may be, or I may just decide that it doesn’t suit me and move on.
@Wendy: “They believe me.” You just hit the pencil on the eraser. That’s it, isn’t it? That people look at your stuff and believe you. Nicely put.
@Richard:Trusting your instincts is another fine art! I think for some people it’s mastered at an early age and others it’s a constant tug of war. I think I’m somewhere in between.
Another good portfolio one is, “When in doubt, throw it out.”
Certain things in my portfolio I trust myself to throw out and others… I need help letting go.
This is great advice for those who send their portfolios out for review hoping to get assignments work. Really great advice. Can I weigh in when it comes to licensing portfolios? This is a different portfolio ball game. I struggled in the beginning, trying to decide which of my several styles to go with as my signature look. Well, here I am, nearly 8 years later, still doing several styles ~ and I have markets for them all. However, that being said, my portfolio could probably still use some trashing. And THAT being said, I hate to trash anything, because it never fails, I’ll show the book to a client/potential client and think that they are going to go for a certain style and they surprise me by going for another ~ or for a piece that has been in there for a couple years with no action. I wrote a post last year about how a portfolio is like a garage sale… http://bjlantz.com/2008/05/08/portfolios-garage-sales/
That’s really insightful, BJ. I never thought of it from the perspective of a licensing artist.
Since BJ brings this up, I’ll also ask my other smarty-pants readers to weigh in:
Would it make sense for a licensing artist to actually work *towards* creating a few different styles, like on purpose?
Please shout out your thoughts, let’s talk about this!
Cool post – your advice makes a lot of sense. Since I’m dabbler, not a pro, I won’t be submitting any portfolios, but I do have a couple of different painting styles and have always been puzzled by why that should be. Now I understand that it’s no different than the fact I have several writing styles. The trick is always to be clearly me, whichever style I use. I know that wasn’t the point of this post, but that’s what I got out of it!
re: different styles – to have or not to have…?
Yeah, that is the question. When I started in licesning I heard it said that you should have one look that you brand and are identified with. Ok, I’ll buy that, but what happens when your looks goes out of favor? OK, so you reinvent yourself. Maybe you can sell the reinvention, maybe you can’t. I’ve seen it go both ways for veteran artists.
I personally get bored doing one thing, one look, one medium/style. I find that I gravitate to a couple styles in particular (mostly because they’re fast for me to do) and that I don’t do as much of others (I love colored pencil and am rather proficient, but it is time-consuming) I also have clients who come to me BECAUSE I can do several looks and they use more than one of them. I feel that this style juggling of mine makes me more marketable in some ways.
So, should you have one look or cultivate several? I say, personal choice and what you’re actually capable of (some artists are one-trick ponies when it comes to their look ~ not that there’s anything wrong with that….) Just don’t force what you can’t do. I’ve thought a few times I *should* offer a certain look, but found I just don’t do it as well as I could, so I let it go. (Like Robin above says ~ be “clearly me”) Same with subject matter. When somebody says, “You don’t have any baby in your portfolio.” I say, “Nope ~ there are loads of artists out there who do baby way better than me.”
I agree with George above, Great Post…in fact I agree with pretty much all of the above especially that “Master of None” part.
When I was a barely formed baby illustrator (mostly children's books) dragging a portfolio around NYC and responding to absolutely any query for an “Artist”…I once answered an ad and to my dismay, it turned out to be the offices of “Screw” magazine. Well there we were, about 30 “Artists” sitting in a crummy waiting room, gripping our identical black portfolios with white knuckles.
A guy who needed a shave came out and gave us all a spec assignment to draw and bring back the next day!
The freebie was to be an UberVargas pinup type wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bustier type thing and 23″ inch heels and a lot of black leather or rubber. I think a whip may have been involved.
Hahahahahaha!
Later that day I returned back to my 6 floor walk up in the East Village and attempted to draw something even in a neighboring Universe…..it was NEVER going to happen! No one that a well executed illustration of that subject would appeal to….would Ever be fooled by me.
I never went back with my drawing…..it might as well have been a bunny.
I decided that day to eschew anything that just wasn't what I do, what I genuinely am……so maybe there's a bit less, but that less is so much more.
And the best part is that when people see my work, they believe me.
Thanks David/Sparky for a great topic!