ACCEPTED OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN PORTFOLIO
I was accepted into Otis College of Art and Design for Toy Design, and I will be attending this fall. I wanted to share my accepted portfolio for those of you that want to attend or are just genuinely curious about the process. I will put everything in the order that I placed them in my application and the descriptions that I added for them. I submitted my portfolio in April.
Some Background…
Otis has two options to meet the BFA portfolio requirement:
“Open Portfolio: 10-20 images of your best, most recent work in any medium. Applicants whose work is digital or photo/video based should include five examples of work in other mediums. Students are encouraged to incorporate direct observation.
Structured Portfolio: A series of guided prompts to help you create/structure your portfolio of 10 images. These works can be done in any medium such as photography, collage, drawing, painting, 3-dimensional work, etc. At least 3 of the images should be made in traditional (non-digital) mediums.”
The Open Portfolio option is best for most transfer applicants, but the Structured Portfolio can also be used for students who anticipate entering at the Foundation or Sophomore level. An advanced, major-specific portfolio is required for students seeking Junior level placement.
I’m a transfer student, so I did an open portfolio. I also got accepted at the sophomore level.
THE PORTFOLIO
*IN ORDER FROM LEFT TO RIGHT*
Title: CYBERAFRIKA CONCEPT DESIGN 1, 2023 CyberAfrika is a cutting-edge project that merges the captivating cultural elements of Lagos, Nigeria with the futuristic, dystopian backdrop of Cyberpunk science fiction. The series comprises a range of cyberwear designs that have been meticulously crafted to integrate seamlessly with the aesthetics of Africa. By expertly blending these seemingly disparate elements, CyberAfrika creates a unique and captivating vision that is both experimental and fresh. The result is a stunning representation of the future of fashion, one that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Africa while embracing the innovative technologies of tomorrow. Made with Procreate.
Title: VIBE RN RADIO Comic Vol. 1 Cover Art, 2023 This project is a comic titled Vibe RN Radio, a story about young adults and 20-something-year-olds living in Los Angeles. It’s inspired by MTV’s animated show Downtown, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, and my own personal experiences. The story follows a 20-year-old artist named Pluto, struggling with feelings of originality, creativity, and how to navigate life as a small fish in the large sea that’s Los Angeles and social media. Like every other 20-year-old, she has friends, foes, and lots of things to learn. Made with Procreate.
Title: DESIRE (pt. 1), 2021 DESIRE is a commission piece for the brand Red Dragon Clothing for their project, “Volume 3. FEMALE GAZE.” It’s a digital work done on Procreate. As Red Dragon will tell it, “This design is a visual of a male dragon consumed and captivated by the presence of a female dragon. This can be representative of a friendship or romantic relationship where the man accepts humility and is admirable of the women’s strong features. Instead of shying away from it, he has only found it more desirable to be in her presence. Together, they are both able to put forth an equal amount of love and respect into their relationship moving forward.” This is part one. Made with Procreate.
Title: DESIRE (pt. 2), 2021 DESIRE was a commission piece for the brand Red Dragon Clothing for their project, “Volume 3. FEMALE GAZE.” It’s a digital work done on Procreate. As Red Dragon will tell it, “This design is a visual of a male dragon consumed and captivated by the presence of a female dragon. This can be representative of a friendship or romantic relationship where the man accepts humility and is admirable of the women’s strong features. Instead of shying away from it, he has only found it more desirable to be in her presence. Together, they are both able to put forth an equal amount of love and respect into their relationship moving forward.” This is part two. Made with Procreate.
Title: DESIRE (full piece), 2021 DESIRE was a commission piece for the brand Red Dragon Clothing for their project, “Volume 3. FEMALE GAZE.” It’s a digital work done on Procreate. As Red Dragon will tell it, “This design is a visual of a male dragon consumed and captivated by the presence of a female dragon. This can be representative of a friendship or romantic relationship where the man accepts humility and is admirable of the women’s strong features. Instead of shying away from it, he has only found it more desirable to be in her presence. Together, they are both able to put forth an equal amount of love and respect into their relationship moving forward.” Made with Procreate.
Title: A LOTS BEEN GOOD POSTER ART, 2022 This is a poster my Converse funded art show titled, “A Lots Been Good.” The character featured is Milo. She was the mascot for the show. At A Lot's Been Good, my collaborator and owner of Drama Club Kids, Tommy, and I wanted to create a safe space for artists, creatives, and individuals alike to spread their wings. A space where everyone can come together, be themselves, and enjoy local artwork, fashion, and music. We were two innovative artists who want to show our potential on a competitive platform once again. Same goals, different playground. Made with Procreate
Title: VIBE RN RADIO CHARACTER DESIGNS AND COMIC PANELS, 2022 These are character designs and panels taken from my comic, VIBE RN RADIO. Made with Procreate.
Title: JEALOUSY (work in progress), 2023 This is my first clay sculpture, a visual representation of how I view the word “jealousy.” This piece is a work in progress. Made with clay.
Title: JEALOUSY (work in progress), 2023 Back of sculpture. Made with clay.
Title: CYBERBOX, 2022 CYBERBOX is my interpretation of how I see the future. A high tech, low life society that prioritizes technological advances over the quality of life of humans. CYBERBOX is a robot who isn’t keeping up with the technological advances of society and is left behind to rot and be forgotten about. Made with recycled cardboard and hot glue.
Title: CYBERBOX, 2022 Back of sculpture. Made with recycled cardboard and hot glue.
Title: HOW WREN LOST HIS LOVER, 2022 Story: Wren, a mischievous demon in hell snuck his way into heaven and fell in love with an angel. The angel and Wren ran away together back to hell, but God found out and took Wren’s lover away. Made with charcoal, white compressed charcoal, and conté crayon.
Title: FIGURE DRAWING, 2022 A drawing of a live model. Made with charcoal and white compressed charcoal.
Title: SUBTRACTIVE DRAWING OF MANNEQUIN, 2023 Made with charcoal.
Title: MASTER COPY DRAWING, 2022 Made with conté, black charcoal, and white charcoal.
Title: FACIAL FEATURE STUDY, 2021 Drawing of my facial features (and a couple of my mother’s). Made with charcoal pencils.
Title: CYBERBOX Detail Shots Close up shots of CYBERBOX.
Title: CYBERBOX Detail Shots Close up shots of CYBERBOX.
I submitted my portfolio in April, and was accepted three days later, so hopefully this helped. I may make a video going in depth about the portfolio process if anyone is interested. If I make a video, I will link it here.
Good luck to those thinking about attending art school!