Online portfolios vital for students

By: Robyn Lockett

Posted: 4/1/09

If you are an artist and don't know how to get your work out to the public, check out free online portfolios. Web sites such as deviantart.com, shadowness.com, redbubble.com or carbonmade.com allow for artists to have their work viewed, reviewed, purchased or used for miscellaneous projects, like wallpapers.

The age of the Internet creates a buddy system where artists can come together to display their talents, while making a name for themselves.

"With technology today, you can draft [your] work on a computer and get your work out faster and get feedback faster," sophomore Brandon Hadnot said. "This way you can make people think about your work versus just being in awe."

By providing constructive criticism among themselves, artists are able to mature and transform their work into something new. Manipulating pictures and animations are ways to create surreal art.

With others reviewing artists' work, artists can see what else is out there. Utilizing mediums such as graphic design, digital art, enhancement, digital still life, ads and digital still life modifications, artists can recreate old works by fusing them with new works.

Junior Natalie Quinnies of Residence Life Promotions started her art career in her second year of college.

"I look at other people's work and say 'Wow I can't do that,'" Quinnies said. "The stuff on [these sites are] incredible and I believe that you can't achieve anything by doing what's already been done."

Hadnot believes the public criticism helps artists develop tough skin for the real world. His goal is to produce work different from what he does now, yet still amaze people.

"Having an online portfolio proves to people that [you're] not an average artist," Hadnot said. "Anyone can play around in Photoshop, but a portfolio shows that you are serious about your work."

"I think that both online and paper portfolios are important because when you're looking for a job you have something they can physically hold and experience," Quinnies said. "If the company is out of town, sending the work through the mail can be expensive, so you can direct them to [your] online [portfolio]."

While you may never get to meet the people that view you work firsthand, it is still important to get exposure. Here are some words of advice from a student heading to grad school.

"It is important to get your work out there," senior William Thomas said. "I don't care if people want to take my work and use it, I hope they do because my first priority is for people to see my work, not to get paid."

Thomas forewarns undergraduate students to track their own progress by documenting all work.

For all the creative minds out there, you don't have to be advanced in the graphic world to have you work published on the Internet. If you write poetry, take photos or love to do video editing, there is an online portfolio Web site that caters to your gift.