Si Scott & Mark Howe Portfolio review

I had a portfolio review with Si, and the most valuable feedback that I took away from it was that: using photography in the mannor in which I am doing, close ups make the viewer want to see more of it, which is a good thing. The portfolio should be a taste of the work I do, and not an overall thing. The portfolio should link with a website or any other sources/ materials which showcase my work. We exchanged digits and I also sent si some interview questions.

I also had an review with Mark Howe. I felt that Mark was really insightful and gave me some really useful feedback about my work. Mark said in terms of my portfolio, I should make a decision wether I am an illustrator or a designer and represent one discipline in the portfolio. He also suggested that I have two portfolios (one for illustration, one for design) because the function of the portfolios will get me different jobs. The illustration should show what I do, but also have that unique stamp on it (Si also said this). Mark said my portfolio should be full of at least 20 illustrations by the end of the course. The last sort of "tip" Mark gave me was that I don't have to print everything in context, because the focus should be on the illustration, not the product (seems like a no brainer now, but it hasn't been previously!) and that if need be, I can just photoshop illustration onto products without even printing them. I believe he called that "cheating" its not really, its just being smart with your resources. He also said that I could email him with any progress or questions in future. Which was really supportive of him and i appreciated it!

Both the guys liked my work, which was a good confidence boost, and I do feel that I am on the right track in regard to my portfolio, it just needs to be revised once I have more illustration that spans more contexts. I will be sending Mark my portfolio later in the year to get more feedback, along with some interview questions for a design context publication.