Charlie Preece

Top Tips for an art interview 

Click here for video tips from Norwich University of the Arts

Click here for video on presenting your portfolio in an interview environment

Example Questions:

Why you have chosen Norwich University of the Arts

What do you know about this course?

What informs your creative decisions?

Who/what inspires your work? (Biggest artistic inspiration?)

What are the strengths of your work and where would you like to improve?

Are there any projects that have been important to you and why?

1. Preparation – Its important before hand to be prepared, google and make sure you know some imformation about the university or course. Bring in the right equipment or belongings that they ask you too (this may be a portfolio). Practis ebefore hand on common questions and have 3 pieces of work in mind that your would be happy to talk about for a little bit (specially ones in your portfolio if your bringing one).You should wear your smartest everyday clothes for an interview. Even though it’s not formal, dressing the part will help you feel confident.
2. Location and Travel – There is nothing worse than getting lost and being late! Make sure you have found out the location of where you are going before the day of the interview and try to arrive a little bit early. Plan your travel and you jouney, make sure t think about traffic and there is nothing wrong with being early.
3. Practise – Ask freind or family to help you. Or practise by writing out what you would answer to common questions (a few common quetions are displayed above). This way in the interview if your asked these questions or any similar your will have prepared for them and can try and remeber what you said before and use that as back up.
4. Mental Preparation – In the interview they are trying to get the best out of you, we’re not trying to catch you out! Try to remain relaxed and when you are asked a question take a moment to think about your answer. If you haven’t understood the question or don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to say so. Never underestimate 3 deep breaths.
5. After the Interview – Decisions are based on all the information you provide, including your portfolio and application, so if you make a small mistake or say something that you think afterwards was a bit daft, don’t worry, these are only small aspects that won’t affect their decision or lessen your chances.

 

Further alternative questions:

Can you describe two or three important projects that you have completed?

Can you tell us what is important about these projects to you?

What do you think you could contribute to the culture of the school?

 

Refrence Links:

http://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/courses/advice/#interview

https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/admissions-advice/6-art-school-interview-questions-how-answer-them

https://www.nua.ac.uk/study-at-nua/undergraduate-apply/interview-tips/

As reviewed in previous blogs i have decided to apply for foundation courses for next year. This is so that when I do go to university the following year I am fully prepared both mental and with my artwork. The foundation year will help me to decide if the fine art degree is definitely the couse I want to take; or if I should chose to do another course instead. More so, I want anohter year to better myself and my artwork so that i can fukky embrace the degree with my best ability and work, I dont think I would be doing that without a foundation to give me that time.

Though my research into the best places to apply for the top places are as follows:

• Kingston
• CSM (Central Saint Martins)

 

However i will be living at home but i am happy to commute to london each day from home if the journey is under 2 hours.

 

Kingston

Kingstone is one of my first choices because of its great reviews and well known name. So far it is also one of the only ocuses which encorages projects to be collaborated with degree students instead of kept apart. The hornery will be around 1hr and 25mins which is definatly do-able, more so my grandparents live nearby so i can stop over if needed. The course is very practical and allows students to be indepenadnmt with their practise but have lotrs of support as there class is only 25 people. This is turn also makes the course challemginmg to get into but that inspires net work harder.

 

UAL – Camberwell or Central Saint Martins

Also one of my primary choices; there is no question about its reputation so this will aso be a challenge. The repuatuon is very important for a foundation course beuase that is the name that will ringn in the ears of my interviewer’s when i come to applying to university. Nlot to mention if i want to carry on wokring unerthe umbrella of UAL it could givee me an upperhand in those interviews if they know I ahvce already completed my foundation with them. Especially as CSM (central aint martins) is in my top 5 for university. With UAL you can only aplly tob one of their foundation courses at a time so i will need to look into the differences between the courses so i apply to the right one.

From what i have looked into the course at Camberwell is more like my Btec i am studying now, for the eample the subjects they study is; Art, Communication and Design. This is exacly ike the ocuse i am doing now and i dont want to be repeating what i have perviosuly done and waste my foundation year. Therefore i might apply to the course at CSM which includes subjects such as;

• 3-Dimensional Design and Architecture
• Fashion and Textiles
• Fine Art
• Graphic Communication Design

I have never studied any of these subject before apart from breif touches on graphics and fine art. Therefore this would be a far more adventurous choices where I would be studying a lot of new things at a very prestigious school. In conclusion i hacve chosen to be brave and try for CSM this will be a lot harder than camberwell beause of the competition and will be futher outside my comfort zone. But i think having experince in these other subjects will give me a chnace to explore them for future careers and gain that larger span of experince in different areas. Also if i do complete this couse i am automatically accepted into the BA at CSM if i chose to accept it.

 

David Carson -Graphic Artist/Designer

http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/t/about/

To find websites I could annalise I first looked up award winning grahic artists and chose a few from that list; the first I chose was David Carson. I found the website both cindusing and lazily put togather. This was because the text anywhere on the page is very very small and the back ground (specifically on the about page). I can’t read any of the text, therefore for other websites I recommend using bold text that is at least 14/16 size and with no background or one that is very simple/basic. Personally i think websites with a simple white background or block colour are the most graphically pleasing.

 

Lotta Nieminen- Illustrator and Graphic Designer 

http://www.lottanieminen.com/illustration

Speaking of white/blcok backgrounds Lotta has a far moer graphically pleasing website. This has minimul text but it is clear to read, using it as her online portfolio you are amidiatly introduced to her work and designs which is one of the main re3asons for having the website in the first place. This website has a neatly thought out navigation system too, it is simialr to a book, as in you can chnage the page and it slides you over to it neatly. The reason why people are also so comforable with this us beause there is not too much writing and the navigation reads from left to right like a familar book. All if her details and imformation is in one place which makes it easy to find and not overwelming.

 

Filthy Beasts– Diz Wallis artist (not graphic)

https://filthybeasts.com

This artist was differnt to the others because he is not a graphic artist and instead focuses on an specific kind of drawing involving animals with human characteristics. The webiste has good and basic naviagtion which is very familiar to people visiting it. Like most other webistes it shows off his most recent work first; but what stood out to me was the bakcground which was mostly white but with feathers that look so 3D they almost pop out of the screen which grabs your attention.

In conclusion 

I woulds say that Lotta Nieminen had the best website grahpically but you couldn’t order anything from there so it was a little less productive and more like an online portfolio. Filthy Beasts was also great to use and was a lot like other artistic websites I have seen in the past.

The rich area in which the uni is in is very beautiful and scenic and that goes for the architecture of the university. In fact architectually it was my drream uniuversity, a complete beautiful creative space that has all hte resources you could dream of.

However the first complication woukd be how the uni is in London which is an exteamly expensive place to live and go out. Otherwise, CSM is globally renouned for its teaching and alumni. I would love to go here for university however i am not sure i want to spend this time in london and instead i would prefer a safer area which is full of students. I will apply however because i am curious of if i would be accepted.

Otherwise I am deciding if i want to do a foundation with CSM which is at a different sight but has the same great repuation. This year of extra study would also allow me to develop my own skills and make me more ready for university and i think apprciate it more when I go the following year instead.

My visit to Oxford Brookes could not have been better, as soon as I arrived the architecture at atmostpher alone had me hooked. It was exteamly well organised as an event and had tabels and tables of imformation out in the main building to help out. The stmosphere was lively and creative which was assisted by the modern and breathtaking buildings that surrounded us.

More so, i find that after so many talks on fine art i get very bored and annoyed; however the head of the fine art course at Brookes was like a breath of fresh air. The main facts that stood out to me were; 24 hour library access, 24 hour studio access, unlimited porfolio allowence when it comes to apply and weekly opptional life drawing classes.

Likewise the stuiod were decent but i found the accommodation very livekly and socailable not to mention the bars and resurants on sight where beautiful. Being in such a lively student city is perefct for me. This university has shot right into my numbner one slot and is now my first choice for sure.

Link: https://www.brookes.ac.uk