Can anyone point me in the right direction for where to start with making a art portfolio? I'm thinking of starting foundation art in september and am completely clueless as to what to put in there right down to the types of folders you need.

Also has anyone done foundation art, how did you find it?

I did art for the Leaving Cert in Ireland and was encouraged to go to art college. Though I didnt go, I heard about portfolio courses that you do in a gap year between secondary school and college. Dont nknow bout the u.k. though. I can imagine foundation level is going to be easier.
Tips for portfolio;
Variety is what they are looking for. Different pictures in different media.
Collage, paint, pencil sketch, brush and pen with ink (like for comics) pastels, markers, colouring pencil ect...
Also, different types of pictures;
Portrait- bust and then a full body, landscape, still life, product/movie advertisment posters, book/C.D. cover ect...
All sorts to show off your talent and versatility, the requirements for the U.K. may be entirely different but this is what it is for Ireland, hope it helped..

__________________
Thanks kr for the subscription! Much love..

what bleeding heart said.

and ive seen your photos in the photography thread, theyre really nice! but anyway..

putting your work on black card and labelling it, they like that too.
folder- an a2 or a1 folder is standard portfolio size, it doesnt mean you have to fill it up though! for university degrees they usually say put a min of 12-15 finished pieces of work in there. and other 'bits and bobs', so foundation would expect less than that even.
the best folder to get would be one with the plastic wallets so you can put the black card with mounted work on inside. looks neat

also taking sketchbooks to show development of ideas (this is important) any other little things youve made, also. and also a piece of writtain work apparently should be taken.

i wouldnt worry highly about the portfolio though, as the whole point of foundation is to built up your portfolio/skills and decide which art you wish to study for university. normal colleges accept pretty much anyone who shows 'potential'

omg, yes! I had to do this for my final test. Like if you are gonna put lettering in it, do little pictures of your final product with different fonts or words, then do two or three in different media, one thing you have in your picture, maybe do a large detailed but slightly different version of it on the side, to say as if you saw this, you really liked it and then scaled it down for your final picture.
A Work in progress, I really hated this but you CAN fake it, do the final first and do the reverse, though I dont advise it.

__________________
Thanks kr for the subscription! Much love..

aha yes.

but seriously. for foundation they wont even be like to fussed, and will probably let you in anyway!
my friend litrally took an a4 folder with hmm 4 a4 pieces of work? (OMG LOLLLL. not good) and they let him in on jsut that!
and his work was just like all done on the computer? they just said to him "you might struggle doing the painting and other media techniques but you can have an unconditional offer" so i mean

unless it was like to do it at a "demanded" place (which youd have had to apply before december for those places anyway so i assume thats not the case) it will be pretty piss to get into i reakon.

everyone who i know whos done it has really enjoyed the course said it was "great fun" and reccommends it. for the first term (i think) you get to try out everything, fashion, graphics, illustration, fine art, print making, photography etc then in the last terms you pick which one or two you want to carry on with