There are several specialized Art and Design high schools in New York City, including the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, the the High School of Art & Design, LaGuardia High School , the High School of Fashion Industries and Gramercy Arts High School
Each of these schools require you to submit a portfolio of you art work, as well as an audition where you’ll draw during a scheduled audition time.
Laguardia High school
The most well know of the Arts High schools in NYC is the highly competitive Laguardia High School
When you apply to Laguardia you have to submit a portfolio of 8-15 pieces of original artwork done in a variety of media.
Your portfolio has to include a self-portrait done from life, meaning you draw yourself by looking in a mirror, and also a still life, done from observation meaning that you draw objects that you’ve placed before you on a table. The remaining 3-6 pieces that you include in your portfolio are up to you.
When they look at your portfolio they’re looking for these things: Composition, Proportion, Dimension, Value and Imagination
Then there is a separate audition. For the audition, you’ll be given three drawing assignments, including drawing the human figure from observation, drawing a still life from memory, and creating a drawing in color based on imagination.
You’ll also make a short video or written explanation about the uploaded pieces of original artwork, discussing your choice of subject & materials, motivation, & influences.
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts
When you apply to the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, the requirements are basically the same you’ll submit 10-15 pieces of original work created from observation and from your imagination. It’s important to include a diversity of subject matter and use of media. For this school as well, your portfolio has to include a self-portrait dont from life, and also a still life, done from observation. The remaining pieces that you include in your portfolio are up to you.
Then there is a separate audition. For the audition,you’ll be given three drawing assignments, including drawing the human figure from observation, drawing a still life from memory, and creating a drawing in color based on imagination.
You’ll also make a short video or written explanation about the uploaded pieces of original artwork, discussing your choice of subject & materials, motivation, & influences.
The High School of Fashion Industries
When you apply to the High School of Fashion Industries, you will have to take the entrance examination and prepare a portfolio to be presented during the admissions exam.
They ask that you make a portfolio for Art or Fashion Design portfolio depending on which program you would like to major in at the High School of Fashion Industries. You may create more than one portfolio.
The PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
Art, Illustration, & Graphics are to submit 5 pieces of original artwork , including a self portrait and still life both done from life.
When you apply to the Fashion Design program you’ll submit 5 original fashion illustrations
You’ll also submit a video that’s under two minutes where you’ll answer the following questions: Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to go to the high school of fashion industries? Why should we pick you?
Then there is a separate audition. For the audition, you’ll be given drawing assignments that include drawing the full human figure, so that’s something important to practice.
Remember that with all of these schools all of your work should be presented in a way that’s neat, clean and unwrinkled.
Put forth your best effort. Remember that a neat, well-organized and complete portfolio will be much more likely to be recognized
High School of Art and Design
To apply to the High School of Art and Design you’ll need an art portfolio of 3 to 6 pieces. For this school as well, your portfolio has to include a self-portrait done from life, and also a still life, done from observation. The remaining pieces that you include in your portfolio are up to you. You may also include pages from your sketchbook showing your ideas.
COMMERCIAL ART: Portfolio- includes majors in ILLUSTRATION, CARTOONING AND FASHION DESIGN
If your applying to COMMERCIAL ART you could add Fashion designs, a comic book with type, and a 3-5 panel comic strip a poster illustration. These and these can be hand drawn or hand painted or made digitally.
For their ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN program you can add a detailed rendering of a building, enlarged detail of a building, close-up drawing of a piece of furniture, a perspective drawing, a cityscape, or a color study of the interior of a room.
To apply for the DIGITAL ART program, which includes majors in ANIMATION; GRAPHIC DESIGN; and PHOTOGRAPHY
You can create drawings showing an action sequence, re-design 5 characters, create a poster design for a new product, a book cover design, or redesign a logo. You could complete these in any media, including digital
For these programs you will also upload a written explanation about the original artworks you chose to include in your portfolio. Discuss choice of subject and materials, motivation, and influences.
And for the FILM/VIDEO PRODUCTION program you must add a 9 frame Storyboard.
You will also upload a short video about the storyboard you submitted.
Gramercy Arts High School
This arts program requires a portfolio of 8 to 15 pieces of original work and audition on-site life drawing.
ASHCAN STUDIO ART HIGH SCHOOL PORTFOLIO PREP
No matter how talented you are, taking Portfolio Preparation classes will put you on a whole different level, giving you a great advantage over other applicants. So not only will you get in to the best programs, like most of our students you’ll be on track to being awarded large scholarships.
learn more about making an Art Portfolio or for help with photographing your artwork, please review this steps in this PDF.
- Abraham Lincoln High School (21K410): Digital Photography program (K24L)
- Art and Design High School (02M630): Commercial Art: Cartooning, Illustration, Fashion Design (M60P)*
- Bayside High School (26Q495): Digital Art & Design program (Q12A)
- Brooklyn High School of the Arts (15K656): Visual Arts program (K47J)
- Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts (13K265): Visual Arts program (K42U)
- Edward R. Murrow High School (21K525): Fine and Visual Arts (K57K)
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (03M485): Fine Arts program (M80J)*
- Fordham High School for the Arts (10X437): general program (X51A)
- Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School (30Q501): Fine Arts program (Q40J)
- Gramercy Arts High School (02M374): Visual Arts program (M66A)
- High School of Fashion Industries (02M600): Art, Photography, and Graphic Design program (M68J)
- Hillcrest High School (28Q505): Academy of Performing and Visual Arts program (Q24L)
- Newtown High School (24Q455): Major Art program (Q34K)
- Queens Technical High School (24Q600): Graphic Arts program (Q68B)
- Susan E. Wagner High School (31R460): Visual Arts program (R17H)
- Theatre Arts Production Company School (TAPCo) (10X225): Visual Arts program (X20T)
- Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Visual Arts (03M415): Visual Arts (M26J)
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