Tim Hodge (former Disney artist and an Executive Producer on 3-2-1 Penguins!) recently posted some great tips on assembling your portfolio:
If you are an art student, job hunting, or just trying to break into commercial art or animation, this is some great stuff to know when interviewing for a position. Since Hodge’s background is in the animation industry, his advice is geared towards landing a job in that field. However, much of what he says can also apply to the fields of illustration or graphic design.
Yes, even if you freelance.
The internet is the new and improved way for a freelancer to show off his/her work, but that doesn’t mean the old-school physical portfolio is entirely obsolete. While a website will do the lion’s share of your self-promotion, there will still be times when you have to present your portfolio to potential clients face-to-face. Especially local clients. In the last month I’ve actually shown my book twice: Once at the Hasbro freelance fair where it was thumbed through by several dozen people, and just last week when an art director at a local ad agency asked me to come in and show my work to his creative team as a sort of pseudo-interview.
And of course, if you are interviewing for a full-time position you will almost certainly need to carry a portfolio with you to interviews. If so, be sure to heed Hodge’s advice.