Teaching illustrations. These diagrams are not real student work, an accepted portfolio or a submission to copy. They show a process you can try in your own way.
Try it in 20 minutes.
- Five minutes: sketch the room from observation. Mark a door, window and route. It does not need to be beautiful.
- Five minutes: note one thing that is crowded, hard to reach, too bright or too dark.
- Five minutes: try one change on another sketch. Keep your first idea.
- Five minutes: explain what you changed and one tradeoff. If useful, test with scrap card another day.
You do not need a camera, software or a printer to begin. Use only places and materials you can access safely. Never change a building or move furniture without permission.
Label your own work.
Use this as a record of your process. A college may ask for different labels or pieces.
Project: [your title]
Made: [month/year] · Materials: [pencil, paper, card, etc.]
Size: [actual drawing or model dimensions]
I noticed: [specific problem]
I tried: [change and reason]
I would test next: [question still open]
Help or team roles: [who did what, if anyone]
Exploration is not a finished admission portfolio.
Save these steps to learn and discuss your work. If you apply to a program that requires a portfolio, follow its current prompts and rules. Some want more finished work; process alone may not meet the requirement.
For example, Pratt’s current general visual portfolio rules ask for finished work and drawings from direct observation. This illustrates one policy. It is not a checklist for every school.
Pratt: visual portfolio instructions · Checked October 7, 2026.
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