Should I change my portfolio halfway through?
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So my current project has been making a batch of about 12 portfolio pieces for a portfolio review I have on October 1st. Initially I wanted to this to be for my children’s book portfolio but as I’ve been working through this project I’ve been beginning to realize that I’m not sure children’s books are where I want to be. The stories I think of and the illustrations I daydream about making the most are more in the middle grade to young adult range. If you’re familiar with Matt Rockefeller, he’s a great example of the kind of work that I feel like I want to make.
A big part of this portfolio review is that I’ll be given advice and some coaching on what market I fit best into. So should I just let loose on my creativity and not worry about strictly sticking to children’s books or would it be better to complete this batch of children’s books illustrations and see how it feels?
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@Griffin if your style isn’t going change, I would just keep what you have so far and switch gears. If it’s just the subject matter that changes, and your style is the same I think that’s even better. Showing you can illustrate for multiple age groups can only be a plus in my opinion, you can always pick and choose what projects you take on.
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@Asyas_illos I honestly have no idea if my style would change. I have trouble identifying if I even have a style so maybe I just go for it and see what happens
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It seems like this would be the perfect opportunity to let loose and just see what happens. Maybe it's a case of wanting and being able to do both? Looking at Matt Rockefeller's instagram page, I would say that he could easily do either MG or PB projects. He seems to just prefer MG subject matter, but his style could work for either. If I was in your situation, I think I would include both PB pieces and MG/YA art as well. That way the person doing your portfolio review will have a range of what you are truly capable of.
