Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship
Expert Brighton Fine Art Portfolio Preparation & Application Help
One-to-one University of Brighton Fine Art portfolio preparation with practising artists, for Fine Art, Fine Art Painting, Fine Art Printmaking and the Fine Art MA: the online portfolio, the single link you share on Student View, and the three-week window to send it.
From an overwhelmed Foundation year to a first-choice Fine Art offer
At Brighton, the portfolio is the most important part of the application. Nawal’s is a good example of what a Foundation year can produce. So here is what it took.
Nawal built her portfolio from scratch to secure a place on her first-choice BA Fine Art & Art History programme at Goldsmiths.
How Cadmium approaches a University of Brighton Fine Art portfolio
Brighton says your portfolio is the most important part of your application. Grades still matter, but every application is considered individually. Even with predicted or actual grades below the usual range, Brighton will review your application if the portfolio shows high-quality work and demonstrates your thinking and abilities.
The portfolio comes after the UCAS form. Brighton sends a request, you activate your Student View account, and you share one link to an online portfolio, ideally a single PDF, within three weeks at the latest. So a University of Brighton Fine Art portfolio has to be nearly ready when you apply, not started when the request arrives.
Every applicant begins with a diagnosis. From there, we build the support around what will make the biggest difference before 13 January, and again before the portfolio request.
Diagnose
First, our University of Brighton Fine Art portfolio preparation begins by assessing your work against Brighton’s published portfolio guidance.
- Does the portfolio show research and critical reflection, in sketchbooks, models and studies, as well as finished work?
- Is there self-motivated, independent work as well as work from set briefs?
- Is the degree right? For instance, Fine Art Printmaking asks for 10 to 15 examples, and Fine Art and Fine Art Painting for 15 to 20.
The aim is to choose the right degree first, because Fine Art, Fine Art Painting and Fine Art Printmaking each ask for something different. Then we build the portfolio around the strand of your work with the most curiosity in it.
90 minutes · online · £250
Develop & Edit
Then we develop the work and edit the portfolio, image by image.
- First, we push the self-directed strand of your work further, because Brighton wants to see you investigate ideas independently.
- Then we select and order the pieces so they tell your creative story, counting each sketchbook page as one image.
- After that, we label every work with title, date, material or process and type of project, and build the single PDF.
Articulate
Finally, we help you explain the ideas behind the work, in the labels and in your personal statement.
- We help you say what each project explores, what you tried and what came next, in your own words.
- In addition, we make sure the personal statement and the portfolio point to the same interests, so the application reads as one practice.
In short, the portfolio should show how you think, create and explore ideas, not just your finished work.
What Brighton is actually looking for in a Fine Art portfolio
Brighton publishes portfolio guidance for each of its three Fine Art degrees, and most applicants never read it. In our experience, four things separate a Brighton Fine Art portfolio that stands out from one that does not.
Thinking as much as finished work
Brighton wants to see your passion and curiosity, not just your finished work. For Fine Art, it says research and critical reflection in sketchbooks, models and preparatory studies are as important as completed artworks. So the process pages are not filler; they are half the case.
Independent projects, not only set briefs
The Fine Art guidance asks for self-motivated investigations and independent projects in addition to work from set briefs, and for work in progress that shows how ideas evolve. In other words, a folder of school projects reads as school work. A self-directed project, even an unresolved one, reads as a practice.
The count depends on the degree
Fine Art asks for 15 to 20 pieces, Fine Art Painting for 15 to 20 images and Fine Art Printmaking for 10 to 15 examples. A sketchbook page counts as one image, and every work is labelled with title, date, material or process and type of project. As a result, the edit is about choosing, not filling.
One link, three weeks
After you apply, Brighton asks for a single link on Student View that opens without a password, and recommends a single PDF shared on Google Drive, Adobe Portfolio or your own website. It wants the link as soon as possible, and within three weeks of its request at the latest, so the work needs to be ready before the request arrives. A Foundation Diploma is accepted but not required; for that year, see our Foundation portfolio preparation.
University of Brighton Fine Art requirements by course
Brighton’s three Fine Art degrees share entry requirements but ask for different portfolios, and the MA runs on its own timetable. Below is a concise overview of the published requirements for 2027 entry, as well as how Cadmium helps at each stage.
Fine Art, Painting and Printmaking BA(Hons)
What the application involves
Apply by 18:00 on 13 January 2027: Fine Art W150, Fine Art Painting W120 or Fine Art Printmaking W140. Three years full time at the City campus, or four with a placement year.
Requested after you apply and shared as one link on Student View within three weeks: 15 to 20 pieces for Fine Art and Fine Art Painting, 10 to 15 examples for Fine Art Printmaking.
ABB to BCC at A level or 104 to 128 UCAS points; DDM to MMM in a BTEC Extended Diploma; a Foundation Diploma Pass, which is accepted but not required. IELTS 6.0, 5.5 in each element.
The portfolio is the most important part of the application. Below the usual grade range, Brighton will still review it if the work is high quality and shows your thinking.
How Cadmium helps
Choose the right degree
First, we look at your work and decide with you between Fine Art, Fine Art Painting and Fine Art Printmaking, because each asks for a different portfolio.
Build the portfolio before the request
Then we select and order the pieces before you apply, so the weeks after Brighton’s request are for checking, not making.
Make the link work
Finally, we check the PDF, the labels and the link, so it opens without a password and reads in the order you intend.
Applying to Brighton Fine Art this year? Start with a consultation.
We assess where your work is against Brighton’s portfolio guidance, and then give you a tailored plan to 13 January.
1 hour · online · £150
Fine Art MA
What the application involves
No set deadline, but Brighton recommends applying before the end of May. One year full time or two years part time, at the City campus.
15 to 20 pieces of work in any format, with a title page giving your name and the course, ideally as a single PDF shared as one link on Student View.
An honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area; candidates with relevant experience and demonstrable ability are also considered. IELTS 6.5, 5.5 in each element.
Full-time students work in dedicated studios at Dorset Place in central Brighton, with an on-site Fine Art MA gallery for showing work to the public.
How Cadmium helps
Edit to a practice
First, we choose the 15 to 20 pieces so they show how you generate work and develop ideas, not a retrospective.
Plan the timing
Then we plan the application around Brighton’s end-of-May recommendation, with the portfolio ready before its request arrives.
Choose full or part time
Finally, we talk through full-time study in the Dorset Place studios against part-time study alongside your own studio, so the application fits how you work.
Applying for the Brighton Fine Art MA? Start with a consultation.
We assess where your practice is, and then give you a tailored plan for the portfolio.
1 hour · online · £150
Entry requirements, codes and dates come from the University of Brighton’s and UCAS’s published pages for 2027 entry, and they change by year. So we verify current requirements as part of your planning. All support is feedback and guidance on your own work; we do not make work or write statements on your behalf.
UCAS portfolios that turned into offers.
The Slade (UCL)
“My tutor helped me with my Fine Art portfolio when I was applying to art school and she was honestly brilliant. I was looking at UAL, Central Saint Martins, Goldsmiths and Slade, and she really helped me understand
Read the full review →
what these places are looking for. Before working with her I had a lot of work, but I didn’t really know how to put it together or what to leave out. My tutor helped me edit everything down, think about the order of the portfolio, show my research and development properly, and make the whole thing feel much clearer. She also gave me really good artist references that actually related to my work, not just random names. Her feedback was direct but very encouraging, and I felt much more confident afterwards. I’d really recommend my tutor to anyone applying for Fine Art, Foundation or art school courses. She knows the process properly and really cares about the work. I got into my first choice btw (Slade!) so very grateful”
M
May
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · BA Fine Art
“My tutor’s support was extremely helpful in preparing my BA Fine Art portfolio and interview. She looked at my work very carefully and helped me choose the strongest pieces for my portfolio, while also showing me how to explain
Read the full review →
the hidden ideas and layers behind my paintings more clearly. Her guidance made me feel much more confident in presenting my practice at interview, and I am sure it helped me communicate the essence of my work properly. I was very happy to receive a place on BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths, and I am very grateful for her support.”
A
Alina Sementsova
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · Glasgow · UAL
“I worked with my tutor throughout high school while developing my Visual Communication Design and Art folios, as well as during my university applications. Her feedback helped me strengthen the direction and creativity of my work, and she
Read the full review →
also supported me with my personal statement and an art analysis essay for UAL. With my tutor, I was able to articulate my interests in curation and art history much more clearly, and the Programme Leader for Curating at Goldsmiths even emailed me to say they were impressed by my personal statement. With her help, I received offers for Curating and History of Art at Goldsmiths, History of Art at the University of Glasgow, and Culture, Criticism and Curation at UAL. What I found more valuable was my tutor’s ability to help me clarify and communicate my ideas more confidently, and I’d definitely recommend my tutor to students applying for competitive art and humanities courses.”
J
Jessica Shang
★★★★★
Edinburgh · UAL · Glasgow
“I worked with my tutor while preparing my portfolio for UK art school applications, including university of Edinburgh and UAL. Her feedback helped me clarify the direction of my work, identify which projects needed further development,
Read the full review →
and present my portfolio much more clearly for submission and interviews. I received offers from Edinburgh, UAL, Glasgow, and I’d definitely recommend my tutor to students applying to competitive art and design courses.”
А
Анастасия Левенцова
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · CalArts
“My tutor completely changed how I approached my art school application. I came in with a scattered portfolio and zero clue how to talk about my work. She helped me shape everything, from sketchbook pages to my personal statement,
Read the full review →
and helped made it feel like me instead of just ticking boxes. She’s honest, sharp, and actually cares. I got into my first-choice schools (Goldsmiths and Cal Arts) and felt confident going into the interview, which I never thought would happen. If you’re applying to art school or university in general, just book her.”
A
Adam
★★★★★
UCL · Art & Technology
“My tutor was extremely helpful during my university application process, specifically regarding my personal statement and art portfolio. He provided structured guidance on brainstorming new artworks and offered practical advice on how to tailor
Read the full review →
my portfolio to meet the requirements of my chosen course. Throughout our sessions, he was patient and demonstrated a thorough understanding of the admissions process. He is an effective guidance counselor and teacher who provides clear, professional support. With his help, I got into all the courses that I have applied for, and I will be heading to UCL to pursue Art and Technology.”
Annika Tsang
★★★★★
of Cadmium admissions students to date have secured an offer from one of their top-choice institutions.
90 minutes · online · £250
Know exactly what to prioritise before you submit.
Our Mentors
Our mentors are Internationally exhibited, practising artists with proven experience navigating competitive foundation, BA and MA/MFA Fine Art admissions.
Cyrus
Artist & Filmmaker
- LONDON, UK
- ALSO Speaks: mandarin, CANTONESE
Amélie
Artist
- london, uk.
- ALSO Speaks: french
Hazel
Artist
- London and Newcastle, U.K.
Sean
Artist & Draughtsman
- LONDON, UK and Bangkok, Thailand
Enrica
Artist
- london, uk.
- ALSO Speaks: Italian
Carlotta
Artist
- London, U.K.
- ALSO Speaks: Italian
Choose your next step.
Whether you need focused feedback on an existing portfolio or broader guidance on your work, applications and next steps, choose the support that fits where you are now.
1-Hour Consultation
Broader advice on your work, goals and next steps.
Best if you need help deciding what support you need, how to approach your application, or what direction to take next.
1 hour · online · £150
Portfolio Review
Existing portfolio. Focused expert feedback.
Review your current work and get clear direction on what to keep, change and prioritise before you submit.
90 minutes · online · £250
Looking for ongoing support? Explore Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship →