Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship
Art Foundation Portfolio Preparation for UK Art Schools
One-to-one art foundation portfolio preparation for the UAL Foundation Diploma, Kingston, Leeds Arts and the other leading UK courses. You work with practising artists. Above all, the plan is built around what each provider says it selects on.
Two routes onto UAL Foundation
Yuxin’s and Serena’s are the outcomes most Foundation applicants are aiming for. So here is what it took.
Yuxin turned a weak BTEC portfolio into a cohesive body of work and received five BA Fine Art offers and a place on UAL Foundation. She is now studying at Central Saint Martins, her first choice.
Serena transitioned from chef to fine art, gaining places at UAL Foundation and the Turps Studio Programme.
How Cadmium approaches art foundation portfolio preparation
Good art foundation portfolio preparation rarely means polishing a portfolio in the week the upload link arrives. Instead, the real questions are which providers to apply to, what the work needs to show, and what is still missing.
UAL, Kingston, Leeds Arts and AUB each set their own format, count and task. So we start with the route, then the work. After that, support ranges from a single review to ongoing one-to-one mentorship across observational drawing, project development, documentation and the written statement.
Every applicant begins with a diagnosis. From there, we build the support around what will make the biggest difference before you submit.
Diagnose
First, we work out what is actually missing.
- Is there enough observational drawing, or is the portfolio mostly finished A-level outcomes?
- Is the problem production (not enough convincing work) or documentation (the process exists in sketchbooks but was never photographed or explained)?
- Which providers fit the work, the budget and the timeline, and in what order?
The aim is not to force a theme onto the portfolio. Instead, it is to identify the direction that already has the most potential and make it visible to a selector who has never met you.
90 minutes · online · £250
Develop & Edit
Then we decide what needs to be made, documented, removed or foregrounded.
- First, we set focused development priorities: drawing from observation, experiments with materials, and the research behind each project.
- Then process comes forward as its own criterion. Scans, storyboards and a short sketchbook video show how you think, and UAL accepts all three.
- After that, we edit and order the pages so the strongest ideas become clear. That includes leaving out good work when it weakens the submission as a whole.
Articulate
Finally, we make the written statement match the work.
- Most Foundation courses decide without an interview. So the 500-word statement at UAL, or the 300 words at Kingston, is your only voice, and we shape it around the published criteria.
- In addition, we prepare you to explain the work clearly, in writing and in person, in case an interview is offered.
In short, portfolio and statement should feel like one coherent application, not two separate exercises.
What a competitive art foundation portfolio needs to communicate
Drawing from observation is there
Observational drawing is the first thing UAL lists, a set task at Kingston and the first criterion at City and Guilds. However, most portfolios arrive full of finished outcomes and almost no drawing from life. So a drawing plan, covering places, people, objects and interiors, is often the fastest way to strengthen an application.
Process is documented, not just done
Selectors assess research and investigative skills, creative thinking and problem-solving as criteria in their own right. In fact, most students already have this material in sketchbooks. The skill is documenting it: scans, photographs of tests, storyboards and, at UAL, a short sketchbook video.
The work goes beyond the set brief
Coursework shows that you can answer a brief. A Foundation portfolio also needs to show what you do when nobody sets one: self-initiated projects, experiments that went somewhere unexpected, and interests you followed on your own. In fact, this is what selectors mean by an interest in art and design.
The pages are finished before the request
UAL requests the portfolio after reviewing your statement, then gives about a week and a half to upload it, with no extensions and no edits after submission. Similarly, Kingston wants 40 photographs with the form. Above all, the portfolio should exist before you apply, so the window is an upload, not a build.
Art foundation application requirements by provider
UAL, Kingston and the other leading Foundation courses each set their own route, format and task. Below is a concise overview of what matters at each, as well as how Cadmium helps you prepare.
UAL Foundation Diploma
What the application involves
UAL runs one Foundation Diploma at its School of Pre-degree Studies in Shepherd’s Bush. You apply directly to UAL, not through UCAS, and applications open in October.
A digital portfolio of up to 25 pages on PebblePad, requested once your application has been reviewed and due roughly 7 to 10 days later: observational drawing, work in progress, annotations, a range of materials and research.
A personal statement of up to 500 words. An interview is not a listed step, so the statement is read alongside the portfolio.
You choose Diagnostic or Specialist mode and one of four curriculum areas when you apply. In addition, Home students under 19 on 31 August of the year they start pay no tuition fee.
How Cadmium helps
Choose the right mode and direction
First, we assess the work you already have and help you decide between Diagnostic and Specialist mode. Then we identify the curriculum area with the strongest potential: 3D Design, Fashion and Textiles, Fine Art or Communication Design.
Develop the portfolio, not just the presentation
Then, where the work is too finished, too thin or short on drawing, we set focused development priorities around observation, experimentation, research and process. For example, UAL accepts scanned sketchbook pages or a short sketchbook video as research, so we make sure that material exists.
Bring the application together
Finally, we help you edit and structure the 25 pages, write the annotations, and shape the 500-word statement so both communicate the same developing practice.
Applying for the UAL Foundation Diploma? Start with a consultation.
We assess where your work is now, identify what is missing, and then give you a tailored plan for the portfolio and application.
1 hour · online · £150
Kingston School of Art Foundation
What the application involves
Apply directly to Kingston, not through UCAS. Applications for September 2027 open in November 2026, deadlines are strict and late applications are not accepted.
A Dropbox link with 40 photographs in four sets: 5 final outcomes, 15 working-process images, 10 drawings to Kingston’s own Draw This! prompts, and 10 images of things you like. There is no interview, so the portfolio has to say everything.
A statement of 300 words, read alongside the photographs.
Free for Home students under 19 on 31 August. Students aged 19 or over pay £7,600 for 2027/28, with no student loan available. Passing brings an automatic conditional offer to Kingston’s own degrees.
How Cadmium helps
Plan two applications, not one
Kingston’s application is different from UAL’s. So we plan both from the start: the same body of work, exported to each provider’s format and deadline, with Kingston’s February deadline in the plan from day one.
Use the drawing prompts as training
First, we build the ten prompt drawings and the process photographs into the autumn plan. Then we check every set against Kingston’s brief, so the 40 images show range, process and observation in the proportions asked for.
Make the 300 words count
With no interview, the statement is read as part of the portfolio. As a result, we edit it so it explains the work in front of the reader rather than describing a passion in general terms.
Applying to Kingston’s Foundation? Start with a consultation.
We assess your current work, provider list and timeline, then recommend the right level of support.
1 hour · online · £150
Leeds Arts, AUB and City & Guilds
What the application involves
Apply through the university portal, then upload 10 to 15 examples within ten days of the eligibility check. Free for Home students under 19 on 31 August.
Apply directly to AUB with a single public portfolio link, due within 30 days of the request. No interview is mentioned.
A Level 4 Foundation with a portfolio link of 15 to 20 images. City and Guilds interviews every eligible applicant and charges fees to everyone: £9,500 for Home students in 2026/27.
CSM and Goldsmiths do not accept A levels alone for BA Fine Art. Oxford recommends a Foundation and lowers its offer to AAB for Foundation Merit holders, while the Slade says it is not required.
How Cadmium helps
One body of work, three exports
Leeds Arts wants 10 to 15 examples and asks for 72 UCAS points plus GCSE English and Maths at grade 4. AUB wants a public link and recommended applying before 31 March last cycle. City and Guilds wants 15 to 20 images from the last two years. So we help you develop one coherent body of work, then select and format it for each provider.
Match the providers to the family, not just the work
Free places depend on age and provider. In addition, loans exist at some providers and not others, and City and Guilds charges fees to everyone. So we map the options against direction, budget and timing before any application goes in.
Prepare for the one interview that exists
Most Foundation courses decide on the portfolio alone. However, City and Guilds interviews everyone, so if it is on your list we rehearse how to talk about the work and the ideas behind it.
Comparing Foundation courses? Start with a consultation.
We assess your work and your options, then recommend a provider list, a timetable and the right route: from a single review to longer-term mentorship.
1 hour · online · £150
Application dates, formats and fees change by cycle, and most providers publish their 2027 details in October and November. So we verify current requirements as part of your art foundation portfolio preparation plan.
From first portfolio to Foundation offer.
UAL Foundation
“Working with my tutor gave me the confidence to actually submit my application rather than endlessly questioning it. The tools and ways of thinking I learned during mentorship continued to be useful beyond that moment. The following year,
Read the full review →
I applied many of the same approaches when applying to the Turps Studio Programme, which was also successful. With my tutor’s support I was accepted onto the UAL Foundation course, which became the starting point for my transition into fine art practice.”
Serena Holliday
★★★★★
A Completed Foundation Year
“My tutor is amazing, has helped me so so much in completing my foundation year. Wouldn’t have passed without her. Very talented and also lovely to chat to”
N
Nawal (Foundation)
★★★★★
Strong Thesis Statements
“Perfect! My tutor has been an incredible support throughout my Foundation Year, especially while working on my Cultural Studies research project. As an international student new to studying in English, I initially found academic writing quite challenging,
Read the full review →
but her guidance made a huge difference. My tutor is exceptionally patient, encouraging, and insightful. She helped me develop my ideas clearly, structure my arguments effectively, and, most importantly, taught me how to formulate strong thesis statements and engage critically with sources.”
V
Valeria
★★★★★
One of the UK’s Toughest Art Schools
“Perfect! My tutor has a lot of experience, both as a teacher and as a professional artist and I have no doubt that she played a major role in helping my son get into one of the toughest
Read the full review →
art schools in the UK. She helped identify the weaker areas of his portfolio and helped him play to and develop his strengths. She was professional, personable and put my son at ease. Would recommend her to anyone.”
L
Layla
★★★★★
Art School Applications
“My tutor has been amazing at helping my child prepare for art school. She took the time to understand them and gave guidance that felt personal and clear. The sessions were focused and enjoyable, and my child left feeling more confident after each one.
Read the full review →
She was also super friendly and put my daughter at ease which really helped! She has a great eye and understands what schools want. Her feedback was always useful and specific. She helped shape the portfolio, refine the writing, and gave solid support for the interview. We felt really supported from start to finish. I’d happily recommend her to anyone applying.”
K
Kim
★★★★★
University Applications
“My tutor provided helpful guidance and support throughout my daughter‘s art application process. She helped her develop ideas more clearly, strengthen the presentation of her work, and better understand the direction required for university applications.
Read the full review →
Her feedback was structured and encouraging. We appreciated the time and support she gave throughout the application journey.”
S
Shelley
★★★★★
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 →