28 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
In Imparting Fine Art Education
If you are preparing to apply to NAFA or LASALLE for Fine Art, one question tends to come up quickly: what should actually go into the portfolio?
A stack of technically good drawings is not enough on its own. Both institutions want to see original work, but they also ask applicants to show how they develop ideas, experiment with materials and make creative decisions of their own. For current Fine Art diploma applications, both NAFA and LASALLE ask for 10 to 15 original works from at least two categories.
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NAFA and LASALLE are also the two founding members of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), Singapore’s first arts university. They remain separate colleges with their own programmes, campuses and admissions processes, while UAS validates and awards degree programmes offered through both institutions.
Applying to NAFA or LASALLE? Our Art Portfolio Preparation course helps students plan, develop and curate a portfolio built around each institution’s requirements.
Understanding NAFA and LASALLE
Both institutions operate under the UAS umbrella while maintaining separate campuses, programmes, and admissions processes.
| NAFA | LASALLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Background |
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| Creative Disciplines |
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| Types of Students | Students drawn to technical skill-building, traditional fine art, and Southeast Asian arts heritage alongside contemporary disciplines | Students drawn to conceptual development, experimental approaches, and contemporary creative practice |
| Diploma Duration | 3 years | 3 years |
Who Needs an Art Portfolio?
A portfolio is required for visual arts and design diploma programmes at both institutions. Performing arts programmes (Music, Dance, Theatre) use auditions instead. The programme types most relevant to fine art students are:
- Fine Arts Programmes: Both NAFA’s Diploma in Fine Art and LASALLE’s Diploma in Fine Arts require a portfolio of original work.
- Design Programmes: Visual communication, illustration, digital design, 3D design, interior design, and fashion design all require original creative work.
- Broadcast and Media Programmes: LASALLE’s Diploma in Broadcast Media accepts portfolios including digital images, photographs, and video clips alongside traditional visual media.
At LASALLE, applicants upload the portfolio online and may be invited for a follow-up discussion. At NAFA, the portfolio submission is combined with a practical admission test and a separate interview.
NAFA vs LASALLE: What Are the Portfolio Requirements?
Requirements vary by programme and are reviewed annually. Confirm current details directly with each institution before applying.
| NAFA | LASALLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio Size | Varies by programme; check current admissions materials | 10 to 15 pieces of original work |
| Range | At least 2 categories | At least 2 categories |
| Examples | Painting, drawing, collage, poster, sculpture, digital illustration, photography, short video | Painting, drawing, collage, poster, sculpture, digital image, photography, video clip |
| Additional Assessment | Practical admission test + portfolio interview | Follow-up discussion arranged if needed |
| AI-Generated Work | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Application Opens | October each year | October each year |
| Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) Available | Yes | Yes |
What Should You Include in a NAFA or LASALLE Portfolio?
Both institutions assess observational ability, creative thought, and range across media. A strong submission typically includes:
- Observational Drawings: Still life, figure studies, or environment drawings from direct observation. This skill is central to NAFA’s practical admission test.
- Personal Projects: Self-initiated work outside of class assignments, demonstrating creative ownership and independent thinking.
- Sketchbooks and Process Work: Thumbnails, compositional experiments, and colour studies showing how ideas develop. Aside from assessing the finished outcomes, panels may assess your creative process.
- A Range of Media: At least two to three media, such as drawing, painting, and photography. LASALLE explicitly requires work from at least two categories for most visual arts diplomas.
- Finished Works Alongside Studies: A balance of resolved pieces and developmental material shows both technical execution and creative process.
How to Prepare Your Art Portfolio: Step-by-Step Guide
To create a portfolio that provides you with stronger chances of admission to each institution, follow these best practices:
Step 1: Audit Your Existing Work
Gather everything you’ve produced in the past two to three years. Identify strengths, gaps in media range, and which pieces show independent thinking. That gap assessment determines areas that can boost your portfolio strength.
Step 2: Set a Preparation Timeline
While six months of portfolio prep is workable, it’s compressed and may produce work that panels can recognise as rushed. Starting 12 to 18 months before the submission opening gives you time to broaden range and develop independent projects.
Step 3: Show Range Across Media
Work across at least three media: drawing, painting, and one or two others such as ceramics, printmaking, or digital art. This approach demonstrates that you’ve prepared thoroughly.
Step 4: Develop Independent Projects
Reserve time for self-initiated work: subjects that interest you, or a theme pursued across different media. Independent work reflects creative ownership, and panels may notice the distinction.
Step 5: Curate, Then Select
Shortlist 15 to 20 pieces and curate down to 10 to 15. A focused selection outperforms a large, uneven collection. Open strongly, demonstrate range in the middle, and close with a piece that demonstrates ambition or creative personality.
How Should You Present Your Portfolio?
To illustrate your level of attention and professionalism, follow these tips:
- Label Each Work Clearly: LASALLE requires each uploaded piece to include the title (if any), medium used, and month/year created. Confirm NAFA’s current labelling requirements before submitting.
- Document Traditional Work Carefully: Poor photography undermines otherwise strong work and cannot be corrected after submission. Photograph each piece in even natural light against a neutral background.
- Keep Digital Submissions Clean: For LASALLE’s design and fashion diplomas, the portfolio must be a single PDF no larger than 120MB. Consistent margins and clear labelling let the artwork speak.
Common Portfolio Mistakes to Avoid
Avoiding these common pitfalls can help prevent months of preparation from being undermined at the submission stage:
- Copying Reference Images: LASALLE explicitly states that portfolios ‘copied from other sources, such as websites, magazines, films, and the work of other artists/designers, will be rejected’.
- Submitting AI-Assisted Work: Both institutions prefer entirely original work. LASALLE notes they ‘prefer to see work that has not been assisted with AI tools’.
- Over-Relying on Guided Pieces: A portfolio composed mainly of instructor-directed work lacks the independent creative voice that panels are specifically looking for. Aim to include self-initiated pieces that reflect your own creative decisions and personal direction.
- Limiting to One Medium or Subject: Both institutions value versatility. Work across at least two to three media, such as drawing, painting, and digital art.
- Poor Artwork Photography: Blurry images and inaccurate colour representation weaken the portfolio before the panel has engaged with the content. Photograph each piece in even natural light against a neutral background, with accurate colour representation.
Preparing for the Admission Interview
Both NAFA’s portfolio interview and LASALLE’s follow-up discussion require applicants to speak about their work with clarity and honesty.
- Know the Story Behind Every Piece: Be ready to describe the starting idea, decisions made, and what you would approach differently. Specific, honest answers carry more weight than polished, rehearsed ones.
- Practise Describing Your Creative Process Out Loud: Articulating why you chose a particular medium or how an idea evolved is assessed directly.
- Identify Influences Specifically: Name artists or works that shaped your practice and explain why. Panels may use your discussion to assess whether you demonstrate artistic awareness.
- Know the Institution You’re Applying To: Visit the campus or attend an open house. Your familiarity with the institution will be evident in how you discuss your reasons for applying.
How Early Should You Start Preparing?
For students applying after O-Level results, beginning in Secondary 3 gives approximately 18 months before the October application window. That is enough time to create a comprehensive portfolio range, develop independent projects, and refine the strongest pieces. Secondary 4 is workable but may seem rushed.
Both NAFA and LASALLE participate in the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE), which allows applicants to receive conditional offers before final results are released. LASALLE’s EAE application period typically runs in May, with workshops usually held in June. Students targeting EAE should have a substantially complete portfolio ready by April.
This aptitude-based pathway is open to:
- Graduating O-Level students
- Final-year Nitec and Higher Nitec students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE)
- Graduating Integrated Programme (IP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Year 4 students
Frequently Asked Questions
Include 10 to 15 original artworks across at least two media categories, such as drawing, painting, and mixed media. Observational studies, personal projects, and sketchbook material all strengthen a visual arts or design submission.
For LASALLE’s Fine Arts, Animation, and Broadcast Media diplomas: 10 to 15 pieces from at least two categories. Design and Fashion diplomas: 10 images as a PDF. NAFA’s piece count varies by programme, so it’s important to verify the requirements directly before applying.
Yes. LASALLE uses a digital upload with a follow-up discussion if needed. NAFA combines the portfolio with a practical admission test and interview. NAFA places particular weight on technical foundations while LASALLE emphasises conceptual development.
Yes. Both institutions accept digital work. LASALLE’s published guidelines list ‘digital images (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc), photographs, and/or video clips’ as accepted categories.
Know the thinking behind every portfolio piece. Practise describing your creative process and naming specific influences. For NAFA, expect questions about artistic motivation and programme choice. For LASALLE, expect questions about the submitted work.
Ideally, you should prepare 12 to 18 months before the October application window. If you’re targeting the EAE in May, you should have a portfolio ready by April.
Prepare Your NAFA or LASALLE Portfolio With Little Artists
A NAFA or LASALLE portfolio is created intentionally, over months, through independent creative work and consistent practice across media. Admissions panels can tell the difference between a body of work that developed over time and one that was assembled under pressure.
Starting early gives that development room to breathe.
Whether you’re a student creating your own portfolio or a parent supporting a child through the process, Little Artists’ Art Portfolio Preparation programme offers one-to-one mentorship, portfolio planning, and review tailored to each student’s level and target school. Contact us to discuss your child’s artistic goals.
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