Size doesn't matter so long as the portfolio can be readily handled and can appropriately showcase your work. I sent in a 8.5x11 paper portfolio with a mix of 8.5x11 and 8.5x14 work tucked in neat plastic sleeves. No one seemed to care at all.

watercolor! ink! Some people really connect with water media and it's a very different way to work.

Me! Graduating RCAD 2012! :D

I think what Josh and Z.M. said are good points - even in your December work you can see the difference it makes. Work that I think is strong/portfolio worthy (I'm looking through it all and just commenting on the stuff that makes me go hey, that's pretty good): http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6341866019/in/set-72157628059368672 -triangle element really pulls the piece together. There are anatomy issues though: waist/hips is really sharp, the inner line of his top leg totally fades away and that whole area ends up blending together, his shoulder juts out & does not feel connected with the body, his writs are neglected - the arms terminate into the hands rather than flowing, and the hands are rather neglected. Overall though I think it's a strong piece because of the flow of the figure, the pushing of form and pairing with the triangle form a kind of commentary, the piece has good artistic direction - so despite the errors it shows a strong vision. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6341864717/in/set-72157628059368672 -This one wasn't in your mock portfolio, but I think it's actually pretty strong. You've got some good perspective stuff happening with the breasts, shoulders, and arms - this feels more like a figure existing than a drawing (the background element does a lot to help that too). Sure there are weaker places of the figure like the buttocks, flatness of her leg facing us, and confusing lines/forms of her neck - but other areas like those mentioned, especially her face and hands are really nice. They feel honest and expressive and at a level higher than if your most of your other drawings. The handling of media to represent the form is interesting too and I think that artistic direction stuff that I said about triangle man applies here too. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443979451/in/set-72157628059368672 -Messy as a page, but the top right and bottom left gestures are pretty nice. You could cut these out for your portfolio. They're maybe not the most elegant drawings but they've got a good sense of weight and life which shines through. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443988969/in/set-72157628059368672 -The top half of this page is pretty good. Bottom half gets confusing w/ conflicting marks and unclear forms. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6342638330/in/set-72157628059368672 -Quite nice. Back leg gets confusing. Pink could be used more sparingly/with more selective intent. Back silhouette is a bit confusing/lumpy around the shoulders. But great overall shape of the pose and emotion. Arms are probably too long... but eh. Hands, along with everything else, are minimally defined but communicate effectively. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443989357/in/set-72157628059368672 -Eh, I'm not sure on this one, but when I fist opened the image it had a good impact. They're all hard to read on the page. Yellow is the weakest, blue is the strongest. Pink I found the most intriguing but also the most difficult to decipher. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443979921/in/set-72157628059368672 -Top left is pretty cool... http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443982967/in/set-72157628059368672 -I don't think this piece is all that strong, but there is a nice shoulder/neck/head relationship it it. Better than some other stuff I think. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443983757/in/set-72157628059368672 -I like this one a lot. It's got a crisp, contrasting cleanness not in your pastel stuff, shows some hints of construction, and overall solid drawing. The selective drawing and inclusion of the blue half circle ties it all together in a complete piece. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443982565/in/set-72157628059368672 -Why wasn't this in your mock portfolio? It's a more complete piece, with some sharper rendering and forms. The umbrella is lacking but the face is one of your best. Good hands, cloth, and overall proportions too. This piece speaks more of your handling of observed light and color than your other pieces too, and in a good way. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443990809/in/set-72157628059368672 -This isn't a top piece in my eye/tastes, but it's pretty good. Would like to see a touch of selective black in the hands, especially for contact shadows/to separate the two masses. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443982127/in/set-72157628059368672 -I like this piece. It's got striking color and an interesting composition. The face and hair is nice, as are the hands/arms/shoulders' relationship to the body. It could be better but I think it's mostly there. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443984499/in/set-72157628059368672 -NICE. I think this is the kind of stuff Z.M. and Josh were talking about. Your pastel pieces are fun, but pastels are by their nature so clunky. Capturing the whole of the form with broad strokes is important and difficult, but it's hard to get this kind of subtlety and detail with them. It's this kind of stuff that really punches things up to the next level I think. Look at those hands and feet and the line quality within them and the arms. Your other work just can't compare in this department. Your other work is stronger in other aspects but this piece brings completely new things to the game, and well. The handling of the pillow and edge of the model stand is really nice too. Sometimes I think inclusion of the model's props/surroundings can detract from the overall appeal of a figure drawing, but you're handling them very well here and they add so much to an already good drawing. This should definitely be in your portfolio. I don't know if I would include it first, since it is so different from the rest of your work and the first piece kind of sets up expectations. It would be a really nice piece to end with though, a good bang to go out with. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443985033/in/set-72157628059368672 -Pretty good forms, proportion, and flow overall. Solid light separation instead of some of your more muddies pieces. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443985799/in/set-72157628059368672 -Form falls flat and the bending of the figure doesn't make 100% sense, but overall I like it. Could be a good filler page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443986215/in/set-72157628059368672 -Not as good as your other stuff, especially in handling of media. You also kind of block out areas like the shoulders and elbow without really paying attention to the nuances of them. Overall though I think it's a pretty alright piece. Like the other, could go somewhere in the middle in you need it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443991915/in/set-72157628059368672 -By far your best gesture page so far! Arrangement of the page could be better, they're literally stepping on each other, but good drawings! http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443987519/in/set-72157628059368672 -ONE OF YOUR BEST. Really nice. good weight, proportion, nuance. Interaction with the chair is good and interesting. A lot of What I said about your other sky blue more nuanced piece applies here. Good stuff, and paired with your pastel work this adds to your range. These types of drawings communicate your raw skills better though I think. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443987821/in/set-72157628059368672 -Pretty good overall. Some areas get a bit hazy, but yeah, pretty good overall. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443990179/in/set-72157628255064085 -Not my favorite piece, but it's fun and interesting. I can see why you added it. I have no idea what that mass under her head is though, I simply can't identify it as anything. Also, her earlobe are is pretty neglected and her chin takes a sharp turn before being covered up. Overall there's some basic construction issues with the eyes, nose bridge, and mouth, and how they fit into the head in the proper perspective. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6443991111/in/set-72157628255064085 -Pretty nice, this is a whole new level of rendering. The selective background element is cool too. Really nice legs with overall shape and subtlety of form too, you can feel them existing. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6472646149/in/set-72157628255064085 -Better construction than your last head I think. Overall I like this one more. Pretty cool. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6472647363/in/set-72157628255064085 -Shoulders are a little odd, torso and stuff falls flat, wrists are weird. I like the piece as a whole though I think there's some good stuff going on with the weight of the figure and contact of skin. Feels fleshy. The softness of your rendering and selective sharpness of black and line work in interesting ways here. In ways it feels very similar to triangle man from earlier, but a much different interpretation, and I like both takes on it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6472648677/in/set-72157628255064085 -This really isn't there yet... but it's going in a good direction! You've got some good linework happing in the hair but it gets messy like along the back or in your shadows. The shoulder feels totally dislocated from the back, and the neck not connected. There's beautiful stuff beginning o happen where that arm rests on that leg though. Get more of those beautiful moments in your work. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61245566@N04/6483735755/in/set-72157628255064085 -Very very very nice. Hands are maybe a little manly. Weird stuff happens with the arms and some other places. Torso too long, head to small. Okay, so maybe take away one or two of those verys. It's a nice drawing overall though and has a good feeling to it. Despite some of its pitfalls I think it's still good With your mock up portfolio I think you could lose at least half of it. You've got much stronger work, show that. Remember for order, the first one you want to impress them. The ones after you want to live up to their expectations, and show them any new kinds of stuff/kickers, the nuance and uniqueness of your work. Then you want to end strong with something fabulous and leave them wanting more. First and last impressions work. The Calarts website says 15 observational drawings minimum. I would stick to that number. Absolutely no more than 20 pieces. You've got 32 right now I think. Those 15 are 15 chances to impress. If they're not impressed by then they wont be by more. Every piece after that becomes a chance to show a weakness - and you don't want that. Get in there, show some great stuff, get out, and leave them wanting more. Editing yourself is just as vital for school portfolios as it is for job portfolios and demo reels when applying for a job. Like I said, you've got the skills and body of work for this. You've just got to put it together well and I think you'll have a really solid portfolio.

for story, yes animation/film programs will most likely be your best bet. Illustration maybe only if it concentrates on sequential art. The important thing in storyboarding is an understanding of film language, and animation programs usually cover that.