Resume' writing advice?

[Karen Barton]

Hi! I have an opportunity to try for a really big commission. They want a resume'. I haven't done portraits of very many important people. I don't have a fancy education. I've been a portrait artist for 19 years and lost count of how many I have done. I'm not sure what to put in the resume'. Should I put stuff that isn't related to my portrait career? Like my part-time teacher's aid job, or my job at a yellow-page ad company as a line-artist?? Any advice would be appreciated!

[Michele Rushworth]

Put only portrait or art-related things on your resume.

[Karen Barton]

Thanks. I've been digging around on the Internet and have found a few lists of categories that should be used for an artists resume'. No portrait artist lists though. Some list every commission, some just the famous ones. I have a pretty good idea of what to do now, though. It's interesting to note, though, that some of the portrait artists with the longest resume's have the least impressive work. Thanks again.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Originally Posted by Karen Barton

I haven't done portraits of very many important people.

Well, I suggest you to mention all the important people. It will be more impressive than a long list of anonymous people, still-lives and pets.

[Tom Edgerton]

Depends on to whom you're pitching.

Most gallery resumes are very specific listings in great detail of education, shows, awards, grants, fellowships, number and gender of pets, etc. by date, generally of everything you've done artistically. I'd put it in the back of your presentation.

For a portfolio, a bio of two or three paragraphs of your career highlights on one sheet are sufficient, in an easy to read prose style. Most potential portrait clients only skim this if they read it at all. You can stick a client list of all or selected portraits by name in the back if you want, especially if you have some prominent clients. If they want to pull it out and read it, they can.

The point is, for portfolio purposes, don't create a mountain of detailed information in the front of the book that a client has to climb over to get to your first image. Maybe just a title page with your name and the short bio on the next page to build up a little suspense, and then your first image. I put the nuts and bolts info in the back.

Hope this helps.