Art-Making Inquiries Portfolio Overview

What You Submit: SL/HL Art-making Portfolio (AIP)

1. One PDF file (15 screens) with visual and written evidence, not exceeding 3,000 words.

2. One text file with a list of all sources used.

The visual content should be the main focus, images should be your priority, and writing should help explain and reflect on your work. Show, don't tell! 

"The word limits in the visual arts tasks highlight the fact that images must be predominant in the art-making inquiries portfolio." - IB Visual Art Cat 2 Training

You’ll be graded on how well you show investigation, experimentation, generation of ideas, refinement, synthesis, curation, and how you situate your work in a meaningful context. Use clear, concise, art vocabulary thoughtfully throughout.

This portfolio is your chance to show how you think, make, reflect, and grow as an artist.

See LEFT for a student example of this body of work 

Your work should show how you meet each of the assessment objectives:

1. Investigate

• Try out different art-making forms and creative strategies

• Study other artists to learn from their ideas and techniques

• Explore connections between materials and meaning

• Ask questions as your work develops

2. Generate

• Start with inquiry questions or generative statements

• Use tools like mind maps or brainstorming to explore ideas

• Experiment playfully or seriously with lots of possibilities

• Learn from false starts or mistakes

3. Refine

• Make changes to improve your work using reflection and feedback

• Show how critiques or evaluations led you to new decisions

• Rework, rearrange, or build on earlier attempts

• Explain your problem-solving process

4. Curate

• Thoughtfully select and organize your images and writing

• Include both developing and resolved work to show your journey

• Use layout, sequencing, and clear labels to guide the viewer

• Use subject-specific art vocabulary
  
  

Extra, but always welcome to include:

5. Resolve

• Highlight your most resolved artworks

• These should clearly show your intentions and demonstrate how concept and form come together

• Make sure these pieces reflect your personal voice and artistic development

6. Situate

• Place your work in a context (personal, social, cultural, historical, or global)

• Think about how an audience might interpret your work

• Show how your ideas connect to wider themes or communities

7. Synthesize

• Tie everything together, your ideas, your media, your message

• Create a strong, cohesive narrative across your portfolio

• Balance experimentation with clear communication

Show - Don't Tell

1. Format your PDF in landscape orientation (horizontal), recommended resolution is 200 dpi

2. Use clear, legible text, typed or handwritten is fine, as long as it’s easy to read

3. Avoid long paragraphs, use bullet points, short captions, and concise explanations

4. Make sure your visuals are the main focus, text should support the images, not overwhelm them

5. No more than 250 words per screen for a MAX, if you need more words you need more visual evidence present.

Academic Integrity

• Use your own voice and original work

• If you research artists or use references, cite them

• Do not copy or heavily imitate another artist’s work