Greetings 2016-17 AP ART Students!
Class website: [email protected]
Introduction to AP Studio Art Portfolio:
AP Studio Art is a college level course promoting a sustained investigation of all three aspects of an AP Studio Art portfolio: quality, concentration and breadth - as outlined in the Course Description or Studio Art poster and online at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_studioart.html. This course will teach you a variety of concepts and approaches to drawing, two-dimensional design and use of art media.
It will allow you to develop mastery in concept, in composition, drawing, and the execution of design in a two dimensional format (think flat here). You will be able to select a personal theme that allows you to investigate a topic in depth, to demonstrate a range of abilities, and to further explore art media. In selecting a personal theme you will also be able to explore art-making as an ongoing process that involves problem-solving and critical decision-making as well as artistic growth. In addition, you will be able to explore the use of one medium in depth, or the use of several media.
At the beginning of May, 2017, you will need to submit a portfolio of five original artworks to the College Board, 12 slides of your concentration (thematic work of choice) and 12 slides demonstrating a range of projects done in various media (breadth). During the school year you will have about 28 weeks, to complete 24 or more quality artworks. You will need to complete approximately one quality, college-level artwork each week. As you might imagine, this can be a challenging and strenuous journey when combined with other commitments during the school year (and now you know why AP assignments are given during the summer!) So summer break is the perfect time to sharpen your drawing and design skills and to work on some quality pieces for your portfolio! Plus you have the additional bonus of having some spectacular scenery and resources of your home area – a nice change of scene from campus. Take advantage of it!
Summer Assignments: These works will count as your first grade of the semester. Assignments are 50% of your final grade so this is a great chance to start the year off strong! The grade you receive will be based on your level of completion and participation in each item.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF SUMMER TO DO THIS!!!
Summer Assignment
DUE THE FIRST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL WHEN WE RETURN IN AUGUST!
Summer assignments help alleviate the pressure during the school year of producing the many quality pieces needed for a successful portfolio.
Helpful hints:
Keep a sketchbook/journal throughout the summer. Each page in it should be dated and numbered. Try to draw every day for at least 30 minutes a day. This sketchbook can become your book for class in the fall.
Part One: Life/Observation Drawings Complete at least 2 of the following observational drawings.
The AP Readers (Judges), as well as art schools love to see a drawing made from life. Use charcoal or pencil (2hb and 4b). Spend the time needed to complete the work. Don’t just draw a contour. Use a full range of values, with deep shadows and bright highlights to create form and depth. Use the entire page, placing your focal points in the sweet spots, and running of the edges with your composition. Fill the paper up, using more positive that empty space.
1. A self-portrait that expresses a specific mood. Think about the effects of color and how it conveys the individual mood. You may use any style (realism, cubism, expressionism, etc.). Research online to study various artists’ self-portraits and their styles and techniques. Check out Van Gogh, Frieda Kahlo, and Rembrandt.
2. Still life that consists of 3 or more reflective objects. Set up the objects on a table, cover it with cloth, and place a lamp near it to create dramatic lighting. Your goal is to convey a convincing representation. Render as accurately as you can.
3. A drawing of an unusual interior – for example, looking inside of a closet, cabinet, refrigerator, inside your car, under the car’s hood etc. Include as many details as you can.
4. A still-life of your family members’ shoes. You should include at least three shoes - go for interesting shapes, design, texture, color. Place them in different positions.
5. A close-up drawing of a bicycle/tricycle from an unusual angle. Don’t just draw the bicycle from the side!
6. Buildings in a landscape: Do a drawing on location. Look for a building or spot in your neighborhood that is part of your neighborhood’s identity. It could be a fire house, restaurant park, church or any other building or place that you would miss seeing if it were torn down..
7. Expressive landscape: locate a landscape near your home or use a photograph that you have taken of a landscape. Or, you can also use multiple sketches or photos of different landscapes to create a unique one. It is best to work from an actual subject, so draw outdoors while looking at the actual landscape. Use expressive color to draw. Check out the Fauvists or the Der Blaue Reiter to see expressive use of color at work.
8. Create a self-portrait, using your reflection in an unusual surface, something other than a normal mirror. This could be a metal appliance (toaster, blender), a computer monitor, a broken or warped mirror, a car’s rear view mirror, or tinted windows.
9. Public sculpture: design plans for a public artwork. Make your project sketches similar to those that Christo prepares for his large-scale environmental installations. See his most recent project: “The Gates” in Central Park, NYC. http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.shtml
10. Café drawing (or any other local hangout): go to a place where you can sit and sketch for a long period of time. Capture the essence of this place (local eatery/café, bookstore, mall, etc.) by drawing the people and places you see.
11. Action portrait: have a friend or family member pose for you doing some sort of movement (jump roping, walking, riding a bike, walking down stairs, etc.). Capture the entire sequence of their action in one piece of artwork. How will you portray movement in your work?
Part Two: Projects; choose at least two of the projects listed below to create.
You may choose any media or combination of media, including traditional painting and drawing media, collage, photography, or digital art. Photographs and digital art must be printed out. Start your project by developing each idea in your sketchbook. Plan your composition with big shapes, value/color contrasts, scale relationships, point of view, and lighting. Make use of the elements of art and principles of design with intentions. Plan it out! Solutions need to be fresh and unique instead of obvious, predictable, and trite.
Part Three: Sketchbook Assignments
Complete 10 sketches and spend approximately 30 minutes per idea. Sketchbooks should display forethought, good composition, exceptional craftsmanship, have mature subject matter (avoid trite, overused symbols). These sketchbook assignments should be finished drawings. Sometimes breadth pieces come from sketchbooks.
Choose from this list or create your own ideas for your 10 sketches (you can do more!)
Pile of pillows Fabric with pattern
Look up words you do not know and illustrate them
Insects Draw on top of an old drawing
Man vs. Nature
Close up of an object making it abstract
5 drawings on top of each other
Transformation
Jim Dine: tools
Negative space only
Only objects I found at this location_________
Non objective
Oops, wrong color
Contradiction Outside vs. inside
Plugged in
Extreme light source
Refuge
Extreme perspective
Chinese proverb
Social statement
A tiny image repeated several times
Café
View from a car mirror
What was for dinner?
Laundry day
Glass bottles
Create a texture surface and draw on it
Sink with dishes in it and soapy water
Yourself in 15 years
Abstract drawing of a building
Conflict of interest
Layer it on
Anatomy
Morphs
The senses
Fill a plastic bag with objects and draw
Metallic objects
Autumn forest floor
Class website: [email protected]
Introduction to AP Studio Art Portfolio:
AP Studio Art is a college level course promoting a sustained investigation of all three aspects of an AP Studio Art portfolio: quality, concentration and breadth - as outlined in the Course Description or Studio Art poster and online at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_studioart.html. This course will teach you a variety of concepts and approaches to drawing, two-dimensional design and use of art media.
It will allow you to develop mastery in concept, in composition, drawing, and the execution of design in a two dimensional format (think flat here). You will be able to select a personal theme that allows you to investigate a topic in depth, to demonstrate a range of abilities, and to further explore art media. In selecting a personal theme you will also be able to explore art-making as an ongoing process that involves problem-solving and critical decision-making as well as artistic growth. In addition, you will be able to explore the use of one medium in depth, or the use of several media.
At the beginning of May, 2017, you will need to submit a portfolio of five original artworks to the College Board, 12 slides of your concentration (thematic work of choice) and 12 slides demonstrating a range of projects done in various media (breadth). During the school year you will have about 28 weeks, to complete 24 or more quality artworks. You will need to complete approximately one quality, college-level artwork each week. As you might imagine, this can be a challenging and strenuous journey when combined with other commitments during the school year (and now you know why AP assignments are given during the summer!) So summer break is the perfect time to sharpen your drawing and design skills and to work on some quality pieces for your portfolio! Plus you have the additional bonus of having some spectacular scenery and resources of your home area – a nice change of scene from campus. Take advantage of it!
Summer Assignments: These works will count as your first grade of the semester. Assignments are 50% of your final grade so this is a great chance to start the year off strong! The grade you receive will be based on your level of completion and participation in each item.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF SUMMER TO DO THIS!!!
Summer Assignment
DUE THE FIRST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL WHEN WE RETURN IN AUGUST!
- Complete 2 Observational Drawings
- Create 2 Projects
- Complete 10 Sketches in Sketchbook or Journal, etc.
Summer assignments help alleviate the pressure during the school year of producing the many quality pieces needed for a successful portfolio.
Helpful hints:
Keep a sketchbook/journal throughout the summer. Each page in it should be dated and numbered. Try to draw every day for at least 30 minutes a day. This sketchbook can become your book for class in the fall.
- Draw directly from life instead of using reference photos, whenever possible. If you must use a photo, take your own or use a photo from the public domain. Attach the photo to the back of the work.
- Use quality materials for your art. Good materials make it easier to create good work. Use at least 80 lb white drawing paper and stretched canvases for painting.
- Use standard sizes. Stay within the 18” x 24” size, so that these pieces could be used for the quality section of your portfolio.
- Use a sketchbook to plan your artwork. Make several thumbnails, jot down notes, glue in reference images, and do color studies when needed. The best sketchbook is the black hardbound 8.5” x 11”Basic Canson book with acid free paper, which can be purchased from AC Moore or Michaels.
- Use a variety of media, even combining them for mixed media.
- DO NOT SIGN YOUR NAME TO THE FRONT OF YOUR WORK or place any identifying marks on the front as per AP Guidelines. Be sure to write your name on the back.
- Visit the AP Central website for the portfolio you are submitting often to see sample portfolios and to become familiar with requirements:
- Look at good art! Visit the local art centers, galleries, art museums, and art festivals. Take your sketch book with you, and render the work as well as your response to it. It is a good thing to jot down your thinking process in your sketch book as well as draw in it.
- Read about art! Read art magazines, such as The Artist’s Magazine and International Artist. You will find these in local libraries. Check out books about famous artists in the library while you are there. Study the images in them.
- Search the Internet for artists dealing with the same subject as you. Study their work, life history, and influences.
Part One: Life/Observation Drawings Complete at least 2 of the following observational drawings.
The AP Readers (Judges), as well as art schools love to see a drawing made from life. Use charcoal or pencil (2hb and 4b). Spend the time needed to complete the work. Don’t just draw a contour. Use a full range of values, with deep shadows and bright highlights to create form and depth. Use the entire page, placing your focal points in the sweet spots, and running of the edges with your composition. Fill the paper up, using more positive that empty space.
1. A self-portrait that expresses a specific mood. Think about the effects of color and how it conveys the individual mood. You may use any style (realism, cubism, expressionism, etc.). Research online to study various artists’ self-portraits and their styles and techniques. Check out Van Gogh, Frieda Kahlo, and Rembrandt.
2. Still life that consists of 3 or more reflective objects. Set up the objects on a table, cover it with cloth, and place a lamp near it to create dramatic lighting. Your goal is to convey a convincing representation. Render as accurately as you can.
3. A drawing of an unusual interior – for example, looking inside of a closet, cabinet, refrigerator, inside your car, under the car’s hood etc. Include as many details as you can.
4. A still-life of your family members’ shoes. You should include at least three shoes - go for interesting shapes, design, texture, color. Place them in different positions.
5. A close-up drawing of a bicycle/tricycle from an unusual angle. Don’t just draw the bicycle from the side!
6. Buildings in a landscape: Do a drawing on location. Look for a building or spot in your neighborhood that is part of your neighborhood’s identity. It could be a fire house, restaurant park, church or any other building or place that you would miss seeing if it were torn down..
7. Expressive landscape: locate a landscape near your home or use a photograph that you have taken of a landscape. Or, you can also use multiple sketches or photos of different landscapes to create a unique one. It is best to work from an actual subject, so draw outdoors while looking at the actual landscape. Use expressive color to draw. Check out the Fauvists or the Der Blaue Reiter to see expressive use of color at work.
8. Create a self-portrait, using your reflection in an unusual surface, something other than a normal mirror. This could be a metal appliance (toaster, blender), a computer monitor, a broken or warped mirror, a car’s rear view mirror, or tinted windows.
9. Public sculpture: design plans for a public artwork. Make your project sketches similar to those that Christo prepares for his large-scale environmental installations. See his most recent project: “The Gates” in Central Park, NYC. http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.shtml
10. Café drawing (or any other local hangout): go to a place where you can sit and sketch for a long period of time. Capture the essence of this place (local eatery/café, bookstore, mall, etc.) by drawing the people and places you see.
11. Action portrait: have a friend or family member pose for you doing some sort of movement (jump roping, walking, riding a bike, walking down stairs, etc.). Capture the entire sequence of their action in one piece of artwork. How will you portray movement in your work?
Part Two: Projects; choose at least two of the projects listed below to create.
You may choose any media or combination of media, including traditional painting and drawing media, collage, photography, or digital art. Photographs and digital art must be printed out. Start your project by developing each idea in your sketchbook. Plan your composition with big shapes, value/color contrasts, scale relationships, point of view, and lighting. Make use of the elements of art and principles of design with intentions. Plan it out! Solutions need to be fresh and unique instead of obvious, predictable, and trite.
- Create a series of 3 new artworks around a theme of your choosing. Consider this a mini concentration. Look at artists who worked in series, such as James Ensor, Andy Warhol, Stella, Mondrian, Matisse, and Picasso.
- Create a comic strip about a social issue. All characters must be original. Include text and color.
- Create a photomontage, using Photoshop if necessary. Research Barbara Kruger.
- Using media of your choice, design a CD cover for an imaginary musician or group, or for any local band that you personally know. It must be totally original and be packaged in a CD case.
- Research and create a Pop-inspired work incorporating personal symbols or words. Research the art of Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana and Ed Ruscha, as well as their photography.
- Create an artwork that illustrates a story or a person from the Bible. Research contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley’s work, Rembrandt’s many biblical scenes, and James Tissot’s prophet series.
- Create a colorful design for a handbag or other item of clothing. Research Tina Turk’s bags, as well as the psychedelic art movement.
- Create an off-beat portrait of a family member/friend using thick bold outlines and arbitrary colors, using paint and/or oil pastels. If you use a photo, draw on top of it with oil pastels. Research Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Georges Rouault.
- Create a new, artsy label for a real can of food. Use a social issue as a theme. Visit the website http://artandsocialissues.cmaohio.org/ to see how other artists dealt with social issues.
- Photograph details: close-ups of faces, architectural details, textural surfaces, interesting lighting and compositions. Check out the photographer Simon Lewis, Diane Arbus, and Annie Leibovitz.
Part Three: Sketchbook Assignments
Complete 10 sketches and spend approximately 30 minutes per idea. Sketchbooks should display forethought, good composition, exceptional craftsmanship, have mature subject matter (avoid trite, overused symbols). These sketchbook assignments should be finished drawings. Sometimes breadth pieces come from sketchbooks.
Choose from this list or create your own ideas for your 10 sketches (you can do more!)
Pile of pillows Fabric with pattern
Look up words you do not know and illustrate them
Insects Draw on top of an old drawing
Man vs. Nature
Close up of an object making it abstract
5 drawings on top of each other
Transformation
Jim Dine: tools
Negative space only
Only objects I found at this location_________
Non objective
Oops, wrong color
Contradiction Outside vs. inside
Plugged in
Extreme light source
Refuge
Extreme perspective
Chinese proverb
Social statement
A tiny image repeated several times
Café
View from a car mirror
What was for dinner?
Laundry day
Glass bottles
Create a texture surface and draw on it
Sink with dishes in it and soapy water
Yourself in 15 years
Abstract drawing of a building
Conflict of interest
Layer it on
Anatomy
Morphs
The senses
Fill a plastic bag with objects and draw
Metallic objects
Autumn forest floor