AP Studio Art: 2D

2007-2008

Instructor
Ms. A. White
Email
Art Dept 240-497-6336

The AP Studio Art course is designed for the students who wish to create a portfolio which meets the AP Studio Art 2D Portfolio requirements for the College Board. The portfolio consists of 12 pieces of art for concentration (theme), 12 for breadth (range) and 5 original works of art. The student’s work must be evaluated at an outstanding level and show the development of mastery in the concept, composition, and execution of their ideas for all three aspects of the portfolio throughout the course.

In the first week of school we will go over and discuss the AP Studio art poster images and instructions. We will look at your portfolio of work to help discern areas of strength, styles, and what to focus on. We will continue to discuss in detail throughout the year, ways students can achieve both the development of their own creative vision of the concentration and continue to develop mastery of incorporating the elements of art, principles of design, concept and composition. Students are strongly encouraged to take additional art classes both in and out of the school day. The work created in those courses or lessons combined with their previous summer assignments may be included in their AP Studio Art portfolio.

The previous summer assignments are due the first week of class and we will have our first class critique (the 1st of many ongoing critiques throughout the year) to begin to learn how to analyze and discuss artwork. At this time, we will also discuss areas of strength, styles, and what to focus on. I will give you a list of possible areas of concentration for your portfolio and will help you match your interest and strengths.

You will need a good hard bound sketchbook to collect slides, images, journal in and do sketchbook assignments. The first of many sketchbook assignments is to do a page for each of the elements of art and principles of design that includes a brief definition, an artist example and an illustration by you of that principle of design or element of art. You will have several weeks to do this and we will have a class critique on the due date. Critiques are a required part of class participation and they will help you learn to analyze and discuss your own work and other art work using art vocabulary.

Throughout the year, as you continue to create new work, you will reflect back to the pages of the first sketchbook assignment to evaluate how you are including those design principles and elements of art in addition to developing a body of work based on your theme for your concentration and breadth. The five Quality examples will be selected for matting from these works.

There will be regular evaluation dates during both semesters and you will know well in advance of the due dates. Your grades will be based on your written rubric evaluations that include the six National Art Standards along with class and teacher critiques. All work must be original. If a photograph is used as inspiration, then there must be significant alterations to the piece for it to be considered original. It is expected that one work of AP Quality is created and photographed for a portfolio slide each week. For your portfolio, you may include both art work done in this class and done in other art classes.

SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS: Due 1st day of class
1. Make A Pencil Drawing of One Corner Area of Your Home.
     a. Use a complete range of value from the blackest black to pure white.
     b. Be sure to arrange the composition to show a dynamic use of special movement.
     c. Add tone to the composition to augment the drawing so that it is not totally white
        with just lines to define the objects in the drawing.
2. Construct a composition using your name.
     a. Write or print your name large across the page.
     b. Turn the paper up side down and write or print your name again.
     c. Overlap or run the names together to form a nonobjective composition.
     d. Color the composition as a flat design of broken areas.
3. Make A Drawing of a Seated Figure
     a. Must include full body. Head to toe
     b. Place the figure in an environment
     c. Study the proportions carefully
4. Make An Up Close Drawing of a Mechanical Device
     a. Use the whole page for the composition
     b. Emphasize shiny surfaces by using good rendering skills
     c. Use full range of values on white paper

Suggested Media:

Use a variety of media: colored pencils, charcoal, ballpoint pen, pastels, felt tip pens, watercolor, a variety of lead pencils incorporating several different shading techniques. Composition should touch all sides of the paper and be at least 9”x12” and is due on the first day of class.

A 9”x12” sketchbook is required for the course and regular sketchbook assignments will be assigned for a grade. They will include assignments that will help you practice your drawing skills and can include: value studies, self-portrait, still life, drapery, pen and ink, landscape, seascape, positive-negative space, gesture and contour drawings.

The first semester we will concentrate on completing at least all 12 works needed for the Breadth Slides. Your art work MUST emphasize the principles of design (harmony, rhythm, movement, contrast, unity, emphasis, & texture) and you will label your slide with it. A variety of 2-D medium may be used. Assignments will include the study of art history using print information and current art shows at local art museums and galleries.

Some of the class assignments that might be included in the Breadth during first semester are:

• Self Portrait in Strong Values
• Still Life
• Trompe-L’oeil in Value Study
• Pen and Ink Note Card
• Sequential Linoleum Prints
• Object Painting using Color Theory
• From Nature to Abstraction Drawing
• Art Car Design
• Business Card with Logo Design
• Art Show Poster Design
• Black Scratchboard Design Including Textures
• Homage to the Palette Design
• Artistic Chair Design

Students should be working on their concentration during the second semester and this will include creating 12 slides showing depth in a study of a chosen concept and staying mindful of elements of art and principles of design. A variety of media may include drawing, painting, illustration, collage, printing, graphic design, typography, and digital imaging. Some visual concept explorations for concentration could include, but are not limited to:

• Light/Form/Space
• Patterns
• Movement/Rhythm
• Textural Qualities
• Past/Present/Future
• Spatial Systems
• Color Psychology
• Reflective Surfaces
• Metamorphosis
• Emphasis/Variety
• Positive/Negative Relationships
• Balance
• Line/Shape
• Transparencies

I will give each student a handout with a variety of concepts, content and subject matter that could be used. Your grade for the class will be based on 80% for completion of artwork for the portfolio and 20% for the sketchbook work. There will be an additional studio management grade.

Fee: In addition to a 9”x12” sketchbook, there is a $25 lab fee each semester. Students are responsible for the cost of film and developing the slides.

Student Signature________________ Date_______________

Parent Signature_________________Date________________

Bibliography

Problems:Solutions, Visual Thinking for Graphic Communicators, Richard Wilde, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1986

Creating & Understanding Drawings, Gene A Mittler, James D. Howze, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2001

The Pen and Ink Book, Jos A. Smith, Watson-Guptill Publications/NY, 1992

Scratchboard for Illustration, Ruth Lozner, Watson-Guptill Publications/NY, 1990

From Ordinary to Extraordinary, Art and Design Problem Solving, Ken Vieth, 1999

Link to VISUAL ARTS ASSESSMENT RUBRIC