Advanced Placement Studio Class, 2017-18

Advanced Placement Studio Class, 2017-18

AP Studio Class Summer Assignments

Mrs. Majzner

Congratulations to each of you for having been accepted into the Advanced Placement Studio Art Class. It is a privilege for me to be your teacher in this exciting artistic endeavor. I will be working closely with each of you, trying to bring out the best of your artistic abilities in preparation of your portfolio. But, first you must do your homework!!! It all starts this summer!!! I expect to see you in September, immediately on the first day of school with your homework assignments all accomplished. You will also need some basic supplies that will help us together with organization.

First you must purchase or make 2 large sized portfolios,minimum size 22” x 26”. You may purchase either the reddish paper type or the stronger black one, depending upon your budget. One portfolio must be kept at home for most of the time and will store all of your artworks for AP submission. The other portfolio is for you to transport your artworks from home to school on a very regular basis. Anyone who cannot purchase or would like to be creative may make them out of either cardboard or foam core board and a strong tape such as duct tape. The portfolios both need to have your name printed or painted very clearly on the outside. Your will also need a spiral sketchbook, (do not get the spiral kind from Staples with the black cover- it always falls apart) minimum size 9” x 12”, paper weight minimum 65 lbs, (you may use a sketchbook that has already been started from another year, as long as it fulfills these requirements and has about 40 pages left), pencil case with several #2 and darker pencils 4B, 5B, 6B and a mechanical pencil, erasersand a good hand sharpener. Other items to purchase are: set of Prismacolor Colored Pencils, minimum of 12 colors or more, some tube acrylic paints/ 3 colors plus black and white. All other art supplies for the school year will be provided to you by Livingston High School. The items you need to buy can be gotten from Jerry’s Art Supply in West Orange at the Essex Green Shopping Center or at Michaels’s on Route 10.

For all students: Summer Art Assignments

The following are your four summer mandatory assignments: You must do them with the recommended art materials and on the provided paper or canvas. Before doing each of the assignments, take a digital photograph of the subject matter and make sure to bring that photo to school with the completed assignment. This will enable me to help you improve and/or troubleshoot with any issues. The assignments will be graded by me and will count as 30% of your first marking period grade. These art works are very important to your portfolio and they will be counted as four out of the twelve artworks required for the “breadth” component of your portfolio.

Pace yourself throughout the summer as you do these assignments. You cannot do them all the last week of the summer. Good art takes a lot of time and patience to develop. A rush job always shows as poor quality work. Each assignment should probably represent 10-15 hours of work. If you feel uncomfortable about this, you should not be taking this class. I hope that your passion for art will make you feel comfortable about the commitment.

Types of Portfolios

As an AP art student you will have a choice of submitting one of two accepted portfolio types. The first type of portfolio is a DRAWING PORTFOLIO. This does not mean that all of your works need to be drawing only. This actually means that throughout all of your works, even painting, you are able to exemplify strong skills in Expressive Mark Making.

The second choice of portfolio is a DESIGN PORTFOLIO. This indicates that throughout all of your pieces you are able to exemplify a strong sense of the PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN, such as balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis, and unity. These principles should also be evident in a DRAWING PORTFOLIO but in a DESIGN PORTFOLIO the realistic element and the mark making need not be obvious.

Keep in mind that within both portfolios there can be a strong overlap between both categories. However, you must commit to only one. The subject matter for the summer assignments for both portfolios are the same, however, the DRAWING PORTFOLIO must show the subject in anexpressive manner and the DESIGN PORTFOLIO can show the subject in a more designed or abstracted manner. Ultimately, the goal of both portfolios is to create valid, well organized art pieces throughout.

Expressive/Drawing Portfolio

1. Self-portrait with something unique being held in front of your face

Ex: Fanning yourself, brushing your teeth, drying your face with a towel, smelling a rose, blowing a bubble, eating, blowing up a balloon, etc.

Medium: Provided drawing paper, graphite and 1-2 colored pencils layered with the graphite

Goal: Create a well-developed composition, which uses the space well, of a unique image and shade with a wide range of darks to lights, using a bit of color for accent within the graphite.

2. Still-life arrangement of eating utensils

Ex: Forks, spoons, knives, ladles, any combination of 3 or more.

Medium: Provided paper and pencil only

Goal: Create a dynamic composition with these simple objects and create interest within the details. Include the cast shadows. Use a wide range of values and show a lot of contrast. Consider using some overlapping of objects. Draw large to fill up a lot of the space.

3. Close up /cropped view of parts of a bicycle

Medium: Provided paper and pencil only

Goal: Use the space well to crop an interesting section of a bicycle and capture a lot of the technical details. In other words, you are drawing a very intense close up of a part of the bicycle. Shade with a wide range of darks to light and even try to emphasize the metallic quality of some of the surfaces.

4. Cubist painting - See below under “Both Portfolios”

Abstract/Design Portfolio

1. Portrait design using isolated facial features- Design using only one of your facial features, such as eyes or lips to create a pattern using repetition with changes in scale/size. You must also include overlapping or other geometric/ abstracted shapes.

Medium: Provided drawing paper, graphite and 1-2 colored pencils layered with the graphite

Goal: To create a well designed composition that highlights something fun and or funky within the overall image.

2. Eating utensil design-Find 3 eating utensils that have pattern and interesting shape. Use the pattern and shape to create a composition that has repetition, overlapping, and changes in scale.The negative space should flow with the positive space. Overall, the actual utensils should not be obvious at all. The design created should only be inspired by the patterns and shapes of the utensils.

Medium: Graphite/pencil with shading and black sharpie ultra fine marker

Goal: To create a well designed composition that uses patterns and shapes found within eating utensils with an elegant flow.

3. Close-up of parts of a bicycle tire -Create a design that gives a feeling of bicycle movement by repeating and overlapping shapes found within a bicycle tire. The design must include several overlapping circles but should not look exactly like a tire or bicycle. It should not be symmetrical; the same on both sides.

Medium: Graphite/Pencil, plus 2 colored pencils, compass or round shapes to draw circles

Goal: To create the feeling of energy and movement!

4. Cubist painting - See below under “Both Portfolios”

Optional Assignments:

Some of you might not have enough “College level” pieces for the required breath component (12 pieces) of your portfolio. In case you fall into that category you might want to find time to do some optional assignments:

Drawing Portfolio:

· Photograph the inside of your refrigerator, focusing on 1 or 2 shelves. Draw what you see with close up detail and good shaded contrast.

· Photograph and draw a pair of your shoes. Focus on the empty inner space as well as the details of the outside. Use good shading with contrast.

· Photograph and then draw a family member sitting on a couch. Draw and shade with intensity.

Design Portfolio:

· Draw a single leaf in varied positions and sizes. Place each leaf in a strategic place on your page so that they connect and flow in a harmonious manner. Color only the negative space, either black, gradated and or with color.

· Pick a single geometric or organic shape and draw a flowing design using only that shape, repeating it with varied sizes and overlapping. Draw 1-2 patterns within some of the shapes. Then color in only 60-75% of the shapes and lines. Use black dark pencil for the remaining shapes and lines.

· Draw a chair and distort its proportions. Draw it over 1-2 more times, and change the proportions. Overlap your drawings. Shade in and emphasize many of the outlines.

For both Portfolios:

5. Cubist painting of a book(s), a lamp, and vase with flowers in front of a window: Before you create the art, research the artistic style of “Cubism”. Picasso is a major artist to look at. Attached to your handout from me are 4 images of Cubist Still Life well known paintings. Notice how the artists abstract, omit, repeat and emphasize shapes.

Medium: Provided canvas and your own acrylic paints and brushes

Goal: Photograph a realistic arrangement of these objects, for inspiration only!! Draw it on canvas with all geometric shapes, tilt the perspective, overlap and leave out some realistic portions. You may leave out realistic details and focus more on shape and pattern. Repeat some of the significant shapes and include pattern. Paint with up to 3 colors, (but you may mix those colors to form new additional colors) plus black and white acrylic paint. Paint with gradation and blending. This should not look real. Make it look “topsy turvy,” but still organized.(Below: Still Life paintings by Juan Gris)

CUBISM EXAMPLES

Studio Art AP Contract

Mandatory for all students and parents!

Keep one copy of this contract at home for your records and place one signed copy in Mrs. Majzner’s mailbox by Fri. 6/9/17

Student and parent/guardian signature required for acceptance in my mailbox by:

Fri. 6/9/17

Student Name (legibly printed):______

Student Signature: ______

Parent Signature: ______

Your signature and your parents’ signature represent your understanding and commitment to completing the summer assignments by the first day of school for fall 2017. In addition you also must understand and accept that the extent of creating an AP art portfolio is a requirement of 24 college level art works. You will abide by the class’ schedule that has a specific time frame and due dates for each art piece. The due dates are mostly within 2 weeks from the beginning of the assigned date.