Greetings 2017-18 AP Studio Art Students!
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.
AP Studio Art is made up of 3 separate studio classes: 2-D Design, Drawing and 3-D Design.
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, 2018 you will need to submit a portfolio of 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, as well as 5 physical works if you are a 2D or Drawing focus (8 additional slides if you are a 3D focus).
Visit the AP Central website for the portfolio you are submitting often to see sample portfolios and to become familiar with requirements.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/studiodrawing
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/studio2d
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/studio3d
During the school year you will complete many quality artworks. All work will be done during the school year and you will need to complete approximately 5 quality, college-level artworks each quarter.
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 high-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 the high school.
Take advantage of it!
There are a number of things that you can do over the summer to make your time in AP Studio more meaningful. Here is a list of requirements for work to do during the summer. This work will be due during the first full week of school when we return in the fall. 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 BEGIN THIS!!!
1. Go shopping! Get Art Supplies
Go to an art supply store and purchase the suggested materials on the supplies list below. Experiment with the suggested supplies and any other supplies you have. Keep your failures as well as successes. Don’t throw anything away! You’ll need these supplies to complete the summer assignments.
SUPPLY LIST FOR DRAWING PORTFOLIOS:
• An Art Bin (like a fishing tackle box) or other container to organize and transport art supplies
•A Small Sketchbook
• A set of Prismacolor colored pencils (12 minimum recommended)
• Charcoal pencils of varying hardness as well as Vine and compressed charcoal
• Erasers — kneaded, & “Magic Rub”
• Oil Pastels
• X-acto blade
• Masking tape (blue is best!)
• Paint set (acrylic, gouache or watercolor tube set) & brushes
• Other supplies based on student’s choice
2. Sketch Journal
IMPORTANT: Sketchbooks/journals will be due on the first day of class, no exceptions
This sketch journal will be each student’s initial inspiration for an entire school year of artistic investigation. You will, of course, want to continue working in your sketchbooks even after school starts and, hopefully, for the rest of your lives, but when you arrive at school in August with this treasure chest of ideas, you should have more than enough to springboard you successfully into several months of artistic production.
Size:
No smaller than 5x8”, hard bound, with good quality paper, available at art supply and craft stores. Moleskin is a good brand and they have a sketchbook of watercolor pages for those of you who are interested in painting as your main medium
Finished Pages:
Your chosen sketchbook (at least 20 pages in the sketch journal should be filled by the time school resumes) should be filled with research materials, observational drawings, journal entries of your summer experiences with images drawn/painted over them, material experimentation and concentration ideas.
Composition:
Students decide how to compose each page. Will they look more like finished works of art? Or will they look more like pages in a notebook for another class? Will they be mostly made up of your sketches? Will there be a little or a lot of writing? Will students glue in envelopes stuffed with images? Keep anything and everything that you find interesting and use it in your artwork. Play with media and see what the possibilities are. You never know until you try and this sketch journal is all about trying something new!
Media:
Students decide what media to use. I do want to see the student using mixed media and layering materials throughout their sketch journal in experimentation. Students should keep in mind that they might want a cover sheet or fixative over pastel and charcoal (wax paper works well and can be taped into the binding). Painted pages should be thoroughly dried before closing and I recommend wax paper between painted pages as well. Anything can be an art material and I expect to see each student pushing this idea to its limits in their sketch journal.
Organization:
Everyone thinks differently, so everyone will want to organize his or her sketchbook differently. However, all sketchbooks must have each of the components, listed on the following page, somewhere in them.
What should I have in my SKETCH Journal?!?
Breadth: Now the fun begins. Start looking for inspiration to accomplish the above. Look at books, magazines (art journals or even popular magazines), web sites and CD covers at Planet Music. Look at children’s picture books at Barnes and Noble. Look at photographs in the newspaper. Spend a rainy morning at the public library. Visit the AP Central web site and look at other student work. Cut out, print out or sketch images and begin stuffing that sketchbook. Include appealing images even if the reason is not clear: maybe it’s the style, maybe it’s the color scheme, maybe it’s the use of media, maybe it’s the message. Search the web under “contemporary still life” or “site-specific sculpture” or whatever (!) and see what pops up. Print the images out. Insert them in your sketchbook/journal. Email your teacher for suggestions of artists to research. Make photographs with a digital camera. Sketch what is around you at home, outdoors or in the mall. Make notes about personal responses to all of these images. .
Concentration: And the fun continues. As students do the above, they should begin to think about what they might want to explore for their concentration. They can keep track of ideas any way they choose, e.g. a separate section in their sketchbook/journal or interspersed throughout. Students should come to the first class with multiple ideas for possible Concentrations and what they MIGHT do for the first three pieces.
Experimentation: Test out what happens if you try new things. Use non-traditional art materials. Give yourself a chance to fail because your sketchbook is the place to do it. Paint up the pages before you draw on them. Rub tea onto some blank pages to make them look old. Paint with instant coffee or other things you may never have tried before. The worst thing you can do in your sketchbook is be predictable so BE ORIGINAL. You might discover something great!
Stuck? Students should consider looking for the following more specific images in books, journals/magazines, newspapers, web sites and more, or sketch from observations/imagination:
Design Elements and Principles: lines and shapes, interesting patterns and textures, evocative and unusual color and value, dynamic movement and rhythm, focal point, unity, balance, repetition
Appearances: surfaces, reflections, shadows, etc.
Personal Issues: future plans, appearance, health, relationships, beliefs, passions (like food or surfing!), fears, aversions, etc.
Social Issues: uses and abuses of technology, war, cloning, politics and policy, religion, capitalism, drugs/crime, the environment, poverty, patriotism, etc.
Psychologically Potent Environments: empty streets, objects in places where you wouldn’t expect to find them (e.g. a tractor on an unmade bed), lonely rooms, etc.
Miscellaneous Content: Conflict or contrast; dreams; a favorite quote, motto, bumper sticker, slogan or even a fortune from a fortune cookie, mystery, ambiguity or hidden meaning
Pairs of natural and man-made objects with similar shapes, forms or patterns
Still need more ideas?
1. Keep a sketchbook/journal throughout the summer. Each page in it should be dated and numbered.
Try to draw everyday for at least 30 minutes a day. Choose from the following list for subjects and journal activities. (For grading purposes evidence weekly drawing will be required) This sketchbook can become
your book for class in the fall.
* Sketch the people who mean the most to you
* Sketch yourself
* Sketch the flowers, plants, trees in your yard
* Zoom in on objects from nature and try to capture the realistic texture of each object
* Set up a still life of summer-themed objects and sketch
* Paint with watercolors in your journal
* Sketch the action of your life, fishing, swimming, waterskiing etc. whatever you do bring your book and sketch
* Use the alphabet for inspiration and do a page per letter. For example: A is for apples and sketch all the different apples whole, cut in half, seeds only, branches from apple trees etc.
* Draw the animals in your life
* Draw your home and the buildings you see around you
* Go to downtown Pittsburgh and draw what you see
* Create a cartoon strip that illustrates your summer adventures
* Illustrate the books you read and the songs you listen to this summer
* Surf the web for art sites and write a review of what you saw, include pictures from the sites along with web addresses.
* Try to illustrate your emotions
* * Work on facial expressions and draw frowns, smiles etc. notice the changes that faces go through. Do this with flesh on and flesh off (bones only)
*Important note: remember that, as artists of integrity, students must use other artists’ work as inspiration only, developing his or her ideas, making them one’s own, and moving beyond duplication.
3. Amass Photographs To Serve As Inspiration For Your Work Throughout The Year
Use a 35mm film camera or a digital camera. Shoot at least 150 images total with at least 5-10 in each of the categories listed below. These will help you throughout the year when you’re looking for how to draw something or what color something is. These will become your reference images. Make sure your images are in focus!!
DO NOT USE SOMEONE ELSE’S IMAGE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT!
* Close-ups of nature especially flowers, interesting wood/rocks, shells, people, bugs, animals, fish anything else you can find and zoom in on etc.
* Landscapes: that feature sky, water, trees, rocks and fields
* Texture close-ups where what it is doesn’t matter, but the entire image is the texture (fish scales, sewer lid, tree bark, close-up of an orange peel, raindrops on a lake, dock or pier up close)
* Portraits: Photograph people and animals that mean something to you, do complete figure portraits of people in action and still portraits of head and shoulders, try to shoot photos in different lighting for dramatic effects
* Still life of objects you set up or naturally occurring still life (visit the Strip District and check out the fruit/vegetable vendors or the farmer’s markets, both great places for still life photos)
* Cityscapes featuring interesting architecture, textural surfaces, lighting and compositions
* Miscellaneous stuff you’re interested in (industrial stuff, old machine parts, musical instruments, art supplies, places you visit, food)
4. Go Look At Some ART!
Gallery or Art Exhibition Review
Explore one or more galleries/exhibitions and share your thoughts. Visit no less than 4 different art museums/galleries, whether they are local, out of state, small independent, or part of a foundation.
· Address these areas: Name, title, location, general information.
· Describe, react & share your overall experience; reflect on the overall body of work shown .
· Discuss 3 or more specific pieces that affected you both positively or negatively .
· Include printed images/text as well as your own descriptive drawings/writing of the gallery/exhibition
· Use as many pages as needed in your sketchbook/journal
5. Think About Your Goals For AP!
Write out these questions and respond to them as the very first page in your sketchbook.