Art

Welcome to AP Art and Design

A little bit about me...

I've been teaching art longer than you have been alive. I love my job and I enjoy all sorts of art-making, including printmaking, photography, ceramics and painting.

I've lived and worked in the UK, Vietnam, Turkey, UAE, and this is my second time in Jordan. Previous students of mine have gone on to study at a various art colleges, including RISD, SCAD, UAL, The Slade and The Royal Drawing School.

During the course you will be developing a comprehensive portfolio using a variety of media and techniques.

A fundamental building block for this portfolio is your abilty to 'see'. To 'see' the small details. To 'see' artist's work. To 'see' materials. To 'see' your ideas develop. To 'see' the world around you.

What's required?

All three AP Art and Design Portfolios (2D, 3D, Drawing) contain two sections.

The Sustained Investigation section requires you to conduct an inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision - ( 15 pieces/images showing experimentation and development of ideas)

For the Selected Works section, work is expected to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas. (5 high quality final pieces)

For both sections of the portfolio, you are expected to write about your work using subject specific keywords.

Grading criteria

Deadline for portfolio completion - mid March 2026.

What am I going to do?

If you have not taken Advanced Art -

During the first quarter, we will use a variety of materials, look at a wide range of artists and designers, and explore different ways of working. This will increase your skill level and confidence to experiment with materials and processes.

From the second quarter onwards, you will develop independent work guided with teacher support.

If you have already taken Advanced Art - we will start on developing your AP portfolio from the get go!

Okay, so for the summer, firstly, four little things

1

2

3

If you do not have Pinterest - make an account.
Make a board for AP Art
Start to pin things that interest you.
Follow me to see what I have pinned for ACS AP.

Get yourself a small sketchbook - A5 or A6 and do something in it EVERY DAY. It could just be a word, a small sketch, a collage. But it is important to get into a habit of recording every day. Think of it as a visual diary. Record your summer.

Write a short sentence explaining your drawing/thought/process

(Date each page - don't sign)

(Examples on my Pinterest account)

Make a note in your sketchbook of what interests you - make sure you get the artist's name and a brief description of what it is - they have a plethora of great stuff!

Be prepared to work hard, but also be prepared to have fun, create things you never thought you would and produce work to be very proud of.

Then complete the following projects.

They will develop your observation skills and your ability to 'see'.

1: OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING

Directions

Draw these objects daily. You can use different materials - pencil - pen - coloring pencils - markers etc, but aim for objective accuracy. Draw what you see, not what you think you see. Use correct perspective. Use a range of mark-making. Use a range of values.

Do not leave them all to the last minute to draw. By drawing each day you will see improvements and your 'seeing' skills will improve.

Fork
Flower
Spoon
Spectacle or sunglasses
Seed or nuts
Pencil
Scissors
Paper clip
Hair accessory
Cup
Hat
Toothbrush
Candy
Key
Twig
Corner of your room
Book or magazine
Watch or clock
Vase
Pair of socks
Paper airplane
Plug
Tap
Lamp or torch
Wallet
Chair
Houseplant
Piece of fruit
Screwed up piece of paper
Your hand

2: PICK-A-SOMETHING

Directions

Pick something (aim for something that has meaning for you) and make a collection of images representing it. For instance, pick a color or shape and try to go all day photographing or drawing only red things, or try only getting pictures of things that are square you see throughout the day.

An example is trying to get photos of people’s shoes throughout the day.

The upside of this project is that it gets you to start seeing ordinary things in different way – taking a photo looking down at everyone’s shoes is going to start to get boring, so it forces you to start thinking creatively. Try different angles, try collaging pictures of shoes and drawing on top, try making a collage of shoes into a shoe etc. Get creative, find interesting angles, lighting, and subjects.

Remember your photos and drawings should show a progression of change, they should not be all the same, over and over. Meaning you should take different styles, angles, subjects, and lighting for each image.

You should aim for 30 good quality images/drawings/collages.

You will also need to write a short artist's statement that gives justification for your images and includes the something that was your inspiration.

Finally...

Familiarize yourself with the course and the expectations for the AP portfolio.

● Go to apcentral.collegeboard.com

● At the top choose AP Courses and Exams

● Choose COURSE and Exam Pages

● Under ARTS find the portfolio type- 2D Design / 3D Design / Drawing

● Click on The Portfolio.

● Scroll down till you find sample portfolios from many years past.

1. Look at the work. Look at the high scoring portfolios vs. what does not pass. This is what you’re up against. This class is not easy. It will involve more time than you think is possible. Little, quick, easy, did it last night type of work - these just won't cut it in the AP art world. You will need to work in class and at home. You will have to work. A LOT. All the time. EVERY DAY. But you will make great work that you will treasure for years.

After looking at LOTS of example portfolios:

2. Write a one-page reflection on your understanding of what is required of you as an AP Studio Art student.

Include 3-5 personal goals that you are setting for yourself as an artist.

Be clear and thorough.

What will be difficult for you?

What will you need to practice?

How will you work on your portfolio outside of class?

Optional...

Here are some suggestions:

MOMA - some of these are for educators, but you should find something of interest

UAL Future Creatives - linked to University of the Arts, London

Coursera - search for what interests you - more courses will likely come up during the summer period

Or browse through some online galleries

Be prepared to share your work during our first class.

Any problems or questions, please email me smackenzie@acsamman.edu.jo

Report abuse