Introduction to AP Studio Art Portfolio:
AP Studio Art is a college level course promoting a sustained investigation of all aspects of an AP Studio Art portfolio: Quality, and Sustained Investigation - 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, 2026 you will need to submit a digital portfolio of original artworks to the College Board
Sustained Investigation (60% of exam score)
For all portfolios, students will submit images and writing to document their inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision:
15 digital images that include works of art and design and process documentation.
Typed responses to prompts, providing information about the questions that guided their investigation and how they practiced, experimented, and revised, guided by their questions.
Selected Works (40% of exam score)
For all portfolios, students will submit works of art and design and writing to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas:
For AP 2-D Art and Design and AP Drawing: 5 physical works or high-quality reproductions of physical works with written responses on paper describing the materials, processes, and ideas used.
For AP 3-D Art and Design: Digital images of 5 works (2 views of each) with typed responses describing the materials, processes, and ideas used.
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 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!!!
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 or 2D (and some items for 3D) 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
IMPORTANT: Sketchbooks/journals need to be brought in on the first day of class and each day afterwards, 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 15 pages in the sketch journal) should be filled with research materials, observational drawings, glued-in items of inspiration, experiments, brainstorming lists, 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?!?
Quality: 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 website 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.
Use a 35mm film camera or a digital camera. Shoot at least 100 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)
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
Write out these questions and respond to them as the very first page in your sketchbook.
* What materials do you wish to work in (media)?
* What skills do you already have (strengths and weaknesses)
* What subjects do you hope to develop?
* What are your top 5 projects that you feel you must do?
* Do you plan to study art or a related field in college?
* Why are you taking AP?
* What do you hope to get out of it?
2-D Art & Design, and Drawing Assignments
Choose 3 of the following assignments, or variations of them. They must all be completed before your return to school in August.
Pieces should be between 9x12” and 24x36” in size – the assignments are about quality, not quantity. You may use any media or mixed media of your choice. You are encouraged to explore media, techniques and approaches you have not used before. These pieces are work for the “Breadth” section of your AP portfolio. You will need 12 strong Breadth pieces in your portfolio. The emphasis in this section of the portfolio is variety of media, style, approach and subject matter. The Breadth section of the Drawing portfolio MUST include observational drawing.
NOTE: if you attend an art class or workshop over the summer at a college, museum, or arts center, you may submit work from those programs as your summer assignments
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.
You should plan to complete 3 works of art over the summer months, roughly 1 per month, returning to school in the fall with a minimum of 3 acceptable pieces to choose from. These assignments are meant to help you satisfy the 2-dimensional design or drawing portfolio requirement. If you
wish to complete the 3-d portfolio you will need to get access to an art studio that specializes in sculpture, or create a working space at home.
Working from observation is considered an especially strong skill to develop. Complete the following in your chosen media (paint, charcoal, pencil, ink, photography etc.).
Remember that all these assignments are meant for you to interpret and make your own. There is no right and wrong way to complete these besides not thinking it through. We WILL be critiquing these within the first week of class so be prepared.
Choose from the following:
1. A “Scape” Work: Find a place around your house or around the Pittsburgh area or perhaps on your vacation where you think the setting would create a good piece of artwork. This can be a seascape, a landscape, your personal escape AS LONG AS YOU ARE DRAWING FROM DIRECT OBSERVATION. I do NOT want a traditional landscape. I DO want you to draw from an interesting perspective, change the colors around, or otherwise recreate a traditional ‘scape’ style painting in a new and interesting way.
2. Who are you, REALLY? Portrait with ‘character.’ Create a piece that involves a still life or room interior that describes the character of a particular person, and show the person in the space you created. Include specifically selected subjects: all objects must have a specific meaning to or for this character in order for it to be included. Use facial expression, color, objects, setting, lighting, and other context clues to let the viewer know the character of the person in your artwork. This does not have to be a traditional portrait and the more creative and unexpected the better this will be! Look up various portrait painters if you need some ideas!
3. Dissection: Do a study of an object that you have taken apart. Arrange the parts on a surface with other objects related or not related and study the textural qualities. Some ideas would be a mechanical object, a child’s toy, a girl’s makeup bag, your bin of art supplies, ingredients for a cooking recipe, a few apples and other fruit cut apart…anything where you are creating a still life composition out of something that has been dissected or disassembled. This does not have to be boring! Put your own spin on it!
4. Draped Figure: Create a scenario where you have a person (friend or family member) draped in material with lots of folds or draped lines. If you can’t find clothing like this, use a sheet. The point of this assignment is to show correct proportions of the figure and to carefully render the intricate folds of the fabric. Focus on the lines, and the patterns and shapes created by the drapery. All students should show correct proportions for the figure along with a background or setting for the figure. Remember: composition is important and you CANNOT ignore the background in this study!
5. A Self Portrait Expressing A Mood: How can you use color to convey that mood? What style will work best for you in this work? Do some research online or at a museum to see how different artist create self portraits and what techniques and media they use. Use an odd/extreme angle and consider strong light/dark contrast.
6. Still Life Arrangement For 3 Or More Reflective Objects: Your goal is to convey convincing representation. Sketch and shade for contrasts and drama. Consider doing this as a self portrait: draw yourself in a reflective object.
7. A Drawing of An Unusual Interior: Look inside a closet, a cabinet, the refrigerator, under the car’s hood, or inside the medicine cabinet.
8. A Still Life Arrangement of Objects Representing Your Family: a favorite pair of shoes, your little brother’s toy, etc. You must have at least three objects and use an unusual viewpoint or angle. For example, place the objects on the floor and stand up, looking down on them.
9. A Close Up: of a bicycle or tricycle from an unconventional angle, using strong light & shadow. Do NOT draw it from the side view.
10.Expressive Landscape: This can be near your home, a place you visit on vacation, or one that you find while on a drive. Make every effort to work plein air: meaning drawing or painting outdoors. You will have better light and will be able to focus on the color that you actually see.
11.Café Drawing: Go to a coffee shop to sit and sketch. In your drawing, capture the essence of the place by capturing the people that you see. Three people minimum in this drawing composition. Use value to add contrast.
12.Action Portrait/Figure Drawing: Have a friend or family member pose for you, doing some sort of movement (jumping rope, walking down stairs, etc). Capture the entire sequence of their action on one work. How will you portray movement in your work? Look at “Nude Descending a Staircase” by Dada artist Marcel Duchamp to see an example of an action painting. Also see the work of Futurist artists Giacomo Balla and F.T. Marinetti.
13. Shoe Sense: Create a still life arrangement consisting of your family member’s shoes. Try to convey the different personalities of your family members through the rendering of the shoes. Be creative and have fun! This assignment can be done in monochrome (black, white, gray) and/or in color using any medium, technique and style you desire.
Other 2D and possible 3D Assignments
14. Set up around your city and record what you see. Zoom in on details of your surroundings. Complete 2-3 sketches before beginning. Think about interesting and unusual compositions.
15. Draw/paint/photograph a seated human figure from head to toe placed in an environment. Show all the details of the figure and the surrounding background.
16. Draw/paint/photograph an architectural structure in detail or whole.
17. Do a portrait of a friend or family member in full color. Try to capture their mood and personality.
18. Do a landscape drawing/painting/photograph outside from observation showing surrounding vegetation.
19. Set up an interesting still life in natural light using kitchen utensils and appliances and draw/paint or photograph. Or try other objects like shoes, bathroom supplies (toothbrushes, hair brushes etc).
20. Do a double human figure drawing within an interior setting showing all the detail of the figures and their surroundings.
21. Do a close up highly detailed drawing of a bicycle, motorcycle or engine of a car from an unusual angle.
22. Do a line drawing in ink of a very cluttered area or unusual area of your home or the city. (Inside of a closet, open a drawer, look down the basement steps or up into the attic, inside of the refrigerator).
23. Do a detailed color rendering of a house plant or other plant in the garden, zoom in.
24. Draw or paint clear and shiny objects trying to capture the reflective surfaces and the details of what is reflected in them.
3-D Art & Design Assignments
Choose 3 of the following assignments, or variations of them.
1. Found Objects…. Create a sculpture from objects found in the garage or kitchen. Do not simply attach various random objects together. Make sure you have an idea behind the creation of this piece. Use juxtaposition of objects to add meaning. Research assemblage art.
2. Interior/Exterior Space: Create a sculpture that explores the interior as beings as much of a design element if not more than the exterior. The two spaces should be broken, breached, changed, or altered to interact with one another in a visually interesting way. This does not have to have a broader concept, just think design and make it spectacular!
3. Construct a Toy or Stuffed Animal: Bottle caps or flip tops from juice cans, metal wrapping from gum, candy packages, tooth picks, tongue depressors, paper towel rolls, scraps of fabric, needle and thread and glue, etc.
4. Construct a Dwelling Place (this can be a real animal or an imaginary animal) This needs to be life size and made only of found objects in nature and cannot fall apart. Sewing together, wiring together, gluing..all methods of attaching objects should be tested first and this will give you a background to various methods of construction that you can use throughout the year
5. Using any debris from your life (clothes, papers, food containers, cosmetics, reading material), assemble the materials into a life-size self-portrait bust, actual or metaphorical, in relief or in the round. You can use any means available (tape, glue, string, staples, screws, etc.) for attaching the material.
6. Using only natural materials (twigs, grasses, pods, stones, leaves) and twine or string, create a container for an object that has special meaning for you. The container must be at least 10 inches in one of its dimensions.
Remember that all these assignments are meant for you to interpret and make your own. There is no right and wrong way to complete these besides not thinking it through. We WILL be critiquing these within the first week of class so be prepared.
Collect objects all summer that you can incorporate into your works for the fall…. Look on trash day…. Take things apart…try the Thrift Store too. Often the best things are given away and are really cheap.
AND REMEMBER…
· 2-D: Minimum Size 8”x10” Maximum Size 18”x24”
· ALWAYS WORK FROM LIFE.
· NO COPYING FROM APPROPRIATED PHOTOS !!!!!!
· NO PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND.
· Please have fun with these pieces.
· Experiment with media.
· Don’t wait until the week before school resumes for beginning your summer work. You will be cheating yourself.
Summer can get away from you, so make yourself a schedule and stick to it!
Feel free to email me at franklin@ht-sd.org if you have any questions.