Dublin High School

AP Studio Art

May 21, 2021

Hello AP Studio Art Students,

I’m excited to have you all in class next year for what looks like our biggest AP Art course ever at DHS. AP Studio Art is a fantastic opportunity to build a portfolio, develop a series of thematically related artworks, and to deepen your understanding of the art world. It’s my favorite class to teach, and I’m glad you all are going to be a part of it. Feel free to check out the DHS Art Gallery (dhsart.org) and my teacher website for sample student work from previous years and more information about the class.

As you probably know, AP Studio Art demands significant time and energy outside of school hours to complete a successful portfolio. Students who pass the exam and earn “A”s in the class consistently report spending 10+ hours per week making art during the school year: equivalent to the time demands of playing a varsity sport for all three seasons. The good news is that work you create over the summer will be eligible to submit for the exam in May. In preparation for our first week of class in August, I have some work for you to complete over break.

Research:

• Familiarize yourself with the AP Studio Art course, including what kinds of work (the Sustained Investigation and Selected Works sections) will go in your portfolio submission at the end of the year. In addition, the AP Art exam has three different portfolios you can submit for. Deciding which one best fits your work is a major component early on in the class. Do some research now so that you have an idea which of the three you’ll complete:

  • Drawing: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-studio-art-drawing/course-details

  • 2D Art and Design: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-studio-art-2-d-design/course-details

  • 3D Art and Design: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-3-d-art-and-design

• Research AP studio work made by students nationwide in previous years and curate a collection of 15 pieces you admire or are interested in- create a google slide deck and copy/paste the images and links there. Check the College Board sample portfolios for Drawing, 2d Art and Design, and 3d Art and Design. Additionally, the annual exhibit of student works from 19-20, 18-19, 17-18, and 16-17 may be helpful.

• Go to an art museum (or visit online if going in person isn’t an option) and sketch at least 3 pieces that seem like the kind of work you want to make (the DeYoung, Legion of Honor, SFMOMA, Oakland Museum, Cantor and Anderson collections at Stanford, and the Berkeley Art Museum are all great local options).

Practice:

2D Design and Drawing students- complete at least 3 of the following:

1. Draw a simple tool or utensil and repeat it multiple times and in multiple ways to create a well developed composition. Consider the figure/ground relationship, depth, and contrast.

2. Draw, paint, or photograph a household appliance or piece of equipment from an unusual angle.

3. Draw a corner of the bathroom using the reflection of a mirror in your work.

4. Create a composition combining collage and drawing/painting. Use a loose underlying grid for structure. How do different parts of the artwork “talk” or relate to one another?

5. Do a contour drawing of multiple images which transitions from fluid lines into a fully rendered value drawing.

6. Draw, paint, or photograph your hand(s) arranged in a variety of poses where the units work together with the negative space to create an interesting composition.

7. Draw a detailed pile of clothing, addressing different textures, shape, patterns and values.

8. Create a detailed self-portrait out of cut paper. Use multiple paper values or colors to illustrate details, features and surface variations.

9. Create a combination still life and self portrait drawing using a reflective object to capture your image- use your choice of media.

10. Do a “zoom” in drawing, photograph, or painting of something with many interesting and intricate parts.

3D Design students- complete at least 3 of the following:

1. Take a bunch of one kind of everyday object (paperclips, beads, screws, pencils, matches, etc) and make a freestanding figure out of them (animal, human, robotic, alien, etc).

2. Create a sculpture using cardboard from old boxes. Emphasize building up layers as well as carving or removing parts of those layers. Use both corrugated and smooth cardboard.

3. Sew a representational/realistic soft sculpture using old clothes, sheets, or other fabric, plus stuffing or cushioning material of your choice. The subject should be something small and simple, but the sculpture should be a dramatically enlarged version.

4. Use similar found objects or materials to create a relief sculpture to be hung on your choice of public building in Dublin (city hall, library, Police or Fire Departments, a school, the post office etc). Spray primer/paint the entire sculpture one color once assembled.

5. Deconstruct 3-5 old dolls/action figures and reconstruct/combine them to create something totally new- not necessarily a “figure” any more.

6. Create a 10” or larger vessel or container using only natural materials (sticks, leaves, stones).

7. Create a 3d metaphorical self-portrait out of the “scraps” of your life (old objects with personal significance). This self portrait need not look like you physically, but it must clearly be about you and who you are.

8. Using only paper, create an abstract sculpture that shows movement.

9. Using cardboard (and glue if necessary), create a piece of unique (and usable) furniture (see Bauhaus & IKEA design for inspiration).

10. Create rolls or tubes from newspaper, old phonebooks, or any other kind of paper. Create a unified, freestanding sculpture using these forms. Paint, stain, draw, or otherwise embellish the surface of the sculpture.

Requirements:

• Minimum size requirements (please feel free to work much larger: one of our assignments from the fall semester will be to create a piece roughly 4x4 feet in size):

  • 1 work must be at least 10x13” with at least a 1” border. 2 works must be at least 6.5x9” with at least a 1” border.

  • 3d Design works must be at least 12” in at least one of the height/width/depth dimensions.

• Utilize and fill up the space within all works.

• All works should be original: don’t draw from other people’s photographs or use other people’s work as references.

• Unless specified in the prompt, any materials may be used for these pieces (except for extremely fragile, dangerous, or immediately degradable substances like food, toxic chemicals, or unprotected glass).

• Artworks should be well developed and reflect thought and time involvement. Research the skills and elements assessed in the rubric from your portfolio type and practice using them (eg: Light and Shade for Drawing, Unity for 2d Design, and Occupied/unoccupied space for 3d Design)

• A good rule of thumb for photographers is that one good image comes from at least 50-100 thoughtful shots- I may ask to look at those as well as the “final” image.

• All 3 works are due the second class period of the fall semester.

• Additionally, keep a sketchbook with drawing, painting, writing, collaging, etc. Use this space to experiment, try out new media, and record your process and thinking. We’ll use these ideas and experiments during the first week of class.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me until the end of the year. I have sent this document to you via school email so that you can use the embedded links. I will only be checking my email occasionally over the summer break, but feel free to send me a message at sollomnoel@dublinusd.org.

Best,

Mr. Sollom