Summer Assignments for PHS: 2D Art & Design/Drawing - AP

AP Studio Art: AP 2D Art & Design

Dear Students and Parents,

Thank you for choosing to enroll in this AP Studio Art course for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.  Please see the information within this packet that includes an overview of the AP course as well as summer assignments. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have regarding the course or the initial assignments.

Course Description: AP Studio Art: 2D Design/Drawing

This is an advanced level course that is designed for students who want to further develop mastery in their art making skills.  The course is developed as a college level course completed at the high school level.  Requirements for the final portfolio are developed by the College Board Advanced Placement Program, including a Selected Works and a Sustained Investigation Section that consists of approximately 20 different advanced level artworks.  All students enrolled in this course are expected to submit a portfolio. Portfolios are submitted in digital format to the AP Board for scoring in a 1-5 range.  Students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on the portfolio are often given credit(s) for their efforts when they enter their Undergraduate Program at the College or University of their choice.  Submission of a portfolio is mandatory for receiving AP credit.

Students who complete this course will have not only created an excellent portfolio, but will have:

• Become independent critical thinkers
• Emphasized art making as an outlet of personal expression and voice
• Developed sophisticated technical versatility and skill within the Elements and Principles of art.
• Learned how art making/creative solutions can be an integral part of daily life

Expectations:

The following are key guidelines of the course:

• In addition to work completed in class, artwork will have to be done at home – this will help accomplish 1 finished piece of work approximately every 1 ½ - 2 weeks throughout the year. Expect to spend time at home working on pieces.
• A sketchbook/journal is to be kept throughout the course.  This will include personal responses to work, photos, notes, measurements, sketches, clippings, and any other variety of ideas/techniques produced/practiced on a daily basis.
• Deadlines must be met.  Procrastination is not accepted in this course, or the portfolio requirements will never be able to be completed in the time period allotted.
• Students must be active participants in class.  Discussions and critiques are key learning processes in this course and students must contribute their ideas and thoughts at all times.
• Students must be prepared for class.  Students must arrive to class on time with their materials, and use the class time to its fullest extent.
• Respect is expected at all times.  This includes respect for personal artwork, respect for other people’s artwork, respect for the classroom and materials, and most of all respect for people’s ideas, opinions, and feelings voiced in discussion.
• Students must also study classic and contemporary artists and trends during the duration of the course.  Students are expected to visit galleries and local art museums on their own 2-3 times during the year.

All artwork must be original!  No published work can be used as a basis for personal artwork unless significant alteration to the image is completed.  All imagery must be developed according to personal voice and any duplication of imagery from any source is not accepted.

Course Content:

1. Critiques, written reflections, discussions and production along with the study of historical and contemporary artists.
2. A working journal composed of research, sketches, photos, images, documented conversations, short assignments, problems that arise and the solutions to those problems, and techniques.
3. Development of the student’s submitted portfolio for AP 2D Design/Drawing.  

The portfolio includes the following two sections: 

Section I: Selected Works (40% of total AP Score) 

This section of the AP Art and Design Portfolio Exams offers students the opportunity to make and present works of art and design with minimal constraints. Each work is expected to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.

Requirements:

For this section, students should carefully select works that best demonstrate their skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas. The submission can be a group of related works, unrelated works, or a combination of related and unrelated works. These works may also be submitted in the Sustained Investigation section, but they don’t have to be. Along with each work, students are required to submit written responses to prompts about the work. Responses are evaluated by the AP board along with the images that students submit.

• AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio - Five physical works or high-quality printed reproductions of physical works that each demonstrate synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas using 2-D art and design skills
• AP Drawing Portfolio - Five physical works or high-quality printed reproductions of physical works that each demonstrate synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas using drawing skills

Section II: Sustained Investigation (60% of total AP Score)

This section of the AP Art and Design Portfolio Exams offers students the opportunity to make and present works of art and design based on an in-depth investigation of materials, processes, and ideas done over time. Sustained investigation is guided by questions. It involves practice, experimentation, and revision using materials, processes, and ideas. The Sustained Investigation section is expected to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.

Requirements:

Along with each work, students are required to submit written responses to prompts about the work. Responses to these prompts are evaluated by the AP board along with the images that students submit. The most successful responses in terms of assessment are those that are clearly related to the images of work submitted; that directly and completely address the prompts; and that provide evidence of inquiry-based sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision.

• AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio - 15 digital images of works of art and process documentation that demonstrate sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision
• AP Drawing Portfolio - 15 digital images of works of art and process documentation that demonstrate sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision

AP 2D Portfolio Samples

AP Drawing Portfolio Samples

Remember to get feedback about works in progress and about finished works.  Some might ask parents or relatives to critique their works, some might ask friends, or digital images of the work can be emailed to the instructor with questions or for suggestions at any time. 

Summer Work:

Students are to complete 5 works over the summer that may be included in the Selected Works section of the AP Studio Art Portfolio.  The 3 finished works of art, along with all planning and museum sketches, will be due on the first day of class and will be critiqued during Week 1.  

While completing the summer work, students should:

• Create a timeline of their own “due dates” so the pieces can be created in a comfortable, relaxed manner – the 3 works should not be completed during the last week in August!
• Keep in mind although this is summer work it should be as technically developed as in-class advanced work.
• Explore the College Board’s AP Studio Art site and review the sample portfolios. Familiarize yourself with the AP scoring rubric and take notes in your sketchbook of works you find compelling, questions you may have, etc.  Also read some of the sample concentration statements within those sample portfolios.   See site links above