AP Studio Art Syllabus: Drawing Portfolio

Shelly Mort Phone: 831.477.0302

Cypress Charter High School rmort@losd.ca


DESCRIPTION

The AP Studio Art Course is designed for students who are seriously interested in the practical experience of
art. AP Studio Art through the College Board is not based on a written exam; instead, students submit
portfolios for evaluation at the end of the school year.

Advanced Placement Studio Art is a rigorous college-level course, which requires the production of an
extensive portfolio. Students who enroll in Advanced Placement Art should do so with the understanding
that they plan to participate in Advanced Placement evaluation. The testing fee for any AP class is
approximately $85, payable at the end of the year.

Advanced Placement Studio Art is offered as an opportunity for those highly motivated students who are
seriously interested in studying art at the post-secondary level. A passing grade in AP will allow the student to
pass out of an introductory level college art course. The course emphasizes making art as an ongoing process
that involves the student in informed and critical decision-making. It is strongly recommended that the
student have successfully completed no less than two years of high school art training before enrolling in the
class. Students in the past have found that their ability to finish the demanding portfolio by the May deadline
was greatly enhanced if they took an additional art class as well as AP Studio Art in the same year.


COURSE CONTENT

The Drawing portfolio is intended to address a very broad interpretation of drawing issues and media. Line
quality, light and shade, rendering of form, composition, surface manipulation, the illusion of depth and
mark-making are drawing issues that can be addressed through a variety of means, which could include
painting, printmaking or mixed media. Abstract and observational works may demonstrate drawing
competence. The range of marks used to make drawings, the arrangement of those marks, and the materials
used to make the marks are endless. There is no preferred (or unacceptable) style or content.


Students will compile a portfolio of work that will be submitted to the College Board to be scored. This
portfolio allows the student to develop a well-rounded mastery of skills in concept, composition, and
execution, from classroom assignments and independent work. Students will need to work outside the
classroom, as well as in it, and beyond scheduled periods. Students should be responsible enough to leave the
art room or school if an assignment requires them to do so, and homework, such as maintaining a
sketchbook or a journal, is a necessary component of instruction. Students will be expected to participate in
critiques of their work, the work of their classmates and other master artists. The critiques will be both oral
and written and appropriate art vocabulary will be used. Group and individual critiques enable students to
learn to analyze their own work and their peers work. Ongoing critical analysis, through individual critiques,
enables both the students and the teacher to assess the strengths and weaknesses in the work. Also, students
will meet individually with the teacher to discuss the progress of their work. The student will maintain a
sketchbook/ journal to record ideas for projects and to work out solutions to problems encountered.

The 3 major sections of the AP Studio Art Portfolio are:

Quality: Comprised of works that excel in concept, composition, and execution may come from the
Breadth or Concentration sections. Actual artwork is submitted and the size restrictions are no larger
than 18 X 24 inches.
Breadth: Works that demonstrate a variety of concepts, media, and approaches to drawing/2D
design issues. Twelve images are submitted- one for each piece of artwork.
Concentration: A series of works organized around a compelling visual concept or recurring
theme. Twelve images are submitted; some may be details.


COURSE SCHEDULE

The class meets Tuesday/Thursday and every other Friday during 4
th
period.
During the first semester we will focus on assignments to fulfill the Breadth section of the portfolio
as well as introducing the Concentration concepts. Students may use work created from previously
completed art classes, along with the work they will create in this course. They will have sketchbook
assignments, which will be completed outside of class. The student will explore a variety of concepts
and explore different media, techniques and problem solving in the first semester. These
assignments may include:

Creating Patterns Figure drawing
Cross Contour Figures Mixed media
Still life Self Portraits
Architectural Structures Landscape
Observational drawings Linear Perspective
Color Theory Printmaking

Digital Image Taking: Students will be given instruction on the use of a digital camera, proper
lighting, and tripod use in order to take photos of their work. All Breadth photos will be completed
by the semester exam day of the first semester.
Exhibiting Art: students will be expected to exhibit examples of their artwork in a minimum of 2 art
shows. One of those shows is the Santa Cruz Art League Show and the other is an art show hosted
by the students at the end of the year. Students will be responsible for set up and tear down of the
show.
Second Semester: students will develop a body of work for the Concentration section that is a
planned investigation of an idea of personal interest to them. The choices of technique, medium,
style, form, subject, and content are made by the student, in consultation with the teacher. Students
work on their Concentrations in class as well as outside of class. A schedule will be given to the
students with due dates and deadlines.
All students are required to have a Flash Drive (USB) available to store their digital images,
and other information that is needed for class.


SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR CLASS:

Portfolio Carrier
Sketchbook (no smaller than 8x10)
Pencil Set
Folder to keep all handouts
USB Flash Drive
Art supplies that are not readily available in the art room that the student is choosing to use


MAJOR DEADLINES:

Sept. 11 First Project Due

Oct. 3 Everyday Ritual Project Due

Oct. 9 Concentration Idea Due
Oct. 31 1
st
Concentration Piece Due

Nov. 14 2
nd
Concentration Piece Due

Dec. 12 3
rd
& 4
th
Concentration Piece Due

Jan. 6 5
th
& 6
th
Concentration Piece Due

Jan. 20 7
th
Concentration Piece Due

Feb. 3 8
th
Concentration Piece Due

Feb. 17 9
th
Concentration Piece Due

March 3 10
th
Concentration Piece Due

March 19 11
th
Concentration Piece Due

April 9
th
12
th
Concentration Piece Due

April 30
th
All Digital Images Taken and Quality Pieces Selected

First Week of May Submissions to College Board

May 11-15 Celebrate with a Field Trip

May 28
th
Final Culminating Art Project

(April and May will also have art show deadlines)


In April, the Concentration section will be completed, and the Quality section will be selected and matted,
digital photos will be taken. Digital images of work will be uploaded to the AP site. Students will carefully
plan the sequence in which images will be placed. Students will then work on the written commentary
portion of the Concentration section.
GRADING PROCEDURES
Grades will reflect each students active participation in all phases of instruction. Grades will be
calculated and reported using AP College Board rubrics and guidelines.
Rubric Score: 5.100%
489%
3...79%
269%
159%
Meeting deadlines in this class is extremely important. If you are absent from school you should see
me as soon as you return to get your missed work completed.
Types of assessments/evaluations:
Portfolio Development
Studio Assignments
Concentration Solutions
Sketchbook/Homework
Participation in Critiques
Written/Oral Critiques
Portfolio Presentation-digital images, matting of works
Reading and Research assignments


GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Semester grades will be compiled as follows:
Portfolio. 50%
Studio Use/Management 20%
Sketchbook/Journal 20%
Written/critiques..10%
Final.10%

COPYRIGHT ISSUES
Students are not allowed to work from published photographs except as a reference. If a student chooses to
work from a photograph, it must be altered significantly to express the students own voice. Misuse of
copyrighted material is plagiarism and a legal issue and can be pursued as such.

TEXTS AND RESOURCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY (suggested readings):
Bridgeman, George B.; Edited by Howard Simon; Bridgemans Complete Guide to Drawing from
Life Over 1,000 Illustrations; Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. 387 Park Ave. South, NYC, NY 10016;
2001.
Civardi, Giovanni; Drawing the Human Anatomy; Studio Vista; Imprint of Cassell Wellington
House, 125 Strand, London, WC2R OBB; 1996.
Edwards, Betty; The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain; Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Putnam, a
member of the Penguin Putnam, Inc., New York, NY 10014, 1999.
Nicolaides, Kimon: The Natural Way to Draw; Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975.
Perspective Made Easy (educational packet); Publisher; New York, NY 1980.