East High School: AP Studio Drawing Summer

Assignments
Mrs. Justine Sawyer

justine_sawyer@dpsk12.org

Name: _________________________________________________________
The main goal of AP Studio Art is to create a portfolio of 24 pieces of art (this is your AP
test), which is due at the end of April. These assignments are absolutely required to
help you achieve this goal. Meeting deadlines and benchmarks are critical to your
success in this course. Timely and regular attendance are absolutely imperative for your
to do well in this course. It is an expectation of the course that you will submit a portfolio
to the AP College Board in order to receive honors credit for the class and to maintain a
seat in the class. Cost: $40 for supplies for the year and approximately $90.00 for the AP
test fee.

Assignments:

Complete the assignments at your own pace over the summer.

1. Share the email address you regularly check. SEND TO justine_sawyer@dpsk12.org This
address will be used to create a dropbox account shared file and a way for me to communicate
with you easily.
2. Explore the College Board AP Art Website (50 points) Due second week of school
Go to: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
From the home page, go to:
AP Courses and Exams, then to: Course Home Pages, then to: AP Studio Art: Drawing or 2-D
Design, then to: AP Studio Art Portfolio Page. Explore this page, look at samples of student work
from previous years in each of the portfolio sections; Quality, Concentration, and Breadth.
Specifically look at the various Concentration portfolios that students have done.
***Select one of these portfolios that you find particularly interesting and

the images

print

(you can print at school if needed). Be prepared to explain your selection

with the class upon your return to school. We will hang the images on the wall and discuss as a
class.
3. Create a scribble and gesture artwork (50 points) We will do a group sharing
(critique) the first block day of the school year.
Artwork Requirements:
Utilize and fill up the space within all drawings. NOTE: leave a border on all four sides for
matting purposes
Drawing should be well developed, show good composition and reflect thoughtful planning.
Scribble and Gesture
Scribbling and gesture are ways to study an object. They both change shapes into forms or 2 dimensions
into 3 dimensions. They use dynamic, descriptive line. The line is fast, drawn fast, as fast as your brain
talks to your eyes and hand. You are capturing the energy of the object. In gesture you capture movement.
Scribble is more stationary, still.
Do them without judging. Just look and draw. Correct as you go along. Some drawings will happen in a few
lines. Some will take so many that the object disappears in line. it seems as though that the fewer lines
that capture the object the better the object is understood. The better an object is understood, the better
you can draw it.
Your assignment:

*CREATE A FULL-PAGE DRAWING USING SCRIBBLE AND GESTURE.

-I RECOMMEND A PORTRAIT OR OTHER SUBJECT WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF SHADOWS AND
HIGHLIGHTS.
-USE BALL POINT PEN OR PENCIL (you may use white or toned paper, or prepare a subtle
background field using watercolors, instant coffee, etc.
-Size 9"x 12"- 15"x 19"

4. Create a Visual Journal (handmade or store bought) (can be in your normal sketchbook)
(150 points) Due second week of school
This Visual Journal can be Traditional or Non-Traditional in nature. Interpret this however you
want, but it must be an on-going summer investigation, collection, and work that will lead us into
your AP Concentration in the Fall.
The AP Drawing Portfolio is intended to address a very broad interpretation of drawing issues
and media. The Elements of Design are explored through light and shade, line quality, rendering
of form, composition, surface manipulation, and illusion of depth. These drawing issues can be
addressed through a variety of means, which could include painting, drawing, mixed media, etc.
Students are free to work with any idea in any medium that addresses drawing issues and
develops into a concentration. The concentration should grow out of the students idea and
demonstrate growth and/or discovery through a number of conceptually related works.
The AP evaluators are interested not only in the work presented but also in visual evidence of the
students thinking, selected method of working, and development of the work over time. The
range of marks used to make drawings, the arrangement of those marks, and the materials used
to make the marks are endless.
The Visual Journal must include:
1. At least 5 pages of Observational Drawings.
2. At least 5 pages from found objects/items/evidence collected or mixed-media
collage: (examples: Drawings vs. Cut-outs from magazines overlapping, pasted down,
glued, painted over photographs, newspapers, maps, etc.) about your chosen topic or
idea
* Collages should not reveal their source, and should be manipulated in a way that makes
them original by taking the original idea from the photo out of context and placing it into a
new context your context.
3. At least 5 pages of note-taking that includes both text/imagery. This is a
reflection/automatic writing randomly throughout the pages that discuss your thoughts
(have a conversation with yourself, write poetry, talk about your own art-making
processes you wish to explore next fall, propose ideas for future works or future titles of
works for your concentration, talk about master artists youd like to use for inspiration, etc.
Now, onto your next question:
Whats a Concentration? A Concentration is a body of related works describing an in-depth
exploration of a particular artistic concern. The Concentration should grow out of the students
idea and demonstrate growth and discovery through a number of conceptually related works that
are presented together in a viewing order.
Because the range of possible concentrations is so wide, the number of works the student
creates should be dictated by the focus of the investigation. The chosen visual idea should be
explored to the greatest possible extent. In most cases, students will produce more than 12
works and select from among them the works that best represent the process of investigation. If
a student has works that are not as well resolved as others, but that help show the evolution of
thinking and of the work, the student should consider including them. The choice of works to
submit should be made to present the concentration as clearly as possible.
Start by making a list of possible ideas.

The list of possible concentration topics is infinite. Below are a few examples of concentrations.
They are intended only to provide a sense of range and should not necessarily be considered
better ideas.
Possible Concentration Ideas from the AP College Board Website:
An exploration of patterns and designs found in nature and/or culture
A series of works that begins with representational interpretations and evolves
into abstraction
A series of landscapes based upon personal experience of a particular place in
which composition and light are used to intensify artistic expression
Design and execution of a childrens book
Abstractions developed from cells and other microscopic images
Interpretive portraiture or figure studies that emphasize dramatic composition
A personal or family history communicated through symbols or imagery
Here

are some other possibilities:

Homelessness
Poverty
Teen Violence
Bullying
Any Social/Political Issue
Anxiety
The Five Senses
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Heavenly Virtues
The Family Portrait
Colors Ive Never Seen Before
Unique Perspectives
Id vs. Ego
Ghosts vs. Memories

Privacy
The True Self is a Disturbing
Character
Family Matters
Once
Daily Observations
If Writing did not exist
The Delights of the Flesh
Tensions all around us
Romancing the Unknown
Breaking down Barriers
Objectification
Power Relationships
One Flight Down

Because the range of possible concentrations is so wide, the number of works the
student creates should be dictated by the focus of the investigation. The chosen
visual idea should be explored to the greatest possible extent. In most cases,
students will produce more than 12 works and select from among them the works
that best represent the process of investigation. If a student has works that are not
as well resolved as others, but that help show the evolution of thinking and of the
work, the student should consider including them. The choice of works to submit
should be made to present the concentration as clearly as possible.
Upon returning to school you must present this Summer Visual Journal to the class
and be able to answer:

1. What is the central idea of your concentration going to

be?
2. How will the work in your concentration demonstrate
the exploration of your idea?

Suggested Summer ideas, but not scored:

Get Art Supplies (you will still be provided with typical supplies in
the fall as part of your $40.00 fee)
Go to an art supply store. Experiment with supplies. Keep your failures as
well as successes. Dont throw anything away!
Some great basics to have on hand:
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
Your choice! Have fun browsing through the supplies!!

Create Sketchbook journal pages, Pinterest Boards, Instagram

account or any way to catalog inspiring ideas you have

View Art
Gallery, MuseumDenver museums are free to students (online galleries
from major art museums, MOMA, LACMA, theartstory.org, etc. ), Art
Exhibition Review, Arts Festivals

Major deadlines 2016-2017

August 24, 2016

Summer artwork due (group sharing)

(assignment #3: Scribble and Gesture drawing)

(First Block Day)

Printed Images from AP site (assignment #2)

September 7, 2016

31 Nights (assignment #4: Visual Journal)

November 18, 2016

All 12 Breadth Works finished, photographed, edited
and uploaded to Dropbox share file and to your Weebly
website

August 31, 2016

November 28, 2016

Concentration Statement Due

December 2, 2016

Concentration work #1 Due

Semester 1 final week Weebly website presentations of all breath work,

Concentration work #2 due

April 26, 2017

(this is your test)

All works uploaded to AP College Board site

April 28, 2017

TBD Week of May 1, 2016

Quality works matted (5 totalMUST BE SMALLER THAN

18 x 24 for physical submission
AP Test time with Mr. Glover, AP Coordinator