Advanced Art

  • Prerequisites - Art I , Art II, and Art III

     

    Course Description:

    This course requires a serious focus and commitment to developing as a student artist.  Students must complete a body of work consisting of at least 6 pieces.  This course is designed for the serious art student considering post secondary study in a visual art related field.  Students will explore a variety of approaches to observational studies, while discovering a personal style of expression. This course is a prerequisite for AP Studio Art. 

     

    OVERVIEW:
    This portfolio is intended to address two-dimensional (2-D) design issues . Design involves purposeful decision making about how to use the elements and principles of art in an integrative way .

    The principles of design (unity/variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repetition, proportion/scale, figure/ground relationships) can be articulated through the visual elements (line, shape, color, value, texture, space) . They help guide artists in making decisions about how to organize an image on a picture plane in order to communicate content . Effective design is possible whether one uses representational or abstract approaches to art .

    For this portfolio, students are asked to demonstrate mastery of 2-D design through any two-dimensional medium or process, including, but not limited to, graphic design, digital imaging, photography, collage, fabric design, weaving, fashion design, fashion illustration, painting, drawing, and printmaking . 

    Links to samples of student work in the 2-D Design portfolio can be found on AP Central® at apcentral.collegeboard.com/studio2D 
     
     
    Section I: Selected Works or Quality
    Quality refers to the mastery of design principles that should be apparent in the concept, composition and execution of the works, whether they are simple or complex . There is no preferred (or unacceptable) style or content.

    For this section, students are asked to submit 2 actual works in one or more media . Students should carefully select the works that demonstrate their mastery of 2-D design issues . The works should be on flat surfaces, such as paper, cardboard, canvas board or unstretched canvas .
     
    Work submitted for this section of your portfolio must fit easily into the portfolio envelope, which is approximately 18" x 24". Works that are smaller than 8"x 10" should be mounted on sheets 8" x 10" or larger . To protect the work, all work on paper should be backed or mounted . Mats are optional. Materials that may be smudged should be protected with fixative. If the work is matted, a neutral color for that mat is advisable. 

    These may be a group of related works, unrelated works, or a combination of related and unrelated works.
     
     
    Section II: Sustained Investigation
    The Sustained Investigation section is a body of related works that demonstrate a student’s commitment to the thoughtful investigation of a specific visual idea . It is not a selection of a variety of works produced as solutions to class projects or a collection of works with differing intents . Students should be encouraged to explore a personal, central interest as intensively as possible; they are free to work with any idea in any medium that addresses two-dimensional design issues . The investigation should grow out of the student’s idea and demonstrate growth and discovery through a number of conceptually related works . In this section, the evaluators are interested not only in the work presented but also in visual evidence of the student’s thinking, selected method of working and development of the work over time.

    For this section, students are asked to submit 4 actual works in one or more media. Regardless of the content of the concentration, the works should be unified by an underlying idea that has visual and/or conceptual coherence. The choices of technique, medium, style, form, subject and content are made by the student, in consultation with the teacher. 
    The works should be on flat surfaces, such as paper, cardboard, canvas board or unstretched canvas .
     
    Work submitted for this section of your portfolio must fit easily into the portfolio envelope, which is approximately 18" x 24". Works that are smaller than 8"x 10" should be mounted on sheets 8" x 10" or larger . To protect the work, all work on paper should be backed or mounted . Mats are optional. Materials that may be smudged should be protected with fixative. If the work is matted, a neutral color for that mat is advisable. 


    ​This section includes a written commentary describing what the Sustained Investigation is and how it evolved, which must accompany the work in this section . Students are asked to respond to the following:
    1. Identify the questions that guided your sustained investigation 
    2. Describe how your sustained investigation shows evidence of practice, experimentation, and revision guided by your questions (1200 characters maximum, including spaces, for response to both prompts)
    Although the responses themselves are not scored as pieces of writing, they provide critical information for evaluating the artwork. Thus, they should be well written. Students are encouraged to formulate their responses to the first question early in the year, as they define the direction their concentration will take . Responses should be concise; the space available for them in the Web application is generous, but the number of characters that can be typed is limited. Responses should be focused on the information requested. Longer responses are not necessarily better than shorter ones.