Concentration Ideas (A collaboration of many wonderful AP Art teachers)
Here's my concentration intro page. You can use the random concentration generator I wrote (link on top
of page). It's a bit of a joke thing to get kids thinking about putting together disparate subjects to come
up with something creative.
I'll be updating my site for next year's class in the next few weeks, so it might change a bit. Hopefully
for the better! I have some handouts that I've used up with concentration ideas that I've gotten from
workshops and have added to and BAD concentration ideas and I'm going to put them online and save a
tree or two.
https://www.killeenisd.org/schools/high/harkerheights/ataylor9_ap.html
Alice Taylor
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These are all my students' concentrations who've earned fours & fives:
1. Cultural costumes made completely with balloons. (ie: Indian, American prom dress, Trojan
warrior...) check out Artsonia under Gettysburg High School in pa 2007. He brought balloon twisting to
a fine art level!
2. Rings emphasizing positive and negative space.
3. Spiculums and formed metal based on techniques of Finnish metalsmith, Heikki Seppa's book,
Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths.
4. Altered books based on love gone sour...(the image of an actual human heart was in each piece)
I think if they are more specific and really have great craftsmanship, they earn higher scores...
Amy T. Dreves
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I have only included examples of students who have earned 4's and 5's on their exams. I found that the
students who were very specific with concentrations seemed to earn the higher scores, but these might
be too personalized, so I listed 7.
Drawing - Commercial Labels and Stereotypes: Commercialized bags were used as the canvas to a
series of portraits expressing each person's personality. Bags were gessoed over or drawn over to
obscure the commercial image that the "preppies", "goths" select to wear to fit in with a stereotypical
group. Her concentration dealt with capturing who the subject is as a person. to personally express the
drawn/ painted person's unique characteristics, the artist sometimes chose to include wording from the
student himself on the portrait, or descriptions about the person.
2D - Impermanence: The effect of weather and time on manmade objects. Student photographed train
tracks (metal with patina), railroad equipment (peeling layers of paint and graffiti), rusty cars, etc.
Drawing - Mannequins and the Nude Figure: Student painted and drew from mannequins in real life.
She also drew her friends and family members in bikinis/ bathing suits, and relied on photographs of
them in class. Emphasis was on "wrapping" the form with brushstrokes of color in the paintings. In her
drawings, she achieved a very strong value scale with her crosshatching that also wrapped the human
form.
Drawing - Portraiture Emphasizing Latino Strength - Student drew Latinos in the school and
community, and incorporated symbols, words, and imagery that celebrated personal goals, achievements
that the subject discussed with her.
Amy T. Dreves
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1. Flight ( these were extremely technical drawings and paintings which included sinking helicopters in
the jungle as well as birds on a wire and UFO's over the Southwest.
2. Winged Creatures- drawn in high detail - moths, bats, bees, etc...
3. Longboards - seen from 1 pt, 2 pt, 3 pt and 5 pt perspective
4. Color and Form in manmade play structures (digital photography)
5. Landscapes from my route home from school.
Most of the 5's have come from simple topics: Bottles, Groups of Friends, Telephone Poles.. etc.
Audrey Brown
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Some successful examples from the past few years were:
1. Snakeskin as pattern on ceramic pottery (Wheel thrown)
2. Birds in flight constructed from found objects, exaggerating scale
3. Fences-What they divide
4. Retelling old stories-Repurposing old books
Barb Cortese
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I had one student this year. Her concentration was her being photographed in different views while
playing different instruments then using a variety of mediums to draw the photographs. Her focus was
on color; saturated, analagous, complementary, contrasting, etc.
Beth Adler
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These are PhotoDesign ideas:
1. Terms of Endearment - you are sweet as sugar,.....etc (student did a series composed of students
coverd in sugar, etc)
2. Different signs of luck: Good & Bad, series of studies that included stepping on a crack, walking
under a ladder, cracked mirror etc...and worked with Photoshop to enhance special effects
3. Mannequin thru the ages: Painted a series of designs from art history beginning with the cave
paintings thru post modernism that were all centered on the drawing wooden mannequin.
Betsy Heeney
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1. How something (like a plant or animal) changes as it grows/ages
2. Inappropriate choices teenagers make in life
3. Reflections of my face in everyday objects
4. The movement of water
5. Finding beauty in an impoverished environment (such as inner city)
6. Melding image and text to create story images
7. People's shoes can describe one's unique personality
8. Portions of the human body seen close up, as studies of form, texture, etc.
FOR MANGA STUDENTS: Developing a new character after oneself and creating an new
environment for that character
Shelly Brauer
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Concentration ideas (I can send images later, if you're interested):
1. Contemporary Mixed-media illustrations for A Midsummer Night's Dream
2. Abstract digital images of reflected/refracted light and the colors produced by the light
3. Juxtaposing digital images of urban and rural life to illustrate the importance of sustainable living
4. Abandoned things (photography)
5. Figure drawings, with an emphasis on foreshortening
Carey Jackson-Adams
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Here were the most successful concentration ideas recently:
1. Musical instruments and the people playing them - Drawing
2. Sculpture showing one persons interpretation of greek mythology stories
3. Fantasy places
Dawn Graham
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Here are some concentration themes my students have used:
1. Cultures - began with ethnic cultures expanded to includes tourists, homeless, etc.
2. Feathers
3. Loneliness/estrangement
4. Little Red Riding Hood illustrations
5. Interpretations of famous Fairy Tales
6. Micro views - which become abstractions
7. Body language
8. A white Tshirt and a cap
9. Loss of father - the missing person at seminal events
10. Environmental consciousness
11. Capturing the mood of music
12. Capturing the rhythm of music
13. Fabric textures
Elaine Strompolos
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This year ours were:
1. An examination of what is real or mirage using faces and masks
2. Illustration of a story about a girl building a sailboat, losing it, and buying it back
3. Freedom of expression: what it looks like
4. Portraits of the everyday moods of my dog
5. Overcoming depression
6. Athletic trophy as empty compared to the fulfillment of running and playing soccer -resistance
Beth Heisey
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Here's a list of concentrations that were done by my students this year.
1. Photos about human gesture and the expression of emotion
2. Anime-style self-portrait drawings
3. Street photography emphasizing composition with geometric forms
4. Photomontage to portray events of short duration
5. Painted abstractions derived from microscopic cellular structures
6. Photos inspired by a story about the first flower blooming on the site of the Cambodian "killing
fields".
7. Oil pastel drawings of plant material juxtaposed with manmade objects.
8. Abstractions derived from still-lifes of household objects.
9. Ink drawings based on photographic portraits
Emily Faxon
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I had a student who chose the subject of HAIR as his area of concentration. He focused on doing a
series of portraits of his friends and himself with a variety of hair styles, mullets, mohawks, scrolling,
and even an Afro from the 60's and early 70's. He focused on the texture and was very successful; he
scored a 5.
Others have focused on Foreshortening and Proportion of the Human form, with scores of 4.
Gerald D. Boyd
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Concentration Caution List
In 2007, over 30,000 AP portfolios were graded in one week. After viewing hundreds of portfolios, it is
easy to spot recurring themes. Below is a list of very popular subjects for concentration. There is not a
taboo on the following subjects, but a warning that they have been done OVER and OVER. It would be
easier to find a new topic rather than find a completely new way to address these tired, overused
concentrations. Be creative: think of something specific and unique. If you must use the following ideas,
find an exceptional, distinctive approach to them.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:
* portraits of emotions
* people who shape me
* nature
* memories
* shocking viewers with bizarre
* surrealism
* faces
* flowers
* eyes
* family and friends
* reflective gears
* illustration of inner thoughts
* moments I was happy
* self portraits
* music
* everyday life objects
* goddess/myth
* "different cultures"
* guitars
* reflections
* "ideas of beauty"
* dance
EXCELLENT CONCENTRATIONS WERE DONE ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:
* a cross country meet
* construction
* road trip across the United States
* rear view mirrors
* glamorized 1940s jewelry
* barriers
* bras
* members of my family through portraits of their feet
* old fashioned circus
* porches in my neighborhood
* fashion and heavy machinery in rural Vermont
* smaller than normal size
Judie Jacobs
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The last 3-4 years, on these topics my students did well:
2D Design:
1. Illustrating Phobias and Fears
2. The Interaction of Man & Nature and the Effect on the Environment
3. Piles and Stacked Objects
4. Crime Scenes/Forensics Still Life Abstracted Through Positive and Negative Space
Drawing:
1. Surreal Landscapes
2. Expressive Portraits
3. Figures Unaware of the Viewer's Presence Illustrated Picture Book The Effects of Music
Janet Ganes
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Concentrations Ideas:
Abandonment both places and people. Student works at a nursing home so some of the images had to
do with that idea and some were of abandoned places. (2D Design: Photography)
Evolution of Illness: Student' s grandma had Parkinson's disease and so she illustrated through
photographic collage, stitching and writing the process of that illness on her grandma's memory,
physical ability. Each image (portrait of grandma) had a poem she'd written about the grandma
interspersed. She printed images on silk organza and layered them with drawings that depicted
anatomical body parts effected by the disease. The portrait became blurrier and blurrier with each
image. (2D Design; mixed media)
Identity: Hiding behind masks and other roles that we play, specifically women. The student started
out photographing people wearing masks, but eventually move away from this and developed a broader
interpretation of how we hide behind our roles as women "masking" who we are. (2D Design
Photography)
Jeanne Bjork
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A few ideas, not all carried as well as could have been…
1. Kissing (from kissing sacred ground to erotic to mother/child, etc)
2. Images of urban angst based on poem Howl by Alan Ginsberg
3. Gymnastic events & activities
4. Architectural details based on trip to Europe
Jerry Goodwin
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One Hundred Plus Concentration Ideas
Developed by: Joann Winkler
Clinton High School, Clinton, Iowa, 52732
jwinkler@clintonia.org
Drawing Portfolio (could also be used in 2D Design Portfolio)
Do a series of paintings based on the history of any culture
Do works showing risk in our lives
Combine painting and drawing in a series of narrative works
Do a series of different printmaking techniques combining personal prose
Do a super realism series using your childhood toys
Draw with color in a childlike fashion based on Paul Klee
Do a series of reflection works using colored glass or colored water in glass forms like Janet Fish
Do an artist’s journal depicting your growth as an artist
Do a series of location paintings showing the existence of man
Do a series of alternative shaped canvases
Do a series of non-objective drawings in ink and on scratchboard
Experiment with collage and drawing
Select two objects, one organic and one inorganic, and do a series of drawings
Explore the relationship between science and art
Depict your own existence through the eyes of a child
Design and paint the covers for one year of any magazine
Write and illustrate a comic book
Write and illustrate in woodcut a children’s book
Do a series of works based on the lonely figures in our society (ala Hopper)
Do a series of works depicting social injustice
Do a series of works depicting the lifestyle of the homeless
Do a series of expressive drawings incorporating layered images of words
2D Design Portfolio
Create film animation cell designs on computer
Do a series of commercial posters in airbrush (ala Vargas)
Do a series of collages based on commercial photography
Explore the color usage of Wayne Thiebauld
Do a photographic series showing the changes of time on human nature
Design a clothing line based on African masks
Do a photographic series documenting your community
Show the passage of time through charcoal drawings
Do a photographic series showing the landscapes of your life
Paint your reaction to patriotism
Do a photographic series based on darkroom manipulations
Create photographic portraits of your friends in the style of Annie Liebowitz
Do a series of commercial products for an ad campaign
Do a series of fabric designs inspired by the South Seas Islands
Design, render, and construct costumes for a specific performance
Develop a corporate identity form logo to letterhead to web design
Do a series of paintings of figures, dealing with color transparencies
Show the stages of your life as seen through the art works of others
Do a series of figures in motion/action settings
Draw your reactions to natural disasters
Do a series of color relationship works-using watercolor and still life set ups
Do a series of non-objective pieces based on a personal crisis
Create works reflecting environmental issues
Do a series of natural landscapes, both micro and macroscopic
Show your personal changing image as based on the work of Ivan Albright
Do a photographic series of a human in different natural settings
Paint your reaction to circumstances that affect your world
Draw a series on non-traditional surfaces
Paint your family as royalty
Do a series of cubism-based landscapes
2D Design Portfolio, continued
Paint a series of elaborately dressed females with animal heads
Do a series of works based on crime
Show your emotional reaction to living in Clinton (fill in the blank)
Paint in the style of the expressionists
Create a series of works showing your reaction to war
Do a watercolor series showing the effect of light transparencies
Do a series of paintings depicting the opulence of the Victorian age
Draw a series that deal with entrances and time continuum
Modernize the fairy tales of childhood
Do a series of known works that switch gender roles
Do a series of woodcuts based on Japanese printmaking styles
Do a series of silkscreen prints based on the colors of Hawaii
Do a print series based on the metamorphic changes ala M. C. Escher
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Contour drawings (almost blind) combined with color washes, etc.
Anne Johnson
1. “Negative” – Incorporating the physical film negative into imagery with negative connotations.
(Good for students who like photography and drawing/painting)
2. Ordinary Accidents
3. Disturbing faces
4. Magic
5. “Art Dirt”
6. Super human powers
7. Hands demonstrating emotion
8. Teachers’ desks
Katherine Kalus
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2D Design and Drawing:
1. Portraits that show various emotions
2. Carousels
3. Scenes from Australia
4. An original book
5. Swimming
Debra Katcoff
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1. One student illustrated stories told to her from her father about his wild and adventurous life.
2. Molecular study of atoms produced into three-dimensional clay objects.
3. Childhood fears illustrated in a positive light
Julie Keck
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I had a student get a 5 with her idea, "lingerie" combined with "movement"
Larkin Evans
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One student got a 5 with the theme of Grandparents and Grandchildren Through the Decades.
Another girl modeled hers after her Mother's Daycare
Laurel Dahlen
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My students have done:
1. Greek mythology (This should have been narrowed down to one mythological figure or story)
2. Positive/Negative Space
3. Nature taking over man-made objects, site-specific work (see Andy Goldsworthy)
4. Wave formations in many different media such as: clay, wire, wood, cardboard. Hope this helps!
Lori Guntzel
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1. Manipulation of Gourds
2. Sculptural visual puns (time flies - clock with wings ect.)
3. Famous landmarks made contemporary (Easter Island, Stone henge)
4. Found Objects
5. Fossils
6. Portrait sculptures
Lynneé Smith
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This one scored a four:
I decided that I wanted to focus my concentration on the art and design elements of line,
perspective/space and textures through varying viewpoint of places and objects.
I am drawn to places and objects that show differing degrees of deterioration living in the former
Tobacco Capital of Winston-Salem where many buildings now sit vacant. I utilized leading lines that
create a strong sense of perspective and space. I am fascinated by the rusting; textural surfaces found in
alleys and on abandoned man made places and objects. I decided that sepia toning enhanced the
abandoned feeling of the scenes that I photographed so I sepia toned many of the prints.
Scores of 5
• For my concentration I chose to focus on the power of visual texture in imagery and of that texture to
unite all images.
• While traveling I became fascinated with the differences in architecture varying from country to
country. When considering a concentration, I knew that it had to have something to do with architecture
and traveling. When delving deeper into my passion and looking at my past work, whether in Mexico,
Germany, Paris, or Barcelona, I realized that I am also fascinated with lines. I especially enjoy using
natural light to accent the lines in architecture. I soon discovered that in this process, I began to explore
a sense of space, especially utilizing depth of field in my prints.
• As my photography, especially my portraiture, grew, I began to discover that one of my artistic strengths was the
study of motion, and particularly how the motion of the body portrays the emotion of the person. So, for my AP
Portfolio concentration, I decided to focus on motion, using different settings and types of motion, to display a
variety of emotion. As my interest in my concentration grew, I began to experiment with the idea of space; trying
things such as offsetting the point of focus and an increased, almost un-natural contrast-y feel. With the growth of
these artistic elements, as well as just a general increase in artistic knowledge and capability, my portfolio was
able to was able to evolve from a simple study of motion to a complex study of motion, its effect on emotion, as
well as its ability to truly portray the duality of the self in a photograph.
Scores of 4
• My concentration was an exploration of the use of depth of field in photographic fine art. By
experimenting with alternative depths of field, I was able to draw the viewer’s attention toward certain
aspects in a photographic composition. This provides a clear and concise meaning which can be
interpreted from the artwork. Additionally, this stresses the idea that a photograph is not only a method
by which to capture a moment, but is also a means by which to express the significance of a moment
through detail, lighting and focus.
• My concentration was defining the subjects in my compositions through shapes and values created by
different angles, viewpoints and intensities of light in my fine art black & white photographic prints
developed in the darkroom.
• My concentration was focusing on natural reclamation through the photographing of abandoned houses
and cars.
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• My initial intention for my concentration was to illustrate the concept of destruction. I planned for my
photographs to capture physical decay as well as emotional devastation, yet as the year progressed, I began to
notice my natural attraction to rich textures, and therefore decided to narrow my focus to the exploration of
physical dilapidation through an emphasis on texture.
• At the beginning of this year my concentration was focused on portraits of children. I soon realized that
solely printing portraits would not express the innocence of children and the emotions that I wanted to
depict. Therefore, I progressed into taking photographs of details such as eyes, hands, and feet. I
discovered that focusing on smaller details such as these allowed me to express the essence children
possess. Also, I realized that the lighting and contrast, along with the lines and textures, in the
photographs help to portray children’s purity. In focusing my concentration on children, I hope to
remind people how precious children’s innocence is and the need to protect it
• At the beginning of the school year I thought I wanted to explore landscapes as my concentration. I
focused on shooting unusual angles which created a sense of space in my photographic images. I then
started to focus not only on the sense of space, but also on the way that light casts shadows and the
ethereal quality of the atmosphere created in my landscapes. I hope that my viewer pauses and feels a
sense of tranquility and peace when they look at my imagery.
• When I first began working on my concentration I focused on beach scenes since I love the coast.
During my senior year my concentration shifted to an examination of textural surfaces. I used depth of
field and macro camera techniques and in the dark room I used high contrast filters.
• I wanted to study in my concentration a strong sense of space or perspective by investigating different
camera techniques and viewpoints to achieve that imagery in my analog darkroom film prints
• Through my investigation of exploring age in portraiture I strove to emphasize the variety of emotions,
tones and lines that different aged people’s portraits can bring into photographs. My intention was to
still capture the harmony and unity we all share as persons while demonstrating the wide range of
human characteristics that come with the aging process. Whether it’s the innocence in a child’s eyes, the
laugh lines on a mothers face, or the withered hands of an old man, my concentration focuses on the
essence of age and the small details that represent a lifetime of experiences or innocence yet to be
challenged by the growth of years. I decided that using available light would represent my subjects with
the most expressive value range of tones and in turn emphasize the human characteristics I wanted the
viewers to notice the most.
• My initial concentration was based around the effects that light can have on creating a balanced,
interesting mood in a composition. However as the year progressed, I decided to expand my idea to
incorporate texture, perspective and value.
Mary Bailey Thomas
WOW MARY!!!!!!! THESE ARE AWESOME!!!! THANKS!!!!
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This year we had:
1. Alice in Wonderland theme comparing parts of the story to a teenagers life
2. Items in nature and looking at the cell life and incorporating that as a patterned background
3. Roller coasters and their structure turning it into abstract design
4. The jungle and concrete jungle-starting with the jungle and inserting elements of the city life
taking over the jungle.
These were the strongest concepts.
Chris Mason
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1. 7 deadly sins
2. metamorphosis
3. struggles in a life cycle
Matt Eckerly
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A few concentrations by my students that stand out to me.
1. Student did a series of work based on places she visited that her deceased father had visited.
Sometimes she photoshoped herself in sometimes her father. She used mixed media...photography,
collage, painting for a drawing portfolio.
2. Water theme. Water as metaphor.
3. Documentary style photography of local veterans who fought in Afghanistan--2D Design.
4. Tattoo drawings
5. Animal shelter drawings
Monica Bryant
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This year's Drawing Concentrations included the following:
1. Wings/Feathers,
2. The life of a wooden drawing mannequin,
3. Mazes
4. Reflections
5. Sunglasses
2D Concentrations were:
1. Stop motion photography of splashes and drips,
2. Circular forms,
3. Expressive hands
4. Animals playing Olympic sports who shouldn't be able to ( hippos ice skating, etc).
It is so hard teaching and helping students who are barely out of the teen years find their "voice" since
they haven't really lived enough to have much to say visually. Even though some of them have been
through a lot, they won't process it for years so those images haven't developed yet.
They tend to go for the trite and obvious. I don't want to influence them too much so what they make
will be their own but I just ask a lot of questions...
Nancy Kizis
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Things that move me. Student began with an old rusty pickup that was in a back pasture. Most images
were centered around this vehicle. It was done using mark making methods, it was digitally altered. It
was used as a layering tool (picture of a picture taken thru the windshield)...IT was done in sepia, it was
done in neon, it was altered to the point of abstraction.
Nancy Simon
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These are some of the concentrations that worked well for my students this year:
The body as landscape
Ugly (wasn’t so ugly at all – lots of mixed media and inspiration from Banksy)
Hands and feet
The skeleton/bones put into before/after situations
Social/political issues
Unusual environments
Masks (interpreted – how do we hide?)
War (inspired by a Viet Nam Vet, but grew to all conflicts)
Large close-ups of insects that evolved into very graphic interpretations
Light ---what is light?
Wings – how do we fly?
Music -- interpreted patterns and rhythms to graphic images
The best was “Homeless” This student really went beyond in interpretation – not just how we usually
think about homeless but, - an empty shell, an empty box, parts removed from a “whole” and what do
we cherish or miss about calling something “home.”
I spend a lot of time developing word/image associations when presenting the concentration. The kids
have the ideas, but need the prompting to make the growth in expanding ideas. I have a bag with
random words. When a student doesn’t know what to do next, they pick word and proceed from there…
My interpretation of the concentration is that it explores a concept/theme and evolves and grows. I
think the value is, that sometime during foundation year in college, the student needs to make some
decisions about a path. Our job is to start that process even if it results in an entirely different turn later
on. The focus will change, but starting the focus is good for the rigor.
Patty Knott
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Below are some of the more successful concentration ideas that have been done by my students.
* Close-ups of different types of jeans as a metaphor for different types of people (goth, high-fashion,
farmer, etc.)
* How I use my hands daily such as in art class, playing instrument, praying, eating, checking tire
pressure...
* Portraits of my AP classmates with objects/items that reflect their personality and who they are.
* Abstract design representations using line, color, shape to visually represent my favorite rock songs.
* The overlooked details of nature such as a spider-web, a fallen leaf, etc.
* Cubist-influenced portraits of people influential in my life.
* "A Day in the Life"... a visual representation of the simple daily tasks in life from unique perspectives
in still-life format... daily activities such as brushing teeth, driving to school, working in art class, going
to track practice, homework, etc.
* The theme of "Innocence" in famous books of literature.
* Different types of flowers as metaphors for human emotion.
* The battle between nature and human development through it's encroachment upon the landscape.
* Views of the school building from extreme angles to show the building in a unique way that it is often
not viewed from.
* Close-ups and interesting views of mechanical objects, engines, and car parts to show my love for
working on automobiles.
* Idioms from the English language such as "punch your lights out", "walk all over me", etc. done in a
Surrealism style.
* Photographs of nature taking back over old abandoned buildings in the rural area where I live.
* My love for music and all the different instruments I play done in an expressive style.
* Industrial/product design for "new" items that can used for the outdoors (camping, climbing, etc.)
Robert Urban
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Illustrating a field trip to a historical farm emphasizing the
antiques, tools, etc of the historical period.
Painting their friends in different historical time periods through costumes
and settings. Each friend was illustrated in an era and costume that was their
current passion like dance, acting, etc.
Illustrating a story using an artistic style like fauvism.
Ruth Wilson
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Here are a few that I have to add that can work out well...
Light and Shadow in Cityscapes - This one worked well because the student started with photos that
he took on a trip to NYC. In his concentration, he used actual photos; he altered photos (transfers,
layered with paint); he did a watercolour and a pastel of a couple of photos; he did a couple of works
where he played with abstraction and arbitrary color...I just felt this concentration really allowed him to
explore the used of value and color as well as composition and he had many pieces to chose from to
send in.
Altered Art - In this one, the student took apart her own works of art and combined pieces to make new
pieces incorporating various types of paper as well as media. She grew so much as an artist through this
concentration because she started to see possibilities and work outside her comfort zone. She also ended
up with more than enough work to be selective on what she sent in.
Expression and Gesture - I was not really happy with this student's effort, but thought it was a great
idea. It started out well, but she blew it at the end by waiting to the last minute and trying to force work
created outside the concentration into the concentration and by rushing other work. She wanted to
study how artists convey personal feeling through color and gesture.....kind of answering the question
,what visual clues does a viewer pick up on to get the feeling or emotion the artist wants to elicit?
Shari Williams
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A few successful concentrations from my last couple of years:
A series of self-portratis as imagined reincarnations 10 from past eras, one today and one in the future
Creating a series of photographs that illustrates (much exaggeration was used) the ways in which
technology is overtaking our lives.
An exploration of the dynamics between hs dancers and their teacher, and hs dancers and their
mentoring of younger dance students.
Exploring things adolescents do whey they are alone and think no one is watching.
Exploring the social life of adolescents.
Exploring the extremes of suburban living, specifically focusing on visible people and activities, and the
invisible (and often illegal) workers that support the suburban lifestyle.
Furturistic fashion designs inspired by science fiction.
Stefanie Nagorka
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Stillness (from a kid who was adhd)
Motion (from a kid who well....kind of a slug) Seven deadly sins with the addition of her own 5 Textile
design The human figure as shape (graphic design) bareness (both literal and metaphorical) vegetables
the dramatic figure (figures with theatrical lighting) dance movements from different cultures
Idiosyncrasies (portraits revealing this in her friends)
Sue Kidera
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Images from China: Student's father took photos on business trip. Student manipulated, changing
composition, color, formats and created an excelllent drawing portfolio.
Wolf as alter ego
Susan Hebel
Possible AP Concentration Topics –
1. Crushed objects that have been altered by the effect of gravity or human intervention.
2. Things forgotten. Abandoned buildings, old train tracks, etc…
3. Hands as an expression of feeling. Young to old…
4. Surrealism and Dreams.
5. Non-objective, or abstract designs based on different cultures and their mythology such as the
Austrian Aborigines, etc.
6. Evolution and or disintegration on an object.
7. A close up view or extreme perspective.
8. Seasonal changes.
9. Inner landscapes
10. Useless objectives
11. Narrative self- portraits (illustrating a headache).
12. Illustrating fears and other emotions.
13. Duality and relationships; a comparison Man/woman, mother/child, light/dark.
14. Generation gap
15. Illustrating folds and fabric with patterns.
16. Human form in motion.
17. Modern day fairy Tales – original story with illustrations.
18. Original Comic book
19. Making your own creative book.
20. Structure in nature –insects.
21. Circus – color, movement, excitement, etc.
22. Time travel
23. Transformation.
24. Juxtaposition of objects.
25. Reflections – metal, water, etc.
26. Medical/scientific illustrations.
27. Household appliances.
28. Different kinds of shoes from different points of views.
29. Types of costumes from different places – textiles from Indonesia.
30. Nightmares.
Mrs. Victoria Eichler
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2- D and Drawing Concentrations that have been successful
Self-portraits with grid overlays/ variations within each grid.
Hands in various positions and media
Old barns in pastel
Reflections on a variety of surfaces
Digital collages combining old letters, polaroids and “dark” images Insects with a colorful and
humorous viewpoint Expressive landscapes painted using specific color schemes Eyes, a window to
your soul Flowers, from realistic evolving to abstract multi-media
Melissa Walker
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I have 2 from AP drawing this year to share with everyone that I thought were out of the ordinary.
-one student chose to do coffee, simply based off the fact that her whole life revolves around coffee. I
was leery at first thinking it would become boring and told her so but also told her it could be a fun
challenge if she could think outside the box. It began with the expected and simple compositions but
evolved into very different and beautiful drawings/paintings in which she found herself drinking coffee.
I definitely think she could sell most of them to coffee houses!
-another student, who is going into animation, chose to do playground equipment. She sometimes took
parts of or whole segments of playground equipment and animated them. They each took on a life of
their own!
They were incredibly interesting and really drew the class into her world of imagination! I will never
look at playground equipment the same!
Jill Webber
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