1
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design: Syllabus 2
Syllabus 1058811v1
Scoring Components Page(s)
SC1 The course promotes a sustained investigation of all three aspects of portfolio development—
quality, concentration, and breadth—as outlined in the Course Description and Poster throughout
the duration of the course.
2
SC2 The course enables students to develop mastery (i.e., “quality”) in concept, composition, and
execution of 2-D design.
2–4
SC3 The course enables students to develop a cohesive body of work investigating a strong underlying
visual idea in 2-D design that grows out of a coherent plan of action or investigation (i.e., a
concentration”).
3–4, 7
SC4 The course teaches students a variety of concepts and approaches in 2-D design so that the student
is able to demonstrate a range of abilities and versatility with technique. Such conceptual variety
can be demonstrated through either the use of one or the use of several media.
4, 6
SC5 The course teaches students a variety of concepts and approaches in 2-D design so that the student
is able to demonstrate a range of abilities and versatility with problem-solving. Such conceptual
variety can be demonstrated through either the use of one or the use of several media.
6
SC6 The course teaches students a variety of concepts and approaches so that the student is able to
demonstrate a range of abilities and versatility with ideation (i.e. “breadth”). Such conceptual
variety can be demonstrated through either the use of one or the use of several media.
2
SC7 The course emphasizes making art as an ongoing process that involves the student in informed and
critical decision making.
2–3
SC8 The course includes group critiques, with the teacher, enabling students to learn to analyze and
discuss their own artworks as well as artworks of their peers.
2–3, 7
SC9 The course includes individual student critiques and or instructional conversations with the teacher,
enabling students to learn to analyze and discuss their own artworks and better critique artworks of
their peers.
4, 7
SC10 The course teaches students to understand artistic integrity as well as what constitutes plagiarism. If
students produce work that makes use of photographs, published images, and/or other artists’ works,
the course teaches students how to develop their own work so that it moves beyond duplication.
5
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
2
Course Overview
Students are required to investigate all three aspects of the portfolio, which include
Quality, Concentration, and Breadth. [SC1] Students begin the course the rst term
by working on their Breadth section to allow them to experiment with media and
concepts (see attached Breadth section suggestions). Students are expected to de-
velop mastery in concept, composition, and execution of ideas. [SC2] They are shown
examples of past AP portfolios accompanied by the AP Studio Art: 2-D Design scoring
guidelines for ideas and inspiration. I start with observational value drawings rst and
introduce vivid color works as the second assignment. Students then move on to indi-
vidual preferences such as scratchboard, watercolor, or reduction linoleum prints.
After class demonstrations, students choose what to work on and how they wish to
work. [SC7] Students need to work on many diverse projects to encourage and ensure
portfolio individuality. In the Breadth section, students explore a variety of concepts
and approaches in order to demonstrate their abilities and versatility with problem
solving, ideation, and techniques. These experiences are also used to develop a plan of
action for their concentration—as students engage in a variety of art-making experi-
ences in creating their Breadth section, they begin to identify ideas and themes that
have strong personal relevance. Students use their sketchbook to document these
themes and ideas and, in preparation for work on their Concentration section, start to
record plans of investigation for the ideas that have the most potential for develop-
ment. [SC6]
Students are also given homework assignments due several weeks out, and we have
class critiques on the due date of the homework. Critiques are a required part of class
participation. Students are expected to discuss their own work, the work of their peers,
and the work of master artists in written and verbal form. During these class critiques,
the vocabulary of art will be used to form decisions about the work being discussed,
and the AP Studio Art scoring guidelines will be used to evaluate work and develop
ideas for future exploration. [SC8]
SC1—The course promotes
a sustained investigation
of all three aspects of
portfolio development—
quality, concentration,
and breadth—as outlined
in the Course Description
and Poster throughout the
duration of the course.
SC7—
The course
emphasizes making art
as an ongoing process
that involves the student
in informed and critical
decision making.
SC2—The course enables
students to develop
mastery (i.e., “quality”) in
concept, composition, and
execution of 2-D design.
SC6—The course teaches
students a variety of
concepts and approaches
so that the student is
able to demonstrate a
range of abilities and
versatility with ideation
(i.e. “breadth”). Such
conceptual variety can
be demonstrated through
either the use of one or
the use of several media.
SC8—The course includes
group critiques, with the
teacher, enabling students to
learn to analyze and discuss
their own artworks as well as
artworks of their peers.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
3
In the second term, students develop and choose an idea to explore in depth for their
Concentration section. In the Concentration section, students are expected to plan
for and then develop a body of work that is an investigation of a theme or an idea. It
should be well planned through research and sketchbook documentation (writing and
images) of ideas and processes they expect to use to investigate an idea that is of
personal interest to the student. [SC3]
From these total works, we then discuss and select students’ ve Quality examples of
excellence to be matted in preparation for evaluation. Students understand that mak-
ing art is an ongoing process that uses informed and critical decision making as these
selections are made for their portfolio submission. [SC7] We mat only on 16” x 20” or
18” x 24” neutral-colored mattes to give uniformity to the portfolio presentation.
Students are encouraged to develop verbal and written literacy about their works (see
attached grading rubric), and we use the AP scoring rubric for individual and group
evaluation. Students are encouraged to examine their work and discuss how to move it
from a middle-range piece to a high-level one. [SC8]
The course is enriched with visits to local galleries and museums to broaden students’
viewpoints. Portfolios are narrowed down to the most successful works according to
the scoring guidelines, and students complete a checkout sheet. The course culminates
with a slide show of each student’s digital portfolio.
In terms of grading, students are expected to produce one work per week of AP qual-
ity and create a high-quality digital image of it. We stress that this is the student’s
personal portfolio, and that outside work and work from other courses can also be
included.
Content of the Class
The course includes the following three components:
A. Study of artists and trends in art making. In addition to class work, students are
expected to do research and visit galleries and the local art museums on their own.
B. A sketchbook to be composed of visual ideas, notes, photos, doodles, plans, short
assignments, quick drawings, and practice of various techniques. Many art schools
like to see students’ sketchbooks as documentation of how their minds and creativ-
ity work.
C. Development of students’ submitted portfolios for AP Studio Art: 2-D Design, which
have three parts:
Quality (Original Works)
Five matted works
These should be the student’s most successful work with respect to the Quality
scoring guidelines and cannot be larger than 18” x 24”. [SC2]
Concentration
This should include 12 images of works exploring a single visual concern in depth.
SC2—The course enables
students to develop
mastery (i.e., “quality”) in
concept, composition, and
execution of 2-D design.
SC3—The course enables
students to develop a
cohesive body of work
investigating a strong
underlying visual idea in
2-D design that grows
out of a coherent plan of
action or investigation
(i.e., a “concentration”).
SC8—The course includes
group critiques, with the
teacher, enabling students to
learn to analyze and discuss
their own artworks as well as
artworks of their peers.
SC7—
The course
emphasizes making art
as an ongoing process
that involves the student
in informed and critical
decision making.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
4
It is something like a visual term paper and is an important part of the class. Stu-
dents reference the compelling ideas they’ve been recording in their sketchbooks
since the beginning of the course and formulate general plans for how to explore
them. When a Concentration subject is settled on by students identifying the idea
that is most closely matched with their personal artistic goals, the student should
spend considerable time describing how they plan to develop it. Their plans should
include details of how they can investigate the idea from many visual and concep-
tual perspectives to demonstrate growth and discovery as they explore the theme
they have chosen. Students can do research by making art; they can also incorpo-
rate research into their art. The Concentration is usually completed in the second
term. (Students may use close-up images to show details.) [SC3]
Breadth
This is a set of works showing mastery of varied media, techniques, and subject
matter. This should include 12 images of 12 different works. Students are asked
to respond to a visual problem in several different ways by incorporating differ-
ent media and techniques to demonstrate a diversity of solutions to the problem.
Likewise, students are required to hone their skills with a medium and technique of
their choice, and to show how the media and technique can be applied effectively
to depict a variety of subjects or content. For example, students may be asked to
represent different aspects of a specic mechanical object like a can opener using
digital photography, collage, charcoal drawing, typography, and watercolor (they
may choose to combine multiple media in one composition). If a student wishes to
become an expert with markers, he or she will be expected to create works of art
that demonstrate different marker techniques to create evocative gure studies,
dramatic landscapes, and nonobjective compositions. [SC4] Because a portfolio
submission of 24 images is needed, each student will need to complete 12 works
each term, or roughly one to two works per week. Students should work steadily
and have the sufcient number of images by the end of their two terms, because
their grade in the course will be based on that work. They can then continue to
improve their portfolios until the May submission date. Students who nish early
will have an individual project and a school service project. Submission of a port-
folio in May is mandatory to receive AP credit.
Grades
Work is frequently so individual and experimental that grading is difcult. Yet there are
standards of quality in student work, expectations based on the range of accomplish-
ments of other AP art classes, and the evidence of thought, care, and effort demon-
strated in the work. All of these elements are discussed with students, individually and
in class critiques. [SC2 & SC9]
Copyright Issues
All work must be original. If students use someone else’s work or a published image
as a basis for their own pieces, there must be signicant alteration to the piece for it
to be considered original. During individual as well as group discussions and critiques,
students will develop an understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and how to
SC4—The course teaches
students a variety of
concepts and approaches
in 2-D design so that
the student is able to
demonstrate a range of
abilities and versatility
with technique. Such
conceptual variety can
be demonstrated through
either the use of one or
the use of several media.
SC3—The course enables
students to develop a
cohesive body of work
investigating a strong
underlying visual idea in
2-D design that grows
out of a coherent plan of
action or investigation
(i.e., a “concentration”).
SC2—The course enables
students to develop
mastery (i.e., “quality”) in
concept, composition, and
execution of 2-D design.
SC9—The course includes
individual student critiques
and or instructional
conversations with the
teacher, enabling students
to learn to analyze and
discuss their own artworks
and better critique artworks
of their peers.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
5
maintain their own artistic integrity. For each work of art students create that directly
references works of art created by other artists, students must cite their sources,
providing a detailed and specic identication (including a thumbnail image) of each
work referenced, and also must write a statement that explains how referencing the
work supports their own artistic goals and voice. In this statement, students must ex-
plain how they have signicantly changed the work they are referencing to serve their
own artistic intentions. [SC10]
Summer Assignments
1. Self-portrait: Work from observation to create at least ve different sketches
of yourself. Go beyond just showing your head/face. Look in a mirror and other
reective surfaces that capture your image. Pose yourself in different and unusual
positions to avoid the “deer in the headlights” view. Look up, down, to the side;
disguise or costume yourself. Arrange interesting side lighting, and be sure to add
a background or setting that says something about who you are—your personality,
your dreams, your experiences (no oating heads). Make use of dramatic lighting,
maybe even a ashlight held from below. Combine different features from your
sketches to create a complex, composite autobiographical image of yourself that
takes time for the viewer to “read.”
2. Still life: Set up a still life with a strong light source, near a window or with a
ashlight. Try unusual objects or unusual combinations of objects: kids’ toys, dog/
cat toys, linens (a loud beach towel or wild pillow), jewelry, furniture (outdoor,
antique, a lava lamp), holiday decorations, wilted owers, broken seashells, musi-
cal instruments, kitchen tools, candy, pasta, clocks, game boards and pieces, light
bulbs, seedpods, hardware, origami. Try to choose objects that are interesting to
look at individually, and more so in combination. Be sure to compose the entire
page. Focus on negative as well as positive space. Play with perspective—show
some forms larger than life or depict a close-up of the surface. Your background
can be text based, patterned, surreal, fantastic, textured, collaged ...
3. Landscape: Do a drawing on location—the beach, the park, looking down your
street, your backyard. Include perspectives, details, and a style that demonstrates
your personal and unique view of the place. What does this place mean to you?
What memories do you associate with it? How can you create a composition that
communicates your specic experiences with it? Try to go beyond direct, realistic
representation to create a story about the place and how it relates to you.
Suggested Media
Do not do all the works in pencil; if you use pencil, it must be used darkly to make an
effective image. Try black ballpoint pen, crosshatching, colored pencils, charcoal pen-
cil, pastels, markers, or any assorted materials you may have at home. BUT REMEMBER
TO USE THE ENTIRE PAGE! You may work in your sketchbook if it is at least 8” x 10”, or
you may take home paper from our classroom.
SC10—The course teaches
students to understand
artistic integrity as well
as what constitutes
plagiarism. If students
produce work that makes
use of photographs,
published images, and/
or other artists’ works, the
course teaches students
how to develop their own
work so that it moves
beyond duplication.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
6
2-D Design Portfolio Sections: Quality, Concentration,
Breadth
Section III: Breadth
Twelve images needed of 12 different works; no detail images are permitted. Works
emphasizing the elements of design (line, shape, illusion of space, illusion of motion,
pattern, texture, value, and color) organized using the principles of design (unity/vari-
ety, balance, emphasis, rhythm, and proportion/scale).
Media could include graphic design, typography, digital imaging, photography, collage,
fabric design, weaving, illustration, painting, or printmaking. [SC4]
Suggested Breadth Projects [SC5]
• Twelve works demonstrating a variety of concepts, media, and approaches.
Possibilities for works could include:
• Abstractions from urban environment
• Design related to psychological, historical, or narrative events
• Works showing color theory such as Fauvism, expressionism, or color-eld painting
• Redesign an everyday object with humor
• Self-portrait as a favorite industrial product
• Fabric design with symbolic imagery
• Redesign a current product image or logo
• Logo-symbol design based on radial balance / kaleidoscope effect
• Lettering and type design
• Poster design with literary or conceptual associations—travel, national identity,
sports, endangered animals
• CD or album design
• Seedpods and forms evolving from them
• Design a deck of cards
• Graphic designs for school theater productions, yearbooks, and so on
• Composition based on art historical research
• Story or poem illustration
• Game board and game pieces
• Fashion or costume design
• Digital altering or layering of photographic images to present multiple perspectives
of an image or idea
• Exploration of line properties; for example, grafti, Japanese calligraphy
• Environmental design
SC4—The course teaches
students a variety of
concepts and approaches
in 2-D design so that
the student is able to
demonstrate a range of
abilities and versatility
with technique. Such
conceptual variety can
be demonstrated through
either the use of one or
the use of several media.
SC5—The course teaches
students a variety of
concepts and approaches
in 2-D design so that
the student is able to
demonstrate a range of
abilities and versatility
with problem-solving. Such
conceptual variety can
be demonstrated through
either the use of one or
the use of several media.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
7
Section II: Concentration
Twelve slides of a series of works organized around the visual concept (some may be
details). Look for quality of ideas and quality of execution of work. [SC3]
• Design and execution of a children’s book
• A series of identity products for imaginary business (logo, letterhead, signs, boxes)
• Political cartoons using current events and images
• Series of works starting with representational interpretations and evolving into
abstraction
• Exploration of pattern and designs found in nature and/or culture
• Abstractions developed from cells and other microscopic images
• A personal or family history communicated through symbols or imagery
• A series of fabric designs, apparel designs, or weavings on a theme
• Use of multiple modules to create compositions that reect narrative or
psychological events
• Series of landscapes that use color and composition to intensify artistic expression
Section I: Quality
Assess your selected portfolio work and score it on the following criteria: [SC8 & SC9]
Poor Moderate Good Strong Excellent
Materials well used; technique is
excellent
1 2 3 4 5
Inventive/imaginative 1 2 3 4 5
Evidence of thinking; clear visual
intent
1 2 3 4 5
Purposeful composition 1 2 3 4 5
Awareness of style and format 1 2 3 4 5
Sensitive/evocative 1 2 3 4 5
Identify strengths of your work as well as ideas for improvement. Consider reworking pieces
to make them even more successful or to investigate new directions for your art making.
As you assess your work, explain your thinking in a paragraph, considering the following:
1. Have you used the elements and principles of design in an effective or innovative
way?
2. What are the dominant shapes, expressive forms, color schemes, and textures that
carry signicance in this artwork?
3. Is the work ordered/balanced? Or chaotic/disturbing? What makes for the order or
chaos? Would you use words such as unity, variety, contrast, balance, movement,
and rhythm to describe formal characteristics of this work?
4. Describe the quality of execution and technique. What gives the work its uniqueness?
SC3—The course enables
students to develop a
cohesive body of work
investigating a strong
underlying visual idea in
2-D design that grows
out of a coherent plan of
action or investigation
(i.e., a “concentration”).
SC9—The course includes
individual student critiques
and or instructional
conversations with the
teacher, enabling students
to learn to analyze and
discuss their own artworks
and better critique artworks
of their peers.
SC8—The course includes
group critiques, with the
teacher, enabling students to
learn to analyze and discuss
their own artworks as well as
artworks of their peers.
AP
®
Studio Art: 2-D Design Syllabus 2 Syllabus 1058811v1
8
5. Does the work evoke any feelings? To what do you ascribe the feelings it evokes in
viewers—the use of colors, shapes, technique, theme?
6. Is there symbolism used in the work to convey meaning other than what one sees?
7. What is your general impression of the work? What did you want the viewer to
think about? Did you successfully get your message across?
Discuss whether the work is a signicant success, why or why not, and support your
judgment with evidence from the work itself, your experiences creating the work, re-
sponses others have shared when viewing the work, and AP Studio Art scoring guide-
lines. If you don’t believe your work was successful, document ideas for improvement.
Think about changing the composition, media, technique, style, content, size, and
other aspects of your work to better reect achievement of your artistic goals.
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