AP Studio Art Syllabus: Drawing and 2D Design
Ms. Roxann Hulsey
Union High School
Phone 918-357-7282
hulsey.roxann@unionps.org
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 to place out of
introductory level college art courses. 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 Drawing or Painting
as well as AP Studio Art in the same year.
COURSE 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.
(completed 1st semester)
 Concentration: A series of works organized around a compelling visual concept or
recurring theme. Twelve images are submitted; some may be details. (Completed 2nd
Semester)
COURSE SCHEDULE
 The class meets for 55 minutes every day.
 During the first semester we will focus on assignments to fulfill the Breadth section of
the portfolio. 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. We discuss the Concentration
section so students can be thinking about an area of focus.
 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
Cross Contour Figures
Still life
Architectural Structures
Observational drawings
Color Theory





Figure drawing
Mixed media
Self Portraits
Landscape
Linear Perspective
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 sphotos 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. At least one of the shows must be an out of district venue.
Students will be expected to submit and show the quality section of their portfolio in the
Union Youth Arts exhibit. Students are responsible for setting up and striking 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 at
the beginning of the second semester.
Whenever possible I stay late on Mondays and Tuesdays to provide additional studio
time.
All students are required to have a Flash Drive (USB) available to store their digital
images, and other information that is needed for class.
MAJOR DEADLINES:
10/8/2013
Breadth pieces 1-4
11/12/2013
Breadth pieces 1-8
12/17/2013
Entire Breadth 1-12
1/6/2014
Concentration Theme declared
2/12/2014
Concentration pieces 1-4
3/29/2014
Concentration pieces 1-8
4/1/2013
AP Account Set up online
4/30/2014
Entire Concentration 1-12
5/01/2014
Quality Section Chosen (5 pieces)
**If your portfolio is submitted late, or with missing pieces one point will be deducted from your
final portfolio score.
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 student’s active participation in all phases of instruction for each
of the four nine-week grading periods. Grades will be calculated and reported using AP
College Board rubrics and guidelines.
Rubric Score: 5 ……….100%
4…………89%
3..…….…79%
2…………69%
1…………59%
 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……………………….40%
Studio Use/Management………25%
Sketchbook/Journal……………15%
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 student’s own
voice. Misuse of copyrighted material is plagiarism and a legal issue and can be pursued as such.
TEXTS AND RESOURCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
There is no textbook for this class the following may be used.
AP Studio Art Poster, New York, The College Board, 2006-07.
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, Horst de la Croix, Richard G. Tansey, Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Inc., 1975.
Creating and Understanding Drawings, Glencoe/McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 2006
Art Talk, Glencoe/McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 2005
Art in Focus, Glencoe/McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 2006
Discover Drawing, Second Edition, Davis Publications, Inc.,
Exploring Painting, Third Edition, Davis Publications, Inc.
Introduction to Design, Alan Pipes, Prentice Hall, Inc., 2004
Periodicals and Art Reproductions