AP Studio Art: Drawing, 2-D Design Syllabus
Jennifer Spade
2014-2015
The Advanced Placement Studio Art program enables highly motivated students to do
college-level work in studio art while still in high school. Since AP Studio Art is not based on
a written exam, students must prepare and submit a portfolio of work for evaluation based on
criteria established by AP Central and developed for each individual student. The submission
of the portfolio will be at the end of the school year and will act as the terminal project for
successful completion of the class. AP work involves significantly more time than the typical
high school course, and is not for the casually interested student. Due to the small number of
AP students, AP Studio Art class is scheduled with the regular Studio Art class. Therefore,
the AP students must be highly motivated and prepared to work independently, a quality that
is imperative for exploration of an area of concentration.
Copyright Issues:
All work must be original. Throughout the course, ongoing discussions and critiques will take
place to help students gain an understanding of ethical practices in making art. They will be
shown examples of past AP portfolios for inspiration and possible direction. Students are not
allowed to work from published photographs or other copyrighted work except as a reference.
When doing this, students must move beyond mere duplication in their work. The work must
be significantly altered in the service of the individual student’s own voice and expression.
Course Overview:
The AP Studio Art class is designed to follow local Board of Education and State Board of
Education approved Content Standards and Objectives. The course is designed to offer
students an intensive student driven and teacher guided explorations of two-dimensional art.
The course is outlined the spring before students begin class the fall semester. Students are
given Summer Assignments that are due the first day of school. A timeline of assignments is
outlined for the year and given to each AP student.
The students will choose one of the two portfolios:
 Drawing (emphasis on drawing, painting, mark-making)
 2-D Design (emphasis on design using painting, photography, drawing, collage or
other 2-D techniques)
During the course of the year students develop work for the Breadth, Concentration and
Quality sections of the portfolio. Students should work consistently, without breaks to
complete one to two pieces per week. Students are expected to develop mastery in concept,
composition, and execution of ideas. The school year begins with developing the summer
assignments, while giving an overview of past portfolio submissions. Also, students are given
a design problem, which is based on line, movement, color, value, shape, texture, and
composition. Students are required to maintain a sketchbook of ideas and drawings that will
be graded every Friday. Students are encouraged to examine their work by using the critical
method of evaluation. Written evaluation of not only their own work, but also the work of
others using the language of art will be expected as part of the critique process. Each
finished piece is evaluated, based on a rubric listed later in this document.
Grades for the course will be based on timely completion of assignments that meet
the below Breadth, Concentration and Quality section requirements: (self, teacher and
peer critiques are part of the evaluation process)
Quality (Original Works): Section I
Drawing Portfolio or 2-D Design Portfolio: 5 matted works that demonstrate
mastery. Not larger than 18" x 24" including mounting or matting. Works that are
smaller than 8"x10" should be mounted on sheets that are at least 8"x10".
Choose the five works that you feel best represent your accomplishments. The five works
may come from your Concentration and or your Breadth section, but they don't have to. They
may be a group of related works, unrelated works, or a combination of related and unrelated
works.
Concentration section: Section II
A concentration is a body of related works that grows out of a coherent plan of action
or investigation.
After November 1, students will begin working and developing work for the Concentration
section of the portfolio. The student will focus on an idea for the Concentration, and devote
extensive time and energy developing their idea. This section shows considerable
investigation, and growth. The concentration body of work is based on your individual
interests in a particular visual idea, which is focused on a process of investigation, growth and
discovery. The written commentary describing what your concentration is and how it evolved
must accompany the work in this section. Responses should be legible and concise. The
commentary is not graded, but it does help in the evaluation process. The commentary
consists of responses to the following:
1. What is the central idea of the concentration?
2. How does the work in the concentration demonstrate the exploration of one
idea?
Drawing Portfolio or 2-D Design Portfolio: 12 slides will be included in this section
of the portfolio. It is best to have a larger body of work to choose 12 from rather than
using 12 pieces as the final goal. (Details of three pieces may be used as part of the
12 total slides).
Breadth section: Section III (See Poster)
The Breadth section includes a body of work showing varied media, techniques, and
subject matter.
Drawing Portfolio or 2-D Design Portfolio:
 12 different works are chosen
The Breadth section should demonstrate a strong use of the
Principles and Elements of Design. The best demonstrations of Breadth clearly show a
range of conceptual approaches to 2-D design.
For example, a single Breadth section might contain:



Work that employs line, shape, or color to create unity or variety in a
composition.
Work that demonstrates symmetry/asymmetry, balance, and or
anomaly.
Work that explores figure/ground relationships and development of
modular or repeat patterns to create rhythm and color organizations
using primary, secondary, tertiary, analogous, or other color
relationships for emphasis or contrast in a composition and work that
investigates or exaggerates proportion or scale.
Course Content:
Summer Assignments (due first week of school):
Choose 4 projects from suggested projects below.
(1-5 from Art Synectics, by Nicholas Roukes, 1984, Davis Publications, 6, Courtney Arnold)
1. Create an Architectural Myth: Collect photographs or photocopies of
environments--city skylines, landscapes, and seascapes. Also collect photos/copies of
household and technical objects like an eggbeater, a toaster, a toothbrush, parts of a
car, etc. Carefully implant the photo of the object within the photo of the environment
to create a surreal city or landscape. (Check out the work of Max Ernst online for
inspiration.) *Photography students are to do this assignment as is.
2. “Redo” an Old Masterpiece: Select a painting or other well-known image from art
history for interpretation. Update it—change the colors, media, characters, etc.
*Photography students are to stage and photograph and old masterpiece. You may
use Photoshop to alter the colors/characters in the photograph.
3. Create a Mythological Event: Think up a story involving the imaginary revolt of
one of the following—shoes, flowers, domestic animals, kitchen appliances,
computers, elevators/escalators, etc. Visualize your idea by making a convincing
illustration of the event. This could be a drawing of an epic battle, or done in a graphic,
comic book style.
4. Create a Progressive Magnification of an Object: Divide a large piece of
drawing paper into 3 to 5 equal parts. Start in the upper left hand box by drawing an
entire object as carefully and realistically as you can. In the next box, pretend you
have a zoom lens, and draw a close-up view of part of the object. In the remaining
sections, continue zooming in closer and closer, until the last box is viewed as if it were
under a magnifying glass or microscope. Mixed media is encouraged. *Photography
students will take a series of five photographs magnifying an object using the
instructions above.
5. Make an Altered Book: Use an old book for the body of your project. Feel free to
drill, cut and alter the book as much as possible. Choose a name for your book.
Remake the cove and use a variety of media and mixed media to create images on
each page that illustrate a theme. Collage and drawing in the book are encouraged.
*Photography students are to collage their own photographs into the book.
6. Paint or Draw a creative self-portrait—Use acrylic paint, watercolor, or pencils to
create a unique view of your self. Strive for an interesting view or unusual angle of
yourself. *Photography students will take a series of at least five photographs
illustrating your identity.
Criteria for completion:
 Use a variety of wet/dry media
 Variety of sizes (no smaller that 3"x3")
Reflects design principles
Reflects knowledge of materials and techniques
Variety of viewpoints

Record date and place drawing was done
These four works will be graded by using the rubric at the end of this syllabus, through
discussion with the teacher and student.
Course Overview:
Note: Some lessons or units may be changed to fit the student’s interest
Semester 1
Week 1
Drawing Portfolio—meet with the instructor to discus previous work that may be used for the
AP portfolio. Complete a series of exercises on the Principles of Design.
2-D Design Portfolio—meet with the instructor to discuss previous work that may be used for
the AP portfolio. Complete a series of exercises on the Principles of Design
Week 2
Drawing Portfolio: Movement through Mark-Making—experiment with a variety of markmaking tools and techniques to establish a sense of rhythm and movement in a nonobjective
drawing (resources:
Cy Twombly, Franz Kline, Alma Thomas, etc.).
2-D Design Portfolio: Positive/Negative Space Study using construction paper, create a
composition with a visually interesting and balanced use of positive and negative space
(resource: Jazz by Henri Matisse).
Week 3
Drawing Portfolio: Mark-Making Study-- in progress…
2-D Design Portfolio: Pos/Neg Space Study-- in progress…
Week 4
Drawing Portfolio: Subtractive Charcoal Self-Portrait—with a combinationof vine and
compressed charcoal, use the dark field method to create a self-portrait (lay a field of
charcoal over the entire surface of the page and use an eraser to create a range of values).
2-D Design Portfolio: Cyanotypes—use found objects to create an interesting composition
on photosensitized paper and place in the sun to achieve a print (resource: Breaking the
Rules: A Photo Media Cookbook by Bea Nettles).
Week 5
Drawing Portfolio: Charcoal Self-Portrait-- in progress…
2-D Design Portfolio: Cyanotypes-- in progress…
Week 6
Drawing Portfolio: Gesture Drawing—create a pen drawing of a person in his or her
environment demonstrating your ability to capture reality and movement with relative speed
and accuracy.
2-D Design Portfolio: Photocopy Transfer Collage—using black/white imagery and text to
create a composition with a range of value and an interesting narrative (use safety with
essential oils to transfer images).
Week 7
Drawing Portfolio: Cross-Contour Drawing—experiment with cross-contour drawing using
a variety of subjects including still-life objects as well as the human form.
2-D Design Portfolio: Photocopy Transfer Collage-- in progress…
Week 8
Drawing Portfolio: Cross-Contour Drawings-- in progress…
2-D Design Portfolio: Text and Image Collage—create a traditional or digital collage that
communicates both a visual and a literal statement (resources: Barbara Kruger, Kurt
Schwitters, Augusto de Campos, James Rosenquist, etc.).
Week 9
Drawing Portfolio: Fruit/Vegetable Drawing Series—create a series of drawings using
colored pencils that capture the fruit or vegetable as it is in varying stages of ripeness to
rottenness (or begin with the whole
fruit and draw various stages of it being eaten).
2-D Design Portfolio: Digital Anti-Self-Portrait—using a digital photo of yourself and Adobe
Photoshop, portray yourself as a stereotype (resource: Cindy Sherman).
Week 10
Drawing Portfolio: Fruit/Vegetable Drawings --in progress…Begin to discuss possible
ideas for Concentration Section
2-D Design Portfolio: Anti-Self-Portrait-- in progress… Begin to discuss possible ideas for
Concentration Section
Week 11
Drawing Portfolio: Perspective Drawing in progress…
2-D Design Portfolio: Perspective Drawing in progress…
Week 12
Drawing Portfolio: Perspective Drawing of Architecture on campus
2-D Design Portfolio: Perspective Drawing of Architecture on campus
Week 13
Drawing Portfolio: Perspective Painting of Architecture on campus
2-D Design Portfolio: Perspective Painting of Architecture on campus
Week 14
Drawing Portfolio: Perspective Painting in progress…
2-D Design Portfolio: Perspective Painting in progress…
Week 15
Drawing Portfolio: Figure Drawing Unit—make a series of drawings utilizing a variety of
tools and techniques.
2-D Design Portfolio: Figure Drawing Unit—make a series of drawings utilizing a variety of
tools and techniques.
Week 16
Drawing Portfolio: Figure Drawing in progress… Focus on 3 possible ideas for
Concentration Section
2-D Design Portfolio: Figure Drawing in progress… Focus on 3 possible ideas for
Concentration Section
Week 17
Drawing Portfolio: use several ideas from the figure drawing unit. Combine them into a
large drawing or painting that contains at least 3 different figures. *Emphasis on drawing and
painting techniques
2-D Design Portfolio: use several ideas from the figure drawing unit. Combine them into a
large painting or collage that contains at least 3 different figures. *Emphasis on pos/neg
space and composition
Week 18
Drawing Portfolio: figure unit in progress
2-D Design Portfolio: figure unit in progress
Week 19
Drawing Portfolio: taking Breath slides
Choose Concentration focus
2-D Design Portfolio: taking Breadth Slides Choose Concentration focus
Week 20
Drawing Portfolio: Breadth Slides Due—portfolio review, slide show,
and celebration of the first semester’s work.
2-D Design Portfolio: Breadth Slides Due—portfolio review, slide show,
and celebration of the first semester’s work.
Second Semester
Week 21
Drawing Portfolio: Concentration Section—begin or continue work
on the concentration.
2-D Design Portfolio: Concentration Section—begin or continue work
on the concentration.
Week 22 Students will work on projects; critiques every two weeks to assess
progress
Drawing Portfolio: Concentration
2-D Design Portfolio: Concentration
Week 23
Drawing Portfolio: Taking slides
2-D Design Portfolio: Taking slides
Week 24
Drawing Portfolio: Selecting quality work, preparing slides, matting/mounting quality work,
finalizing concentration statement…
2-D Design Portfolio: Selecting quality work, preparing slides, matting/mounting quality work,
finalizing concentration statement…
Week 25
Drawing Portfolio: AP Studio Art Exhibition—install show and hold opening reception.
2-D Design Portfolio: AP Studio Art Exhibition—install show and hold opening reception.
Week 26
Drawing Portfolio: Work and Slides Due—Portfolio review, slide show, and celebration of
the year’s work.
2-D Design Portfolio: Work and Slides Due—Portfolio review, slide show, and celebration
of the year’s work.
Week 27—30
*Work on independent project for Senior Show that will be held in the Paul G. Blazer lobby at
the end of May
Note: Use the following table as a guide for projects.
Project Finder-match/connect to form projects for your Breadth/Quality or Concentration
sections of your portfolio.
Media
Charcoal/conte' crayon
Project/Content
Linear perspective
Pencil
Aerial perspective/ from above
Chalk Pastel
Radiating line design
Acrylic-thick
Grid project (tiling is an option)
Oil Sticks (canvas/matboard)
Cut paper
Watercolor
Stencil/repetition
Border
Triadic Color Scheme
Crayon resist (batik)
Monochromatic Color Scheme
Watercolor over gesso
Complementary Color Scheme
Pen and ink
Analogous Color Scheme
Relief carving
Arbitrary color==emotional use
Gouache
Text/lettering-possible overlapping
Oil pastel
Story/Song Illustration
Transparencies
Bisecting Design
Embossing
Rhythmic design
Lino-cut block printing
Scratchboard
Plexi- glass etching
Plexi- glass oil mono prints
Finger printing
Canvas painting
Chalk/gesso/acrylic drawing
Digital processing
Gloss medium transfers
Oil paint
Parallel design
Halation (accented countours)
Post- it notes/sequential frames
Stippling/crosshatching/etc.
Political/Social Content/Metaphor
Enlarged, extreme close-up
Collaged images
Contour
Obscured Portrait
Environmental Portrait
Grading:
 All projects and tests will be graded on a 100 point scale
Note: Graded work will include sketchbooks, work in class, homework and research.
A 100-90%
B 89-80%
C 71-70%
D 69-60%
F 59 (Below 60%)

Ten points a day will be deducted from 100 point project each day past the due
date set forth by teacher.
1 day late = 90 points possible
2 days late =80 points possible
3 days late = 70 points possible
4 days late = 60 points possible
5 days late = 50 points possible
6 days late = 40 points possible
7 days late = 30 points possible
8 days late =20 points possible
9 days late =10 points possible
10 days late = 0 points possible
Please keep in mind that attendance and art projects that are completed on time are
very important to ensure your success in this class. Please let me know if you have any
questions regarding the syllabus or method of evaluation. –Mrs. Arnold
Teacher References/Resources:
AP Central®
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com
AP Studio Art Poster.
New York: The College Board, 2006.
AP Studio Art Teachers Guide. New York: The College Board, 2006.
Dodson, Bert. Keys to Drawing with Imagination, North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2006.
Kanter, Dory. Art Escapes, North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2003.
Lueking, Stephan. Principles of Three-Dimensional Design, Prentice Hall, 2002.
Zelanski, Paul, and Mary Pat Fisher. The Art of Seeing. Prentice Hall, 2007.
Roukes, Nicholas. Art Synectics, Davis Publications, 1984.
Student Self-Critique
Upon completion of your work, fill out the following self-critique to be submitted
with each assignment. Be sure to complete both the rubric section and the explanation
section below.
Name: _____________________________________________ Assignment:
______________________
Design Quality
Excellent
Uniquely utilizes
given design
concepts
Average
Utilizes given
design concepts
Needs Work
Insufficiently
utilizes some
design concepts
Creativity
Work is distinctly
original in terms
of the concept,
process, or
materials used
Work demonstrates
some originality of
concept, process,
or materials used
Work is clichéd,
basic, or does
not demonstrate
inventiveness from
the artist
Craftsmanship
Extraordinary or
proficient level of
craftsmanship
Sufficient level of
craftsmanship
Mediocre or
inferior level of
craftsmanship
Design Quality—The elements of art (line, color, texture, shape, form, space, and value) and
principles of design (rhythm and movement, balance, proportion, variety and emphasis,
harmony and unity) are utilized successfully; there is strong evidence of the artist’s plan or
organization of thought, and the basic assignment criteria are met or exceeded.
Creativity—The work is conceptually innovative, the materials used, or the process of
creating the work are inventive, or the work is simply quite original.
Craftsmanship—Time and care are taken to create a piece that feels finished and is well
made—it doesn’t seem to the viewer that the work was “slapped together in a hurry.”
Self Evaluation
Circle one box under each category above to describe the level of success in your own work.
For example, next to Design Quality, do you believe your work is excellent, average, or needs
work? Then, in the space provided below, describe why you rated your work as you did in
each category.
Design Quality __________________________________________________________________________
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Creativity__________________________________________________________________________
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Craftsmanship__________________________________________________________________________
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Additional Comments__________________________________________________________________________
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