Emily Rack, Princess Anne High School, 2014-2015,

charcoal on relief cardboard support

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Slide 3 Summer Assignment Guidelines

Slide 4 Concept Chart

Slide 5 Choice #1: Metaphorical Self-Portrait

Slide 6 Choice #2: Self-Portrait on Unusual Support

Slide 7 Choice #3: Repeated Object Still Life

Slide 8 Choice #4: Figurative Self-Portrait: Extreme Perspective

Slide 9 Choice #5: Student’s Choice—Any Subject You Choose

Slide 10 AP Lingo

Slide 11 AP Pace/Criteria of Work

Slide 12 AP Rubric Checklist (Criteria for Success)

Eleanora Giancarli, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015

Samantha Berger, Bayside High School,

2014-2015

SUMMER ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

YOU NEED TO COMPLETE ONLY 3 OF THE FOLLOWING 5

CHALLENGES OVER THE SUMMER (ABOUT 1 PER MONTH):

Guidelines:

• Work Any Size, 12 x 15” or larger

• Any Medium (work to your strength)

• Any Style—AP is NOT about changing your style, but strengthening it

• Work from YOUR OWN Photos/Ones You Ask Someone to Take (or from Observation if you choose “Repeated Object Still Life”)

• Use one concept from the Concept Chart on the next slide/page for each of your 3 works.

• Need more inspiration than what is provided? My favorite Pinterest site (we will be consulting it a lot):

http://www.pinterest.com/nbrisco/an-art-teachers-world/

• Both pieces due first day of class (NO Exceptions)!

• Before getting started, consult the last 3 slides/pages in this packet: “The AP Lingo,” “AP Pace/Level of Work,” and “AP Rubric Checklist” (criteria for success)

Note: the work that you complete in the summer can

be used in your Portfolio, so you will be 3 pieces

ahead of the game!

CONCEPT CHART

Use one of these

concepts as a

springboard for

each of your 3

finished pieces.

You may repeat

concepts if you

choose.

CHOICE #1: METAPHORICAL SELF-PORTRAITANY SIZE, 12 X 15” OR LARGER/ANY MEDIUM/WORK FROM A PHOTO YOU ASK SOMEONE TO

TAKE OF YOU

MUST INCLUDE YOUR FACE AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER SYMBOLIC OBJECT

USE THESE OR OTHER ARTISTS AS INSPIRATION, BUT AVOID COPYING

Eleanora Giancarli, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015

Danielle Martin, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015

Camden Dechert, Princess Anne High

School, 2014-2015

Sydney Harmon, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015

CHOICE #2: SELF-PORTRAIT ON UNUSUAL SUPPORTANY SIZE, 12 X 15” OR LARGER/ANY MEDIUM/WORK FROM A PHOTO YOU ASK SOMEONE TO

TAKE OF YOU

MUST INCLUDE YOUR FACE FROM A 2/3 OR ¾ VIEW (NOT STRAIGHT-ON/NOT PROFILE)

USE THESE OR OTHER ARTISTS AS INSPIRATION, BUT AVOID COPYING

Camden Dechert, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015, painting on album cover

Camden Dechert, Princess Anne High School, 2014-2015,

portrait in a box Anne Abraham, Princess Anne High School,

2014-2015, painting on her own body

CHOICE #3: REPEATED OBJECT STILL LIFEANY SIZE, 12 X 15” OR LARGER/ANY MEDIUM/WORK FROM OBSERVATION OR YOUR OWN PHOTO

USE THESE OR OTHER ARTISTS AS INSPIRATION, BUT AVOID COPYING

CHOICE 4: FIGURATIVE SELF-PORTRAIT: EXTREME PERSPECTIVEANY SIZE, 12 X 15” OR LARGER/ANY MEDIUM/WORK FROM A PHOTO SOMEONE TAKES OF YOU

MUST INCLUDE DRAMATIC FORESHORTENING OR SOME OTHER KIND OF VISUAL DRAMA

USE THESE OR OTHER ARTISTS AS INSPIRATION, BUT AVOID COPYING

CHOICE 5: DEALER’S CHOICE—ANY SUBJECT YOU CHOOSEANY SIZE, 12 X 15” OR LARGER/ANY MEDIUM/WORK FROM OBSERVATION OR YOUR OWN PHOTO

USE THESE OR OTHER ARTISTS AS INSPIRATION, BUT AVOID COPYING

Bridgette Trainor, Princess Anne High

School, 2014-2015 Ruffa Corbett, Bayside High School,

2013-2014

THE AP LINGODrawing Portfolio (also includes Painting)--emphasizes concept and composition, of course, as well as mark-

making/line quality, illusion of 3-D form through light/shade, spatial depth, surface manipulation.

2-D Design Portfolio (may include photography)—emphasizes Elements & Principles of Design + proportion/scale and figure-ground relationship (or relationship between positive and negative space).

3-D Design Portfolio (sculpture)

Breadth—12 pieces from any H.S. year that show your range with approaches; photographed/digitally uploaded during second semester.

Concentration—12 pieces that explore and advance your thinking about a topic/theme of your choice; photographed/digitally uploaded during second semester.

Concentration Commentary—short written answers to two questions; not scored but used to verify that what you did is what you say you did: 1) What is the central idea of your Concentration? (500 characters, NOT words); 2) How does the work in your Concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? (1,350 characters, NOT words).

Quality—5 absolute best pieces (from Breadth, Concentration, a combination, or additional pieces) that are matted and shipped to AP on the “exam” day (see below) and returned to you in July; no larger than 18 x 24.”

Verve—visual excitement

Nuance--subtlety

Experimental (Responsible!) Risk-Taking—unusual supports extremely large size, unexpected combination of media, highly original approach, and more constitute experimental risk-taking.

Complex Compositions—not chaotic, hectic or overly-”busy” compositions, but more than just an object floating on a background; achieved in infinite ways, including prepared grounds, and layering.

AP “Exam”—you do NOT take a “secure” paper and pencil exam. “Exam” refers to the day by which your Breadth and Concentration sections must be digitally uploaded and “sent” AND your Quality pieces shipped with appropriate paperwork filled out. Usually around May 9/10.

Reader—the highly skilled/trained professors and high school art teachers who meet for a week every summer to score 30,000+ portfolios. They are called “readers” because in all other disciplines, they are “reading” the exams.

AP PACE/LEVEL OF WORK

You must complete about 2 pieces every 2 weeks. You will need to work outside of class.

You must always be thinking ahead, planning, and managing your time. It is smart to have several pieces going at once. Find this and other tips in this invaluable resource: “How to Draw and Paint Faster: 15 Tips for High School Students”--http://www.studentartguide.com/articles/how-to-draw-and-paint-faster

You may use pieces from prior years BUT most students find that their work from previous years is not of AP quality without working back into it significantly.

In order to understand the level of work necessary to score well in AP (though the journey is deeply significant even if you only score in the average range), go to:

2-D Design: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2134.html

Drawing: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2182.html

Simply put, there is no “fudging” in AP. The work must speak for itself because you don’t have an opportunity to speak for it. And the readers are seasoned, so they can tell in seconds the quality of your work.

CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Modeling (the marks/strokes/transitions) are beautiful, skillful, purposeful: they define form/create surface texture

• Highlights accurately define 3-D form

• Weighted Lines/Effectively Varied Line Quality

• Edges Effectively Combined with Lines

• Accurate Form/Proportion of Objects

• Accurate Perspective

• Sufficient Detail for Intent

CONTRAST

• Full Range of 5-7 Values

• Value Contrast is not too High in Any Area

• Value Contrast is not too Low in Any Area

COLOR

• Logical, Reduced Color Harmony Enhances Composition—no rainbows!

• Neutralized Rich “ish” Colors

• Neutrals are Combined with Brighter Colors—manage your neutrals!

• Colors are Keyed/Harmonized (e.g. through underpainting)

AP RUBRIC CHECKLIST (CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS)COMPOSITION

• Focal Point/Main Objects/Empty Space not

MOP/Focal Point/Main Objects not Edge-

Huggers

• Corners are Not “Decorated”

• Effective Cropping/Elimination of Dead

Zones

• Effective Overlapping of Major Components

• Balance is Achieved (visual weight, e.g.

objects/images/values pleasingly

distributed)

• Composition is Not Cut in Half Vertically,

Horizontally, or Diagonally, Nor Arranged in a

Circle/Rectangle

• Repetition and Variation are Used Effectively

• Ratio of Positive to Negative Space is 1/2 :

1/2 or 2/3 : 1/3

• Entire Composition is Appropriately

Complex/Nuanced/Connected/Developed

• Background is Effectively

Considered/Developed