AP 2D Design
Available to Grades 11th, 12th
Prerequisites:
- Previous experience in Art or Design: preferably 2 consecutive years. (Design 1 & Design 2). Consideration is also given to students who have taken Studio Art 1, 2 and AP Drawing.
- A record of meeting deadlines; advanced knowledge of the principles of design & elements of art; a high level of self motivation and perseverance; ability produce work with creativity, craftsmanship and skill.
- Possible departmental portfolio review.
- Enrollment in the course is also contingent upon completion of the summer assignment.
The Advanced Placement Program in Studio Art: 2-D Design is a performance-based visual exam. Each student develops and submits a portfolio that serves as a direct demonstration of achievement. The term "2-D Design" is used very broadly; a wide range of work can fit into this portfolio. The unifying idea for the portfolio is that the student focuses on making decisions about how to use the principles and elements of art to create works of art that convey meaning. In some cases, the "meaning" of the work may involve messages on a literal level (for example, graphic design, product design). However, "meaning" is just as likely to take the form of abstract or purely visual coherence. What's critical is that sense of deliberate manipulation of the visual tools represented by the elements and principles. The work may be highly technological, or it may be created with the most simple means. Any two-dimensional medium may be used for this portfolio.
Videotapes and three-dimensional work may NOT be submitted for the 2-D Design portfolio. Students' work (in either traditional or technologically manipulated media) that makes use of photographs, published images, and/or other artists' works or computer software must show development beyond duplication. This development may be demonstrated through the manipulation of the formal qualities, design, and/or concept of the original work.
The portfolio for Studio Art: 2-D Design requires submissions in three distinct sections.
- SECTION I- Quality - Five actual drawings; maximum size is 18" x 24"
- SECTION II - Concentration - 12 images; some may be details
- SECTION III - Breadth - 12 images of 12 different works; one image of each is submitted
The Quality section promotes the development of a sense of excellence in art. For this section, students submit five works that best demonstrate excellence. There are no preconceptions about what the work will look like -- it may have been created quickly or over a long period of time; it may be representational, abstract, stylized or it may show a combination of any of these characteristics. The five works chosen for the Quality section may come from the student's Concentration section and/or 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.
The Concentration section shows the student's in-depth exploration of a particular design concern. It is presented as 12 images, some of which may be details of works. The emphasis is on a coherent development of an idea through a body of work, in addition to the artistic success of the work.
The Breadth section shows the range of experimentation and experience in 2-D Design. It is presented as 12 images, each of which shows a different work. In addition to the quality of the work, it is scored on the degree to which it actually shows a variety of approaches to 2-D Design.