YORK COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
AP ART
Stephen March
This course is intended for highly motivated students who are seriously interested in the study of visual art.
Instructional Objectives:
To develop and prepare a portfolio of visual artwork which is equivalent in quality and approach to an introductory college class that will be submitted to AP for evaluation at the end of the school year.
Encourage creative as well as systematic investigation of formal and conceptual issues.
Emphasize making art as an ongoing process that involves the student in informed and critical decision-making.
Develop technical skills and familiarize students with the functions of the visual elements: line, shape, form, texture, value, color, and space
Encourage students to become independent thinkers and creative problem solvers who will contribute inventively and critically to their culture through the making of art.
To teach students to understand artistic integrity as well as what constitutes plagiarism. If students create work that makes use of photographs, published images, and/or other artists' works, this course teaches students how to develop their own work so that it moves beyond duplication.
Three Major Areas of Assessment:
Quality: sense of quality in a student’s work
Breadth: the student’s need for breadth of experience in the formal, technical and expressive means of the visual artist, especially within the context of visual art periods since the Renaissance
Concentration: the student’s concentration on a particular visual interest or problem.
Students will need to develop artwork inside and outside of the classroom, committing approximately 6 to 8 hours per week to the creative and artistic process. Students are considered responsible enough to leave the art room or school if an assignment requires them to do so. Outside of class work will include maintaining a sketchbook/journal. A sketchbook/journal containing research and resources, visual and written ideas, and self-evaluation will be required for this course.
Individual and class critiques will be an integral part of the classroom structure. Critiques enable both the students and instructor to assess strengths and weaknesses in developing artwork, and encourage each student to give their best effort.
Scope and Sequence:
Semester 1
Breadth:
This part of the course will be inspired by the ideas, images, subject matter and processes /techniques of selected periods of Western Visual Art. A variety of painting ideas and themes will be explored within a historical context, from the Renaissance to Modern. The students will interpret those ideas on an individual basis and experiment with the methods and materials or processes related to those ideas. Visual themes addressed may include the human figure, landscape, still life, the animal world, everyday life, narration, myth and allegory, the religious and spiritual, and abstraction. Students will acquire knowledge and skill primarily with drawing media (graphite, charcoal, crayon, pastel, ink), but painting and relief printmaking will also be considered. Students will experiment with the visual results and characteristics of the different media. In addition, the principles of aesthetic organization or design will be discussed and utilized as they apply to each project. There will be individual instructor critiques during each class time and class critiques after each project is due during this course. Demonstrations, class discussions, museum visits, art historical and art periodical research will be an integral part of this segment of the course.
| Art Period | Subject Matter/Theme | Media |
| Renaissance | 1.Human
figure /skeleton
2. 1 pt. & 2 pt. Perspective |
1. Crayon,
charcoal, graphite 2. Graphite pencil |
| Baroque | 1. Still
Life (flowers and/or fruit) 2. Self Portrait |
1. Colored
pencil 2. graphite pencils |
| Romanticism | 1. Landscape 2. Animals 3. War/social unrest |
1. Acrylic
painting 2. Pastel 3. Ink & wash |
| Realism | Everyday Life ( school or home) | Graphite pencil |
| Impressionism/Post Impressionism | Landscape | Acrylic or pastel |
| Expressionism | Self-Portrait | Acrylic or watercolor or blockprint |
| Cubism | Still-life or Portrait | Graphite pencil and /or Collage |
| Surrealism | Dreamscape | Choice of painting or drawing |
| Abstraction/Abstract Expressionism | Abstract Line, Shape, Color | Choice of painting or drawing |
| Pop Art | Consumer goods/Pop culture/Media | Choice of or combination of drawing, collage and/or painting |
Breath: Portfolio assessment:
Grades will be determined by the degree of success each student has achieved in fulfilling the artistic and creative objectives of each assigned project. Because visual art evaluation is, for the most part, subjective, the degree of success will be determined by the careful consideration of the instructor.
To receive an A in this part of the course the art work should demonstrate the following:
Serious, successful engagement with the drawing issues that apply to each art period.
Successful command of stylistic as well as technical concerns.
Projects are executed with confidence and understanding
Work shows flexibility of thinking.
Form and content are effectively and appropriately synthesized to communicate visual ideas
Effective use of a variety of drawing materials.
Successful experimentation and risk-taking.
Semester II
Concentration:
Each student will develop a proposal with instructor assistance for the Concentration exploration and theme during the second marking period. Thumbnail sketches will be created for possible concentration exploration in sketchbook. A draft of the proposal will be presented to rest of AP art class for feedback and support. The final Concentration proposal will be approved by the instructor at the end of the second marking period or the end of the first semester. Art historical and art periodical research, gallery and museum visits, individual instructor critiques, and class critiques will be an integral part of this segment of the course.
Concentration Portfolio:
Concentration (Section II) Possibilities/Topics/Themes: Individual creative problem solving
Everyday Life
Human Figure and Face
Animal Kingdom
Landscape
Still Life
Narration
Fantasy
Spiritual
History: personal, family, community, national, global
Social Issues and Commentary: race, gender, sexual orientation, age
Inspiration from artists and art movements
Work should be unified by an underlying idea that has visual coherence.
Concentration: Portfolio assessment:
Grades will be determined by the degree of success each student has achieved in fulfilling the artistic and creative objectives of each student-initiated project. Because visual art evaluation is, for the most part, subjective, the degree of success will be determined by the careful consideration of the instructor.
To receive an A in this part of the course the art work should demonstrate the following:
Unmistakable connection between the idea/theme of the concentration and the work developed and presented
Work engages the viewer with the artwork and the artist intentions.
Effective integration of concept and technique.
Skill level of drawing techniques is excellent or exceptional.
Work shows informed experimentation and development beyond technical concerns
An evocative and meaningful theme is developed.
Originality of vision.
Overall excellent quality.
Portfolio Setup:
Photographing Artwork for the Portfolio Slides:
One important objective of this course is for each student to acquire the photographic skills for taking adequate, professional quality slides of their artwork for the evaluation portfolio. Proper techniques for taking slide images of artwork with a 35mm single lens reflex camera , either indoors with photographic lights or outdoors, will be taught to the class as a whole and on an individual basis as needed.
Quality (Section I):
5 actual works
Work no larger than 18"x24"
Realization of the artist’s intentions
The best artwork demonstrates a synthesis of content, form and technique
Concentration (Section II):
12 Slides- details may be included
Define the nature of the Concentration
Explain the Development of the Concentration and the Sources of the ideas
Breadth (Section III): Variety of Problems in Drawing
12-slides- NO details
Concepts and Inspiration from Art History
Explore different approaches to expressing Visual Elements