SUBMITTING A PORTFOLIO
All students enrolled in AP Studio Art will be expected to complete the AP portfolio. It is highly recommend that each and every student submit his or her finished portfolio to the College Board. Portfolio’s will act as the a crucial component of a students FINAL grade.
*Because AP Studio Art students submit a portfolio for evaluation rather than take a written exam, the most important piece of advice I can give you is to be sure to follow the requirements outlined in the most recent Course Description and poster.
*Because AP Studio Art students submit a portfolio for evaluation rather than take a written exam, the most important piece of advice I can give you is to be sure to follow the requirements outlined in the most recent Course Description and poster.
Section I: Quality
Rationale
Quality refers to the mastery of design principles that should be apparent in the composition, concept, and execution of the works, whether they are simple or complex. There is no preferred (or unacceptable) style or content.
Rationale
Quality refers to the mastery of design principles that should be apparent in the composition, concept, and execution of the works, whether they are simple or complex. There is no preferred (or unacceptable) style or content.
Quality Samples...
Section II: Concentration
Rationale
A concentration is a body of related works describing an in-depth exploration of a particular artistic concern. (The above example “CROWDS”)It should reflect a process of investigation of a specific visual idea. It is NOT a selection of a variety of works produced as solutions to class projects or a collection of works with differing intents. Students should be encouraged to explore a personal, central interest as intensively as possible; they are free to work with any idea in any medium that addresses two-dimensional design issues. The concentration should grow out of the student’s idea and demonstrate growth and discovery through a number of conceptually related works. In this section, the evaluators are interested not only in the work presented but also in visual evidence of the student’s thinking, selected method of working, and development of the work over time.
Students are asked to respond to the following questions:
1. What is the central idea of your concentration?
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples.
Examples of Concentrations
A concentration should consist of a group of works that share a single theme—for example, an in-depth study of a particular visual problem or a variety of ways of handling an interesting subject. Some concentrations involve sequential works, such as a series of studies that lead to, and are followed by, more finished works. If a student uses subject matter as the basis of a concentration, the work should show the development of a visual language appropriate for that subject. The investigation of a medium in and of itself, without a strong underlying visual idea, generally does not constitute a successful concentration. Students should not submit group projects,
collaborations, and/or documentation of projects that merely require an extended period of time to complete. The list of possible concentration topics is infinite.
Below are examples of concentrations.
They are intended only to provide a sense of range and should not necessarily be considered “better” ideas.
• An exploration of patterns and designs found in nature and/or culture
• A series of works that begins with representational interpretations and evolves into abstraction
• A series of landscapes based upon personal experience of a particular place in which composition and light are used to intensify artistic expression
• Design and execution of a children’s book
• Development of a series of identity products (logo, letterhead, signage, and soon) for imaginary businesses
• A series of political cartoons using current events and images
• Abstractions developed from cells and other microscopic images
• Interpretive portraiture or figure studies that emphasize dramatic composition or abstraction
• A personal or family history communicated through symbols or imagery
• A series of fabric designs, apparel designs, or weavings used to express particular themes
Because the range of possible concentrations is so wide, the number of works the student creates should be dictated by the focus of the investigation. The chosen visual idea should be explored to the greatest possible extent. In most cases, students will produce more than 12 works and select from among them the works that best represent the process of investigation. If a student has works that are not as well resolved as others, but that help show the evolution of thinking and of the work, the student should consider including them. The choice of works to submit should be made to present the concentration as clearly as possible. When preparing to upload the Section II, Concentration, images, the student should give some thought to the sequence of images on the Web page. There is no
required order; rather, the images should be organized to best show the development of the concentration. In most cases, this would be chronological. Students may NOT submit images of the same work that they submit for Breadth.
Submitting images of the same work for Section II, Concentration, and Section III, Breadth, may negatively affect a student’s score.
Rationale
A concentration is a body of related works describing an in-depth exploration of a particular artistic concern. (The above example “CROWDS”)It should reflect a process of investigation of a specific visual idea. It is NOT a selection of a variety of works produced as solutions to class projects or a collection of works with differing intents. Students should be encouraged to explore a personal, central interest as intensively as possible; they are free to work with any idea in any medium that addresses two-dimensional design issues. The concentration should grow out of the student’s idea and demonstrate growth and discovery through a number of conceptually related works. In this section, the evaluators are interested not only in the work presented but also in visual evidence of the student’s thinking, selected method of working, and development of the work over time.
Students are asked to respond to the following questions:
1. What is the central idea of your concentration?
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples.
Examples of Concentrations
A concentration should consist of a group of works that share a single theme—for example, an in-depth study of a particular visual problem or a variety of ways of handling an interesting subject. Some concentrations involve sequential works, such as a series of studies that lead to, and are followed by, more finished works. If a student uses subject matter as the basis of a concentration, the work should show the development of a visual language appropriate for that subject. The investigation of a medium in and of itself, without a strong underlying visual idea, generally does not constitute a successful concentration. Students should not submit group projects,
collaborations, and/or documentation of projects that merely require an extended period of time to complete. The list of possible concentration topics is infinite.
Below are examples of concentrations.
They are intended only to provide a sense of range and should not necessarily be considered “better” ideas.
• An exploration of patterns and designs found in nature and/or culture
• A series of works that begins with representational interpretations and evolves into abstraction
• A series of landscapes based upon personal experience of a particular place in which composition and light are used to intensify artistic expression
• Design and execution of a children’s book
• Development of a series of identity products (logo, letterhead, signage, and soon) for imaginary businesses
• A series of political cartoons using current events and images
• Abstractions developed from cells and other microscopic images
• Interpretive portraiture or figure studies that emphasize dramatic composition or abstraction
• A personal or family history communicated through symbols or imagery
• A series of fabric designs, apparel designs, or weavings used to express particular themes
Because the range of possible concentrations is so wide, the number of works the student creates should be dictated by the focus of the investigation. The chosen visual idea should be explored to the greatest possible extent. In most cases, students will produce more than 12 works and select from among them the works that best represent the process of investigation. If a student has works that are not as well resolved as others, but that help show the evolution of thinking and of the work, the student should consider including them. The choice of works to submit should be made to present the concentration as clearly as possible. When preparing to upload the Section II, Concentration, images, the student should give some thought to the sequence of images on the Web page. There is no
required order; rather, the images should be organized to best show the development of the concentration. In most cases, this would be chronological. Students may NOT submit images of the same work that they submit for Breadth.
Submitting images of the same work for Section II, Concentration, and Section III, Breadth, may negatively affect a student’s score.
Concentration Samples...
Section III: Breadth
Rationale
The student’s work in this section should demonstrate understanding of the principles of design, including unity/variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repetition, proportion/scale, and figure/ground relationship. Successful works of art require the integration of the elements and principles of design; students must therefore be actively engaged with these concepts while thoughtfully composing their art. The work in this section should show evidence of conceptual, perceptual, expressive, and technical range.
Requirements
For this section, students must submit a total of 12 images of 12 different works. Details may NOT be included. This section requires images of 12 works in which the elements and principles of two-dimensional design are the primary focus; students are asked to demonstrate that they are thoughtfully applying these principles while composing their art. These works as a group should demonstrate the student’s visual organization skills. As a whole, the student’s work in this section should demonstrate exploration, inventiveness, and the expressive manipulation of form, as well as knowledge of compositional organization. The best demonstrations of breadth clearly show experimentation and a range of conceptual approaches to the work. It is possible to do this in a single medium or in a variety of media. If the student chooses to use a single medium—for example, if a portfolio consists entirely of collage—the images must show a variety of applications of design principles.
Examples:
• Work that employs line, shape, or color to create unity or variety in a composition
• Work that demonstrates symmetry/asymmetry, balance, or anomaly
• Work that explores figure/ground relationships
• Development of a modular or repeat pattern to create rhythm
• Color organization using primary, secondary, tertiary, analogous, or other color relationships for emphasis or contrast in a composition
• Work that investigates or exaggerates proportion/scale
Students may NOT submit images of the same work that they are submitting for the Concentration section.
*Submitting images of the same work for Section II, Concentration, and Section III, Breadth, may negatively affect a student’s score.
Rationale
The student’s work in this section should demonstrate understanding of the principles of design, including unity/variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repetition, proportion/scale, and figure/ground relationship. Successful works of art require the integration of the elements and principles of design; students must therefore be actively engaged with these concepts while thoughtfully composing their art. The work in this section should show evidence of conceptual, perceptual, expressive, and technical range.
Requirements
For this section, students must submit a total of 12 images of 12 different works. Details may NOT be included. This section requires images of 12 works in which the elements and principles of two-dimensional design are the primary focus; students are asked to demonstrate that they are thoughtfully applying these principles while composing their art. These works as a group should demonstrate the student’s visual organization skills. As a whole, the student’s work in this section should demonstrate exploration, inventiveness, and the expressive manipulation of form, as well as knowledge of compositional organization. The best demonstrations of breadth clearly show experimentation and a range of conceptual approaches to the work. It is possible to do this in a single medium or in a variety of media. If the student chooses to use a single medium—for example, if a portfolio consists entirely of collage—the images must show a variety of applications of design principles.
Examples:
• Work that employs line, shape, or color to create unity or variety in a composition
• Work that demonstrates symmetry/asymmetry, balance, or anomaly
• Work that explores figure/ground relationships
• Development of a modular or repeat pattern to create rhythm
• Color organization using primary, secondary, tertiary, analogous, or other color relationships for emphasis or contrast in a composition
• Work that investigates or exaggerates proportion/scale
Students may NOT submit images of the same work that they are submitting for the Concentration section.
*Submitting images of the same work for Section II, Concentration, and Section III, Breadth, may negatively affect a student’s score.
Concentration Samples...
Here are some "do's and don'ts" for students to keep in mind when preparing their portfolios:
DO:
• Complete all three sections.
• Remember that works from Section I (Quality) may also be submitted in slide form in either Section II (Concentration) or Section III (Breadth), and that you may not submit slides of the same work for both Section II and Section III.
• Pay attention to the requirements regarding the size and number of materials that may be submitted.
• Submit works in the standard AP portfolio that will be sent to your school no later than the beginning of May.
• Mat or mount any works on paper that you submit for Section I. Use a neutral colored mat board.
• Use fixative on works that may smudge.
• Cover the surface to protect the work. Use an overleaf that is fastened to one edge so that it can be lifted easily.
• Label all slides, including the dimensions and media of the original works.
• Photograph your work well ahead of the deadline so that you will have time to reshoot if necessary. The Teacher's Guide to AP Studio Art, published by the College Board®, contains information about how to photograph art.
• Submit a detail slide with the slide of the entire work if you wish to show details such as texture.
• Follow your AP Coordinator's instructions for labeling and packaging your materials.
• Submit your prepared materials on or before the deadline set by your AP Coordinator.
• Give ETS the correct address for returning your portfolio materials (they will arrive in late summer). We cannot ship your work to a P.O. Box.
• Retain duplicates of your slides and application materials.
DO NOT:
• Send ANY actual work for the 3-D Design portfolio.
• Send 3-D or fragile work for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Send works rolled, folded, or framed for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Send unmounted work that can be crumpled or damaged in shipping for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Exceed the maximum number of works or slides required for each section of the portfolio (extra works will not be evaluated).
• Send actual works for sections that require slides, or send works that are larger than 18" x 24" (they will not be evaluated, and your score for that section will be based on the work remaining in that section).
• Submit collaborative works or group projects.
• Place any information that identifies you or your school on any of the material included in your portfolio, except where requested. Your AP Coordinator will receive instructions on how to label your works. If you have already signed your work, however, do not risk damaging it to remove a signature.
DO:
• Complete all three sections.
• Remember that works from Section I (Quality) may also be submitted in slide form in either Section II (Concentration) or Section III (Breadth), and that you may not submit slides of the same work for both Section II and Section III.
• Pay attention to the requirements regarding the size and number of materials that may be submitted.
• Submit works in the standard AP portfolio that will be sent to your school no later than the beginning of May.
• Mat or mount any works on paper that you submit for Section I. Use a neutral colored mat board.
• Use fixative on works that may smudge.
• Cover the surface to protect the work. Use an overleaf that is fastened to one edge so that it can be lifted easily.
• Label all slides, including the dimensions and media of the original works.
• Photograph your work well ahead of the deadline so that you will have time to reshoot if necessary. The Teacher's Guide to AP Studio Art, published by the College Board®, contains information about how to photograph art.
• Submit a detail slide with the slide of the entire work if you wish to show details such as texture.
• Follow your AP Coordinator's instructions for labeling and packaging your materials.
• Submit your prepared materials on or before the deadline set by your AP Coordinator.
• Give ETS the correct address for returning your portfolio materials (they will arrive in late summer). We cannot ship your work to a P.O. Box.
• Retain duplicates of your slides and application materials.
DO NOT:
• Send ANY actual work for the 3-D Design portfolio.
• Send 3-D or fragile work for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Send works rolled, folded, or framed for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Send unmounted work that can be crumpled or damaged in shipping for Drawing or 2-D Design.
• Exceed the maximum number of works or slides required for each section of the portfolio (extra works will not be evaluated).
• Send actual works for sections that require slides, or send works that are larger than 18" x 24" (they will not be evaluated, and your score for that section will be based on the work remaining in that section).
• Submit collaborative works or group projects.
• Place any information that identifies you or your school on any of the material included in your portfolio, except where requested. Your AP Coordinator will receive instructions on how to label your works. If you have already signed your work, however, do not risk damaging it to remove a signature.