Course Description: AP Studio Art: 2-D is designed as an intensive one year course of college-level study which requires more time than traditional courses. Portfolio requirements indicate that the serious student must bring work that has been completed outside the classroom. These works should be completed at times agreed upon by parents and as the school schedule and free time permits. This should be time that students have to devote to their artwork. Students are expected to take the AP Exam at the end of this course.
Major Content/Concepts: Students will explore the elements of art (color, value, line, shape, form, texture and space.) and the possibilities that artists use to express themselves. The principles of design (balance, contrast, proportion, pattern, rhythm, emphasis, unity, and variety) help guide artists in making decisions about how to organize the elements on an image plane in order to communicate content.

Course Objectives:

• Develop critical thinking skills
• Increase cultural literacy
• Develop visual perception
• Understand creativity, growth, and maturity of a style within an artists career
• Develop an art vocabulary
• Study the media, techniques and processes used in the creation of art works
• Understand the role of visual art and architecture within a larger context

Course Philosophy:  Students who enroll in AP Studio Art 2D will be expected to produce a minimum of forty pieces.  They therefore should consistently be working from observation and develop a broad range of divergent products that apply color theory, design principles and emphasize specific elements of art. A portion of this work should be directed toward a student selected theme. It is important for the student to understand how media can be combined into 2 dimensional works that convey a message to the viewers.

Last Revised: March 15, 2007