3D AP STUDIO ART SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS
I am so delighted that you are taking your art making to the next level. AP is an advanced level course that will be
exciting, but it will also consist of hard work and commitment—and at times will be incredibly intense.
AP is essentially a college level course with expectations set by the College Board. Requirements include exploring
a variety of three dimensional art making and will consist of creating approximately 24 works of art. Examples of
portfolios and the manner in which they are submitted will be covered in depth in the first few weeks of school. (or
go to Collageboard.com)
My hope is that in the journey of making art you will become aware of the following thoughts and make them your
own:
 The intrinsic value of art…
 The connection between art and the world around us…
 Your own personal artistic VOICE…
 Independent critical thinking skills…
 Sophisticated art making skills based on the elements and principles of design…
 Problem solving skills that transfer into the real world…
THESE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE THE FIRST DAY THAT YOU RETURN TO SCHOOL.
THIS COURSE IS NOT ABOUT MAKING COPIES FROM PICTURES, ANIME, OR SCULPTURES. BULDING FROM PICTURES
IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR THE AP STUDIO ART COURSE. IF YOU ARE DRAWING OR SCULTUTING FROM A PICTURE
USING A REFERENCE THEN YOU MUST CHANGE THE COMPOSITION ENTIRELY. NOTE: ANIME IS NOT AN ACCEPTED
ART FORM FOR THE PORTFOLIO AS WELL AS YOU CANNOT DRAW OR SCULPT ANY COPYRIGHTED IMAGERY (AKA
DISNEY, SPORTS LOGOS, ETC.). IF YOU ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE COURSE, GOOGLE SEARCH AP
DRAWING, AP 2-D, AP 3-D, OR JUST AP STUDIO ART AS WELL AS TAKE A LOOK ON
HTTP://APCENTRAL.COLLEGEBOARD.COM AND TYPE IN THE SEARCH BOX THE COURSE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED
FOR. FOR AP 3-D, SCULPTURES MUST BE COMPOSED USING AN ADHESIVE OR GLUE THAT WILL KEEP IT STURDY.
GLUE GUNS DO NOT HOLD HEAVY SCULPTURES TOGETHER.
Assignments:
1. CREATE A SCULPTURE OUT OF STRAWS WHERE THE SCULPTURE NO LONGER LOOKS LIKE STRAWS. GET IDEAS
FROM GOOGLE IMAGES BUT DO NOT DIRECTLY COPY THEM. THE DOLLAR TREE SELLS STRAWS IN BULK FOR $1
AND HAS A VARIETY OF COLORS THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE. YOU CAN CUT UP THE STRAWS AND USE THEM IN A
DYNAMIC WAY AS WELL.
2. CREATE A SCULPTURE OUT OF TOOTHPICKS. THE DOLLAR TREE SELLS BOXES OF 500 FOR $1 AS WELL AS
SMALLER AMOUNTS OF SPECIALTY TOOTHPICKS. THE SCULPTURE SHOULD NO LONGER LOOK LIKE TOOTHPICKS.
YOU CAN USE OTHER OBJECTS AS BASES FOR THE TOOTHPICKS TOO LIKE STYROFOAM FORMS SUCH AS CUPS OR
FOAM FORMS THAT ARE SOLD IN THE GARDEN/FLORAL SECTIONS OF THE DOLLAR TREE OR HOBBY LOBBY OR
MICHAELS. GET CREATIVE! THE DOLLAR TREE HAS THE CHEAPEST FOAM FORMS. WALK THROUGH THE TOY AISLES
TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING MADE OF FOAM THERE TOO.
3. Google one of the following clay artists / potters…document one that intrigues you in your sketchbook—images,
thoughts, and facts about their art work.
Maria Martinez Peter Voulkos
David MacDonald Matthew Mets
Tom Turner Paul Soldner
Val Cushing Peter Valenti
Adelaide Robinson
AP Summer Assignments
You’re IWB (Investigation Work Book) and Studio work is due in the front office on August 24.
That is during teacher planning. Please make sure your name is on all work.
1. Materials - You will need to buy an 8.5 x 11 hardbound sketch book. You can find them at ArtSystems or Sam
Flax (you will get a discount if you show your student ID) or any art store. Make sure the paper is good quality so
you can use it for any media. I would also suggest buying some basic supplies for the summer and next year.
Suggested: A set of good drawing pencils and kneaded eraser, good color pencils (Prisma Color or Faber Castell),
several paint brushes of various sizes, some black fine line markers (sharpie is fine) and a watercolor set.
**You will also need access to a computer and printer.
2. Research- This “sketchbook” is called an Investigation Work Book (IWB for short).
You will use it to investigate, explore, experiment and research artists, techniques, media, ideas etc. You will not
just be researching artists but using it for anything that inspires you. It is NOT a diary or scrapbook but it is a” net”
used to catch and plan your ideas. It is for recording things you see that you do not want to forget or maybe use
later in your art work.
 Please number the pages.
 Use black or blue ink for writing.
 If you use messy media (pastels etc.) put a cover sheet to protect the other sheets.
 You do NOT have to finish a thought or idea on sequential pages. You might research an idea, go to
another and eventually come back to the first idea to add more thoughts etc.
 If you don’t know what something is or means…look it up!!! Be proactive!!
 You must, must, give credit to the artist. Write down the artist name, title, date and media for any
visual sources you include. If it is from a website please include that information.
 Don’t be wasteful of your pages. Fill each page – utilize the space you have.
 Every studio piece you do should have a corresponding part in your IWB (either for planning, for
inspiration, what you looked at to give you the idea, where you got the idea, color experiments,
media experiments, composition experiments)
This will be worth 40% of your grade next year.
 Your IWB (Investigation Work Book) has 4 criteria:
1. Independent research- even if the start of your research is from an assignment, take a personal, independent
approach
2. Critical research- critical analysis of your work and work of others, using specific, specialized vocabulary of
visual art (elements, principles of design and aesthetics, vocabulary specific to photography or painting,
vocabulary relating to art movements, media or techniques). You must avoid using “I like” or other slang terms.
3. Contextual research- investigating other cultures (especially non-Western) for inspiration-expand your mind!
You are not copying work of other cultures just using what you explore for inspiration and ideas for your own
work.
4. Visual research- ideas and plans for studio pieces or photo shoots, examples of artists, art movements,
techniques or? you are researching. Experiments with media or techniques.
 Improve your IWB by:
1. Annotating next to thumbnail sketches and material explorations.
2. Do research because you are interested in an idea, concept or skill, not just because you have been given an
assignment. Research further concepts, artists, styles, and materials we use in class.
3. Use a variety of materials (watercolor, pastels, oil pastels, inks, color pencil, collage, and pen). If you don’t
know how to use something…look it up!
4. Write down, draw, paint or glue in images of what inspires you.
5. Draw in it every day! Draw from observation (life around you!)
Assignment:
 Start your Investigation Work Book (IWB) by writing your name on the inside cover.
 Begin by including an autobiography. This can include anything you think is important. You can talk
about your art, your life, your likes or dislikes. You can talk about your goals, your dreams. You can
illustrate it with photos or drawings or??
 Research the elements and principles of design and record each definition in your
 IWB. Illustrate each element and principle with an example (small sketch or thumbnail). Use these
pages for future reference when critiquing your work and that of other artists. Write about why
they are important and find two examples of artwork that has a clear example of a principle or
element of design. At least two pages.
 Research and analyze at least one artist from any time period, focusing on their style, symbolism
and techniques. Talk about several pieces of their work using specific vocabulary and using the
formal elements of design. Create study drawings on one work. At least 3 pages. (Attached is list of
contemporary artists)
 Research the meaning of at least one symbol (e.g. circle, hand, etc.) in 5 different cultures (include 2
non-western cultures). What does this symbol mean as an archetype? Plan at least three pieces
around your research. Create at least one studio piece from your investigations.
 Investigate two media that you have already used and two more you are unfamiliar with. This is to
improve present skills as well as build new ones. Record experiments, useful tips and techniques,
interesting artists and pieces related to the media chosen. At least 5 pages.
 Practice drawing from life. Create at least one piece from the following categories: landscape, still
life, portrait or self-portrait. Draw from life, not from photos. Be sure to keep the composition, focal
point and background in mind when planning your piece.
 Include at least 2 pages of planning.
 In addition to the above assignments, use your IWB over the summer. It is a requirement for next
year. A good rule of thumb is about 4-5 pages a week. Some weeks you will have more, some less.
Make each page count…no pages of tiny drawings that are meaningless. Even though you have
assignments, they are flexible and can be tailored to your interests. If you are going on trips – bring
it with you!
 Draw in the car, the airplane, airport, the beach! Subway station!
3. EXCURSION (optional)- visit at least one art show, museum or exhibition this summer. Document your visit in
your IWB. Include your impressions (this is a good place to use critical analysis) of what you see and how it might
inspire you for future projects. Include brochures or sketches of pieces you find interesting or important. Be
thoughtful and SPECIFIC in your comments (e.g. NOT “I like the colors, they are so pretty”. Better: “The use of
organic texture in this piece contrasts with the more manmade shapes. The artist is trying to show the struggle
between man and nature in this series of paintings….”) You might decide to discuss and write about only one
piece, or the art of one artist or? I would expect you to have at least 2 pages.
Please remember that all the pieces you create over summer should be well thought out. If you lack technical
skills to make a piece successful, then you will have to practice these skills. Your first attempts may not be
successful but they are necessary for you to show growth and improve. How willing you are to make mistakes
and persist will tell me how successful you will be in this class. That is the purpose of these summer assignments.
If you have questions or concerns during the summer email me at [email protected]
Previous student IWB work:
Drawing investigation – dissecting an object
Drawing investigation – material experimentation
Critical Research on an artist
ARTISTS TO KNOW……………………………………….
John Van Alstine: much of his work consists of combinations of stone and metal.
Giacometti: much of his work is done in bronze; linear figure forms that are highly gestural.
Alexander Calder: much of his work is done with metal and is designed to create movement.
Henry Moore: is known for his figures and abstract sculptures which are organic in nature—done by carving or
casting.
Aristide Maillol: a figure sculptor whose forms are rounded and geometric.
Rodin: famous for “the Thinker”; figures are carved or cast in bronze and are often exaggerated for emphasis.
Michelangelo: famous for “the David” and for painting the “Sistine Chapel” during the Renaissance.
Brancussi: known for his geometric, clean minimal forms. The “Bird” sculpture spurred a great debate for defining
what art is.
Donald Judd: minimal sculptor who often works on a large scale to manipulate how the viewer moves through a
room.
David Smith: works with found metal to create totem forms.
Eva Hesse: her work uses natural materials to create minimal forms.
Andy Goldsworthy: his “earthworks” are created using time and natural environments.
Louise Bourgeoise: 90 year old artist who has painted, printed, sculpted, and even performed during her career;
she has done world wide installations; recently created a body of work with spider imagery (drawn and sculpted).
Patrick Dougherty: known for doing outdoor installations with found twigs native to the site—usually large scale
forms.
Ursula Von Rydgingsvard: creates large scale wood forms made from stacked 2x4’s that are carved with a circular
saw.
Joseph Cornell: an American artist who created fascinating works of art in boxes using found objects, pages from
old books, and dime store trinkets.
Marcel Duchamp: famous for his “ready-made” sculptures—one being the “Fountain”. “The creative act is not
performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and
interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.”
List for students to complete in their visual journals during summer vacation. These assignments will prepare students to
enter AP Studio Art Courses.
Unusual Interiors and/or Exteriors
Something not There
Artists and/or Concepts Research
Negative Space
Letters as Art
Organic and/or Inorganic
Natural and/or Mechanical Forms
Sequence and/or Transformation
Mini-Concentrations Using the Principles of Design
Simplify and/or Reorganize
A Sign of the Times
Identity
Social Justice
Within and/or Without
Suspension
Light and/or Shadow
Reflections
Structures
Magnify and/or Minimize
Exits and/or Entrances