AP Studio Art Portfolios are designed for students who are seriously interested in the practical experience of art.  Taking this AP Studio Art course requires a commitment and an energy level, which goes far beyond doing assignments and homework assigned to lower level art courses.  If you wish to be successful in this course, make up your mind right now that you will have to put in extra time to improve your skills and develop ideas.

You must complete at least three (3) and bring them to school the first week for critique. You will receive a major grade for your summer work. It is your choice as to which assignment you complete from the list to follow. The assignments are about quality, not quantity. You are encouraged to explore media that you have not used before.

1. Self portrait in a reflective object. Your goal is to convey a convincing representation.
2. A drawing of an unusual interior- for example: looking inside of a closet, cabinet, refrigerator, inside your car, under the car’s hood etc.
3. A still-life arrangement of your family members’ shoes.  You should include at least three shoes for interesting shape, design, texture, color
4. Café drawing: go to a place where you can sit and sketch for a long period of time. In your drawing, capture the essences of this place (local eatery, coffee shop, bookstore, mall etc.) by drawing the people and places you see.
5. Draw plumbing. Look under your sink
6. A close up of a bicycle form an unusual angle
7. Draw a flower arrangement in its various stages of life (ex: flower bud, blooming, wilting, dying)
8. Create a self- portrait using torn pieces of black and white newspaper.  Within a newspaper, you can find any different values by the size and spacing of the type and by photos.  Use these values to create the form needed for a portrait.  You may also use some black and gray paper, but the finished work should have 50% newspaper.
9. Draw a scene as if you were viewing it from underwater (looking up from the bottom of the pool, ocean, lake etc)
10. Design a pair of shoes. Actually paint directly on the shoes (they can be from a second hand store, thrift  store, old shoes, etc)

YOU HAVE A TOTAL OF 3 ASSIGNMENTS. DO NOT WAIT until the last minute to do these. Enjoy, relax and create. Have fun while doing these. Just as soon as possible, register at Here you will find information on AP Studio Art classes, the exam, scoring rubrics used and examples of past students work in each of the portfolio areas.

If you have any questions, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I look forward to seeing you in August.