COURSE MATERIALS

Supplies will vary depending on the students concentration & artistic preferences. The main necessities will be a sketchbook, pen/pencil, and the passion for art. 

However, if you're looking for some ideas of art supplies that may be useful, please consult the list below:

'HOUSEHOLD' ITEMS:

• Erasers - the kind of eraser you need typically depends on the medium you're using. Pink Pearl erasers are my go-to for most surfaces. If you're using charcoal, I recommend a kneaded eraser.

• Glue - acid-free school glue is good for small, quick projects, but if you're looking to do lots of collage work and want a clean, non-bumpy look I recommend Yasutomo Nori paste. This stuff is magical.

• Pens, Pencils, and Markers - make sure to get yourself a wide assortment of drawing tools. Keep in mind that they don't need to be super high-quality to get good results! I recommend grabbing several ball-point pens (blue and black is fine, but you can go multicolor if you want), felt-tip markers (like Crayolas, or the generic felt-tip markers you can get at the dollar store), and several pencils (mechanical, wooden, whatever your preference). 

• Painter's tape - you can use painter's tape to create crisp, clean edges and borders on your artwork. Plus, it's a good thing to have for all-around use. You can get pretty decent painter's tape at the dollar store if you don't already have some.

• A ruler - literally any old ruler will do! 

OTHER STUFF:

• ***REQUIRED - Sketchbook: Every student should have a dedicated sketchbook for this course. The sketchbook should be at least 5"x7" (A3, A4, A5, 6"x9", 8"x10", 8.5"x11" and 9"x12" sizes are also acceptable) and have either mixed media or watercolor paper inside (usually, this paper is 98lb or 140lb: it's thick and weighty compared to printer paper). Students can also complete sketchbook assignments on separate pieces of paper that are either collected in a 3-ring binder or taped/glued into a composition notebook.

• Colored pencils (24-count or more) - Prismacolor (NOT Prismacolor Scholar) soft-core colored pencils are the gold standard, and in my opinion worth the investment. You can get a 24-pack on Amazon for about $20. They are expensive, but the color lay-down and layering capabilities are excellent. If you absolutely cannot get Prismacolors then you can also manage with Crayolas.

• Watercolors (8 or more colors) - These don't need to be super-fancy! Watercolors are good for 'sketching in' colors and quick renderings, and can create some super interesting effects. You can get a pretty decent 16 half-pan Prang set on Amazon for about $10. Watercolors come in pans (as little solid 'cakes' that come in a palette) and tubes (as a super-concentrated paste that you have to add to a palette yourself). I recommend pans for beginners, as they are cheaper and you don't need to dilute them too heavily.

• Brushes (at least half a dozen) - Nylon-bristled brushes are good for acrylic and watercolor painting, and are also cost-effective. I recommend buying a multi-pack like this on Amazon, which you can get for around $5.

• Waterproof Pens - you should have at least one waterproof (i.e. non water-soluble) pen on hand, like a Sakura Micron. This is important, because if you outline a drawing in a water-based ink and then do wet media over it the pen will BLEED! The oil- or alcohol-based inks used in Microns and other similar brands don't bleed in water, so they'll keep your artwork clean and professional! You can also find waterproof pens at Daiso for pretty reasonable prices.

• Collage paper - it's helpful to have cardstock and/or paper in several different colors on hand for sketchbook exercises. You can buy packs of colored paper at Daiso for $1.50, but you'll find colored paper in most craft stores too. If at all possible, go for acid-free and sulphate-free papers: they won't discolor or fade over time.

• Plastic palette - a simple plastic paint palette with 8 indentations is good for managing most wet media (like watercolors, acrylics, gouache, ink, etc.). In a pinch, you can also use a disposable plastic lid or cover a dish in cellophane wrap to create a makeshift palette.

• India ink or Sumi ink - useful for quick studies and monochromatic gesture paintings. Comes in liquid form and stick form: liquid can be diluted with water and painted, while stick form is dissolved in water and then used. 

• Acrylic paint - you really only need 5 colors to do pretty well with acrylic paint: red, yellow, blue, black, and white. You can mix them together to get most other colors. The Artist's Loft paints at Michael's are pretty good for beginners and cost-efficient, but Liquitex also creates a pretty good product. Personally, I use Liquitex Heavy Body acrylics and Golden brand. 

• Watercolor paper - you should have at least ten 9"x12" sheets of watercolor paper and/or mixed media paper. This paper is thick and can handle wet media without considerable warping and distortion. If you have a watercolor sketchbook with 9"x12" or larger pages, you're good to go. For beginners, I recommend Canson XL Watercolor paper (you can get 30 sheets for around $7): this stuff can handle watercolor, India ink, acrylic, gouache, etc. and holds up quite well for dry media (like pencil, colored pencil, etc.), too.

CURRICULUM

The College Board's Course and Exam Description (CED) designates three course skills for AP Art and Design:

1. Inquiry and Investigation - Investigate materials, processes, and ideas

2. Making Through Practice, Experimentation, and Revision - Make works of art and design by practicing, experimenting, and revising

3. Communication and Reflection - Communicate ideas about art and design

Many important concepts and skills in the visual arts are connected to an understanding and exploration of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

The Elements of Art

• Line, shape, form, space, texture, color, value

The Principles of Design

• Balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, unity, proportion

Students will establish foundational knowledge of these concepts at the start of the course, and continue to develop their understanding and use of them throughout the school year.

COURSE STRUCTURE

AP Art and Design has been structured in such a way that all students, regardless of skill level or experience, are able to learn and practice fundamental concepts in art-making. We will begin from the ground-up by exploring the Elements of Art and Principles of Design and how several modern and contemporary artists have applied these concepts to a visually and ideologically cohesive body of work. Beginning with work in their sketchbooks, students will explore their own artistic expression using thoughtful prompts and exercises, then have opportunities to expand upon their ideas through small-scale projects and activities. Eventually, students will develop an inquiry question that will serve as a guiding compass for a portfolio of work, using the skills developed throughout the course to then execute those works at full scale.

This course is divided into three distinct sections that correspond with each of the steps in this process: Exploration, Investigation, and Application. The fourth section, Conclusion, wraps up the year with collaborative activities.

EXPLORATION

This course will begin with an exploratory curriculum: you will be encouraged to try several different media, tools, and techniques, and given resources and prompts to explore modern and contemporary art and art-making. The key of this phase of the course is to keep an open mind and try new things, and to not devote too much time or energy to one single project or idea.

During this phase, we will be focusing much of our attention to daily prompts in our sketchbooks. Each prompt will center around one or more of the Elements of Art or Principles of Design AND a modern or contemporary artist. Our projects during this phase will entail expanding upon one or more completed sketchbook prompts to create small-scale, completed 'mini-projects'.

INVESTIGATION

Partway through the first semester, you will begin work on your Sustained Investigation (see 'THE AP PORTFOLIO' below for more information). Using the sketchbook prompts and mini-projects completed in the Exploration phase as a guide, you will develop an artistic and ideological focus for a portfolio of related works that you will be working on from this point all the way through the second semester. This phase will involve largely self-guided research, writing, creating prototypes, and work in your sketchbooks.

If you are applying for arts colleges or other post-secondary programs that require a portfolio for your application, then you can align the needs of the application portfolio to your Sustained Investigation.

APPLICATION

Once you've determined the subject of your Sustained Investigation, you will formally plan out your works and spend the majority of class time working on them. You will be expected to create and adhere to a schedule for creating your artworks, and receive regular feedback from both your peers and your teacher. During this time you will submit Biweekly Progress Checks: these mini-reports will be completed every two weeks and update your teacher on the progress of your work. Students submitting AP portfolios will also be composing the written elements of their portfolios at this time and preparing their works for submission to the College Board.