A thoughtfully designed portfolio emphasizes...
mastery of technical skills and student voice tailored to different goals and audiences.
AP PORTFOLIO
Sustained Investigation
15 digital images | 60% of portfolio score
Selected Works
5 works | 40% of portfolio score
COLLEGE PORTFOLIO
The college portfolio is the largest indicator for one's success and bears the most weight when it comes to college decision making.
Strategically, the college decision comes down to whether or not the student is far along enough with the art process, skill level, and student voice.
CREDIT OR NO CREDIT
Most colleges will not allow a student with a passing score (3, 4 or 5) to skip a first-year core course, either because they have nothing comparable or, for art majors, they want all of them to take the same courses.
INSPIRATION
Colleges want to see what inspires students.
They are not looking for a theme.
CONCEPT
Colleges prefer to see developed concepts and evocative ideas, rather than technical exercises.
Technical exercises: a color wheel, or generic still-life.
TECH SKILLS
Students should consider how they can use their technical skills to convey an idea, an environment, story, mood.
Technical skills include:
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composition
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mark making
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lighting
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space
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texture
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color
Colleges recommend that students include some pieces based on direct observation.
EXPIEREMENT
Colleges value experimentation with different materials and mediums, working with non-traditional art materials, and going beyond the obvious solutions and methods.
CREDIT OR NO CREDIT
Your AP scores could earn you college credit or advanced placement (meaning you could skip certain courses in college).
If you are attending an Art School, you will need to contact that school to see if you can test out of any entry level drawing courses.
THEME
Submit images and writing to document an inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision.
INQUIRY
Materials, processes, and ideas are integrated and guided by the inquiry at the heart of the sustained investigation.
The theme is explored Semester 2 of Junior year.
ANIME / FAN ART
AP wants every piece in the portfolio to be the student's own creation.
It is difficult to bring your own voice to such a set style as Anime or Fan Art.
Instead include pieces based on direct observation.
EXPIEREMENT AND REVISE
AP also values
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experimentation with different materials and mediums
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working with non-traditional art materials
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going beyond the obvious solutions and methods.
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Revising when necessary.