AP Drawing
Express Your Ideas Through Mark-Making and Drawing
AP Drawing is a portfolio-based course focusing on the use of mark-making, line, surface, space, light, and shade. Students explore drawing issues and develop their technical skills and personal vision through extensive studio practice.
Academic Level
College-Level
Subject Area
Arts
Course Rigor
Advanced
Governed By
College Board
Course Overview
What You Will Learn in This Course
Students learn to create a portfolio that demonstrates inquiry through drawing, along with the development of materials, processes, and ideas. The course prepares students for college-level fine arts programs by emphasizing mark-making, line, surface, and light. Participants explore a wide range of drawing issues and develop their technical skills through extensive studio practice and observational studies. The curriculum requires a sustained investigation of a personal inquiry, supported by sketches, drafts, and finished works. Students document their creative process, showing how their ideas evolve through practice and experimentation. By focusing on the physical and conceptual qualities of drawing, they develop a unique visual voice. This course culminates in a professional portfolio submission, which is critical for admission into competitive art conservatories and university fine arts departments.
Course Overview
Why Choose This AP Course
This course refines essential observational and expressive drawing skills, preparing students for careers in illustration, animation, architecture, and fine arts. By focusing on the fundamental act of mark-making, students develop the manual dexterity and visual acuity required for high-level artistic work. The curriculum pushes participants to explore the limits of their creativity through a sustained investigation of personal themes. This intensive studio practice is designed to help students build a professional-quality portfolio for college admissions. Participants learn to communicate complex ideas and emotions without the need for words, a skill vital for storyboarding and character design. The course emphasizes the importance of the creative process, from initial sketches to finished masterpieces. It provides a supportive environment for students to take risks and find their own artistic identity. This is a must-have course for any student aiming for a career in the imaginative arts.
Critical Thinking
Technical Skills
Problem Solving
Academic Growth
Colaboration
Career Readiness
Prerequisites
Observational Drawing
Experience drawing from life, including still life or figure drawing
Recommended
Creative Motivation
Ability to work independently and manage long-term creative projects
Required
Art History Familiarity
Helpful for historical context but not strictly required
Optional
Foundational Art Skills
Prior experience in basic drawing and composition classes
Required
Key Learning Outcomes
Build a sustained investigation based on a personal inquiry
Analyze how marks and surfaces convey meaning
Evaluate and articulate your artistic choices in writing
Prepare a professional-level drawing portfolio for college
Develop proficiency in various drawing techniques
Master the use of line, shading, and perspective
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Course Framework
Structure & Assessment
Sustained Investigation section requiring 15 digital images and written prompts
1
Selected Works section requiring 5 physical works demonstrating exceptional drawing skills
2
No traditional written exam; assessment is based entirely on the submitted portfolio
3
Emphasis on iterative practice, experimentation, and revision in drawing mediums
4
Duration
Full academic year (150+ hours)
Scoring
Scale of 1–5 based on a holistic reading of the portfolio
Grading Basis
Portfolio assessment by college and high school art educators
Strategies for Success
Syllabus
You'll learn how artists and designers decide what to make and why and how to make it.
Unit 1
Investigate Materials, Processes, and Ideas
You'll study the processes and techniques that artists and designers use when they create work.
Unit 2
Make Art and Design
You'll explore why and how artists and designers present their work to viewers.
Unit 3
Present Art and Design
Strategies for Success
Study & Success Tips
Build a sustained investigation based on a personal inquiry
Tip 4
Analyze how marks and surfaces convey meaning
Tip 3
Master the use of line, shading, and perspective
Tip 2
Develop proficiency in various drawing techniques
Tip 1
Prepare a professional-level drawing portfolio for college
Tip 6
Evaluate and articulate your artistic choices in writing
Tip 5
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