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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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