Lists

Concentation – Best Practices

  1. Create a plan that focuses on your talent, strengths, interest, and passions in order to complete a selection of 12 pieces for your concentration
  2. Formulate a plan for growth and development (e.g., use a different colour scheme for each piece). View how artists use colour. Study colour theory.
  3. Plan to spend at least 10 hours on each piece and at least one week per piece.
  4. Use materials you are already familiar with (e.g., pencil, coloured pencil, acrylic paint).
  5. Show a full value range with high contrast.
  6. Create unique compositions. Vary perspective by using bird’s eye view, bug’s view, foreshortening, etc.
  7. Work in layers. Allow time for media to dry then layer. Don’t abandon a start, instead combine two starts.

Avoid teenage stereotypes:

  • blood dripping
  • moisture from eyes
  • skulls
  • rock, rap, or any stars
  • large eyes
  • fashion models
  • muscle men
  • comic book style drawing
  • comic strip characters

Avoid cliches:

  • palm tree/sunset
  • sun or sunrays in corner
  • sunset with mountain
  • lollipop trees
  • rainbow and clouds
  • sad clowns
  • tears/eyes

Explore a variety of styles:

  • abstraction
  • realism
  • surrealism
  • cubism
  • impressionism
  • cultural influences
  • primitivism
  • modern
  • dynamism
  • fauvism

 

Adapted from: Sunday, B. (2011). Introduction to AP studio art. Unpublished manuscript, AP Studio Art Session, Presented by Barbara Sunday, Sentinel Secondary School, West Vancouver, Canada