This document provides examples of student art concentrations submitted for the Advanced Placement program in 2010-2011. It includes concentration statements and AP score rationales for several students. The concentrations cover a range of themes and media, including watercolor, drawing, photography, and mixed media. The AP scores range from 3 to 6 on the Drawing and 2D Design portfolios.

1. 2D AND DRAWING CONCENTRATIONS
Examples from the AP Board for 2010-2011

2. ELIZABETH PETERSMITH – WAYZATA HS,
PLYMOUTH, MN

14. ELIZABETH’S SCORE: 6 - DR
MEDIA: WATERCOLOR
Elizabeth’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• This concentration "Animalocalypse" is • Integration of the concentration topic and the
presented work is succinct and unmistakable.
a narrative series that resembles an
• Art-historical references and the narrative
alternate universe where the roles of structure of the work exhibit innovation,
animals and humans are switched. investigation and thoughtful, sophisticated
decision making.
Several are based from famous
• The work is technically excellent, and the
paintings (the first, fifth and last watercolor medium is effectively used to
images), but the majority of the express engaging and whimsical ideas.
watercolors are done from my • The appropriation of themes or photographic
imagination. As they progress from the sources clearly provides a visual reference
that is uniquely transformed and placed in
first to the last, the message grows service of a larger, personal vision.
more suggestive to the viewer. Some • Overall the work is outstanding and sustains a
paintings have a more light hearted high level of conceptual and technical
accomplishment.
mood, and all provoke a story.

15. MALLORY HARDIMAN – COLUMBIA CENTRAL HS,
COLUMBIA, TN

27. MALLORY’S SCORE: 4 - DR
MEDIA: PENCIL, OIL PASTEL, PRISMACOLOR
Mallory’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The original vision for my • The student's voice is discernible, even
concentration was the interesting though the concentration theme may be
too broad for successful investigation.
structures from my home town and
travels. I have always been fascinated • The work demonstrates a good level of
by the formal beauty of simple skill with some uneven accomplishment.
Further investigation of form and mark-
structures.
making, as seen in images 8 and 9,
would result in a higher level of overall
success.
• There is some clear decision making and
adequate technical competence with
noticeable transformation and discovery.
• Overall the work is of good quality.

28. NATHAN MOY – KONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL,
HONG KONG

40. NATHAN’S SCORE: 6 – 2D
MEDIA: WATERCOLOR & DIGITAL
Nathan’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• TThe central idea of my concentration • The theme and technical skills are
is Incognito. Humans utilize excellent, and the student's voice is
prominent and transcends the original
metaphoric masks to hide our true photographic sources.
identity. Because of this, our city
becomes artificial and fake. We feel • The commentary did not contribute to the
grading; the excellent designs and social
naked without them, so we have
statements in the work itself demonstrate
become "incognito addicts." an original vision and risk taking.
• The repetition, contrast, emphasis and
figure/ground relationships reveal
informed decision making and effective
use of two-dimensional design principles.
• The work presents an original vision.

41. JOSHUA ORSBURN – LAKE DALLAS HS,
CORINTH,TX

52. JOSHUA’S SCORE: 4 – 2D
MEDIA: MIXED MEDIA
Joshua’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The initial idea of my concentration • This concentration illustrates some innovative
thinking in the expressive use of mixed media,
was the idea of what comes from your resulting in a discernible student voice.
head, whether it is a physical object, • Although inconsistent in quality, the work
or an idea. From there the basis of my demonstrates some technical competence,
especially in the drawing applications. The
concentration turned into an technical skills and articulation of ideas do not
exploration of human emotions and always work together.
how they can seem to be trapped in • Some works, such as images 1, 2 and 12,
demonstrate a general understanding of
your head, a metaphorical box, principles such as order/balance, space, and
struggling to gain freedom. figure/ground relationships, but other works
lack a cohesive visual structure, as in images
5, 9 and 11.
• There may be uneven levels of
accomplishment, but overall the work is of
good quality.

53. IAN STONE – MOUNTAIN BROOK HS, MOUNTAIN
BROOK, AL

65. IAN’S SCORE: 5 – 2D
MEDIA: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Ian’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• My concentration uses the mask to • The student presents a strong body of work with
original, innovative ideas.
illustrate the veneer of false
• An evocative, engaging theme is clearly
personality. In my own life, I have presented.
struggled with a transparency of being, • Overall the work shows understanding and
retreating to isolation and hiding effective application of design principles,
behind a bulwark of silence and self- particularly use of balance, including both
approximate symmetry and asymmetry.
deception to protect myself from
judgement and exploitation. By • Intentional use of color in background, clothing
and masks serves to unify individual pieces.
utilizing a broad range of materials,
• Risk taking is prevalent though some
environments, wardrobes and poses I compositions lack the impact of others.
have created a series of self-portraits • Within the range of concentrations that received a
that describe not only the extent of this score of 5, this represents a high level of
affectation, but the emotional states accomplishment.
that surround its creation. • The work presents an original vision and is overall
of strong quality.

66. RACHEL MATERO – AVONDALE HS, AUBURN
HILLS, MI

78. RACHEL’S SCORE: 3 – DR
MEDIA: WATERCOLOR AND INK
Rachel’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• My concentration is abstracted nature • The connection between the
concentration topic and the work
studies. I derived inspiration from artist presented is evident.
Bobbi Meier, and a visit I made to
• There is moderate decision making and
Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania. I emerging growth seen in images 9 and
achieved this through exploration of 11, although the detail images 10 and 12
techniques in watercolor and ink. seem unnecessary.
• Though uneven, the work demonstrates
emerging technical skills.
• The line variation seen throughout the
work adds playfulness to the student's
voice.
• Overall the work exhibits an emerging
level of accomplishment.

79. NINA KWON – FAIRFAX HS, LOS ANGELES, CA

91. NINA’S SCORE: 5 – 2D
MEDIA: WATERCOLOR
Nina’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The main idea of my concentration is • An original and inventive concentration is
roller coaster design. I have always clearly present.
been inspired to design roller coasters • The application of design elements such
out of the ordinary and wanted to be as value, color, light and contrast are
more creative towards them, different effective and carefully considered.
from the standard type of roller • There is evidence of thoughtful decision
coasters that we usually see. making through the use of scale and
dynamic movement in the inventive
compositions.
• The technical aspects of the work are
strong.
• Overall the work is of strong quality.

92. JOSE LOZANO – BOOKER T WASHINGTON HS
FOR THE VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS,
DALLAS,TX

104. JOSE’S SCORE: 5 – DR
MEDIA: BROWN MARKER, MIXED MEDIA, ACRYLIC, GRAPHITE, COLORED
PENCIL
Jose’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The main idea of my concentration is • The student presents a strong body of work
roller coaster design. I have always been with an engaging visual theme.
inspired to design roller coasters out of
the ordinary and wanted to be more • The work is technically strong; markers and
creative towards them, different from the colored pencils are used well to express the
standard type of roller coasters that ideas.
Since I was a little kid I played at my • There is growth and transformation from early
godfather's wrecking yard. I was flat line drawings like images 1 and 4.
fascinated with exploring the wrecks. I
began to think about the wrecks and how • In images 5 and 6, line variety and overlapping
the wrecks happened. When someone help create three-dimensional form and space.
crashes a car it is violent and noisy. • Improvement in both composition and range of
Dreams are demolished. People are values is evident from images 7-12.
injured and sometimes killed. My
drawings make me think of broken • The work presents an original vision and
dreams. usually see. overall is of strong quality.

105. BEVERLY CHENG – PLANO WEST HS, PLANO,TX

117. BEVERLY’S SCORE: 5 – DR
MEDIA: DIGITAL
Beverly’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• My general idea for my concentration • This concentration demonstrates a well-crafted,
unique and thoughtful solution to a potentially
consisted of humans who had lost clichéd theme.
their identity or a definition of • The work is technically strong.
individuality. I wanted to express what • There is a successful use of composition, rhythm
you lose when you hide your "true and color, including black-and-white and
face" to the world and what leads up to monochromatic images. The work would benefit
from a greater exploration of the illusion of depth.
people hiding their true personalities. I
also wanted to incorporate what would • Effective manipulation of drawing techniques is
clearly present in the integration of digital media
come out of this concealment and how and analog mark-making and texture.
it affected one's surroundings. This • The work demonstrates originality; a more
was mainly influenced by my own complex and dynamic exploration of the
concentration topic would result in further
troubles at finding myself along with discovery.
the innocence I saw [in] my younger • Overall the work is of strong quality.
relatives' lives.

118. SARAH SCHAAB – GARNET VALLEY HS, GLEN
MILLS,PA

130. SARAH’S SCORE: 3 – DR
MEDIA: MIXED MEDIA, CHARCOAL, STAMPS, ACRYLIC, CHALK PASTEL
Sarah’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The central idea of my concentration is • This concentration demonstrates a well-
crafted, A concentration with some original
politics in the United States and the ideas is presented, although the choice of
way our government is perceived by subject matter is somewhat erratic in relation
to the theme.
different social groups or parties. I
• The juxtaposition of text to image and image
chose this as my concentration to image is carefully considered, adding visual
because I love reading and watching interest as well as texture.
the news to see the drama that is • Growth and transformation are evident in the
rendering of form, although the rendering
involved with the varying opinions of would benefit from bolder use of light and
the people in our country. shade.
• There is an emerging use of energized mark-
making.
• Overall the work is of moderate quality.

131. SUCHA CHANTAPRASOPSUK – REAVIS HS,
BURBANK,IL

143. SUCHA’S SCORE: 6 – DR
MEDIA: TEMPERA, COLORED PENCIL
Sucha’s Concentration Statement AP Score Rationale
• The central idea for my concentration • An unmistakable, consistent and
engaging theme is supported by informed
is to do intricate studies of fruits and decision making.
vegetables.
• The work is technically excellent, as
evidenced in the application of drawing
concepts and techniques such as light,
shade, composition and mark-making.
• The detailed rendering of form provides
an expression of nuanced subtlety
through a sophisticated exploration of
depth.
• The work goes far beyond copied or
standard images and creates a
prominent student voice.