Concentration

Photo II students, please

continue working on your
summer assignments. Reminder
that the last day to work in class
will be Thursday (9/8) and will
be due 9/15 for full credit.
Photo III students, please grab a
Concentration Theme handout.
We will be reviewing this (out
loud) together.

a Concentration theme A
You want to spend a good amount of time developing your Concentration theme. You will be
working on it for a while and create a total of 12 images. You want to pick a concentration that
you enjoy and are passionate about.

Tips for a successful concentration

1. It is not enough to focus on a subject (trees) or a medium (film). If trees, why trees? Is it
about growth? Negative space in nature? Protective canopies? Strength and
endurance? Branch and leaf structure? The design of a forest in compositional
relationships? Look at Mondrian, van Ruisdael, Courbet, van Gogh, and Fairfield Porter.
2. Your exploration should go deeper than merely taking a subject and executing it in a
variety of media or styles. Example: Apples rendered in film, digital, cubism, fauvism,
and surrealism.
3. Ideally you should develop a visual language that fits your idea, a style and medium, and
format appropriate for the theme you are investigating.
4. A concentration can be a series of works that are very consistent in theme and different
place than where it began. In either case, it is best dos tart out with a clear plan of
attack; if the idea changes, the change will usually be the natural result of discoveries
made in the process of exploration.
5. Do not choose to work in a medium in which you have absolutely no experience. This is
not a time to try something completely new. The point of the concentration is to work in
depth. This can usually be best achieved in a medium you are already familiar. You are
developing concept, not technique.
6. Research artists who worked in styles similar to your own direction or with similar subject
matter. Do not rely totally on yourself for inspiration. Look at historical masters,
contemporary artists, the world around you, and your peers to cross-pollinate your own
ideas.
7. If you choose to work in an area rich in clich or teenage stereotypes you work must be
very original. It is strongly recommended that you avoid topics such as blood dripping,
skulls, large eyes, hearts, fairies, vampires, emotion through eyes, your girlfriend/
boyfriend/significant other, sunsets, rainbows, clouds, or sad clowns (to name a few).
8. ALL images must adhere to copyright laws. By using original imagery you will avoid any
issues.
9. Themes such as my feelings and emotions, nature, or flowers are too broad for a
concentration (remember tip 1). Even the more common concentration themes such as
portraits or still life need a specific focus. Still lifes that tell a story or emphasis a certain
interest in composition or design will be more successful. If the concentration is
portraits, you should consider things like format, intent, point of view, lighting, style, and
expressiveness.
10. Visit the College Board Website. READ the Concentration Statements and then look at
the artwork. Really LOOK at how the artwork is connected and the artist developed the
idea.

Worksheet #1
AP Studio Art: Developing a Concentration
Worksheet #1
Name:
Identification of Commonalities in a Series of Artworks
(On the AP page on the website (lrhsborleis.weebly.com), there is a slideshow entitled Artists and Their
Concentrations. These artists have produced a series of works around common theme. This presentation is
designed to help you begin the process of developing your own concentration. Look at the presentation.
Choose one of the artists on whom to base your completion of this worksheet.)

Visit the AP section of the website

and click on the button entitled
Artists and their Concentrations.

Answer the questions on the

worksheet by choosing one of the
artists.

Artist
1. List and describe the similarities in this artists work for each of the categories listed below:
Subject Matter:

Composition:

2. In this artists work, do you notice a strong use of any of the art elements (line, shape, form, color, texture,
space, value)? If so, describe how the elements were used.

3. What medium or media and techniques do you think this artist used to create his/her pieces?

4. What common theme(s) did the artist use in his/her artwork?

5. Complete the following sentence:

This artists concentration is

Worksheet #2
AP Studio Art: Developing a Concentration
Worksheet #1

Name:

Developing Visual Images in Art

1. Do you prefer to work in film or digital?

2. When you create art, what subjects or subject categories do you enjoy working with/exploring? (Circle all
that apply)
Landscape or Seascapes
Figure

Next, answer the questions on

the second worksheet to help
develop your own
Concentration.

Cityscape or Architectural Compositions

Fantasy
Narrative/Genre

Portraits

Still Life

Abstract or Non-Objective

3. When you draw/sketch/doodle/take photos for fun, what kinds of things do you capture?

4. List three artists, styles, or periods of art that appeal to you:

1.
2.
3.
5. List three photo techniques and/or media that you feel most comfortable with:
1.
2.
3.
6. Considering all the things youre drawn to when creating art and the media/techniques you are most
comfortably with, list 3 possible concentrations (think back to the first worksheet):
1.
2.
3.
7. Of the 3 concentrations listed above, which would you choose to create a body of work using various
media & techniques? Explain why.