In the AP Art & Design program, the Elements of Art and Principles of Design are consistent across all three portfolios—AP Drawing, AP 2-D Art and Design, and AP 3-D Art and Design—but how you apply and explore them varies depending on the medium and dimensionality of each portfolio.

Below is a breakdown of the shared elements and principles, along with how each portfolio tends to emphasize them:

​

Elements of Art (Shared Across All Portfolios)

1. Line

2. Shape

3. Form

4. Space

5. Texture

6. Value

7. Color

​

Principles of Design (Shared Across All Portfolios)

1. Balance

2. Contrast

3. Emphasis

4. Unity

5. Variety

6. Rhythm

7. Movement

8. Proportion/Scale

9. Pattern

10. Repetition

​

How does each AP portfolio prioritize or interpret these?

​

AP Drawing

• Focus: Mark-making, illusion of depth, rendering of form using observational or imaginative drawing.

• Emphasized Elements:

  • Line – expressive, gestural, contour

  • Value – tonal shading, highlights, and shadows

  • Texture – implied via marks

  • Space – illusion of depth through perspective

• Commonly Used Principles:

  • Emphasis, Rhythm, Unity, Movement

Key: AP Drawing is not about design, but about mark-making, perceptual skills, and drawing processes.

​

AP 2-D Art and Design

• Focus: The application of design principles to flat work—graphic design, photography, digital art, printmaking, painting, etc.

• Emphasized Elements:

  • Color – color theory, palettes, harmony

  • Shape – especially in design and abstraction

  • Line and Texture – especially in mixed media or photography

  • Space – positive/negative space in layout

• Commonly Used Principles:

  • Balance, Contrast, Unity, Variety, Pattern, Emphasis

Key: Work should show intentional design decisions, visual organization, and effective communication of ideas.

​

AP 3-D Art and Design

• Focus: The articulation and organization of three-dimensional space—sculpture, installation, ceramics, architecture, etc.

• Emphasized Elements:

  • Form – physical presence, structure

  • Texture – tactile and visual

  • Space – interaction with physical space, scale, depth

  • Value/Color – often secondary unless surface treatment is key

• Commonly Used Principles:

  • Proportion, Scale, Balance, Movement, Rhythm, Unity

Key: Emphasis is on how forms interact with and exist in real space—a physical, spatial awareness of design.

​

​