AP 3-D Art and Design — Cheatsheet
Formulas, exam-day tips, and key terms on one page.
How to get a 5
- Photography is critical for 3D portfolios. Ensure your photos are well-lit, have neutral backgrounds, and show multiple angles to convey depth and form.
- Consider how your piece interacts with gravity, balance, and the space around it (negative space).
- Safety first! Always use appropriate safety gear (goggles, respirators) when using tools or hazardous materials.
- Your Sustained Investigation should clearly show a progression of ideas and skills, not just a collection of unrelated 3D objects.
Key terms
Form — An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width AND depth.
Mass — The physical bulk of a solid body of material.
Volume — The space within a 3D form or the space that the form occupies.
Negative Space — The empty space around and between the solid parts of a 3D object.
Subtractive Process — Creating 3D form by removing material from a larger block (e.g., carving stone or wood).
Additive Process — Creating 3D form by adding material (e.g., modeling clay).
Fabrication — Creating form by joining separate pieces of material together (e.g., welding metal, gluing wood).
Casting — A process where a liquid material is poured into a mold and allowed to harden.
Kinetic Art — Art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect.
Relief Sculpture — A sculpture that projects from a flat background (low relief or high relief).
In-the-Round — A freestanding sculpture that can be viewed from all sides.
Scale / Proportion — Scale relates to the size of the object in relation to its environment; Proportion relates to the size of parts within the whole object.