A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

A Childs Drawing Analysis Hannah Lewis University of Missouri, Columbia

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS A Childs Drawing Analysis There are many different reasons as to why art is important for children. Not only does art provide many opportunities for children to learn and be creative, but it is also a tool for

children to use when representing or understanding meaning. Art allows children to have a voice and be heard in whatever they do. According to Eisner (2009), art recognizes the diverse ways in which people can be literate or multi-literate. Language used in the service of the poetic is quite different from language used in the service of the literal (p.6). Students may find that they are better at expressing themselves through art rather than writing. A student who has difficulty recognizing letters can often draw what they know, think and feel rather than writing their thoughts. It is important to note that every child develops differently and at a unique pace. This applies to childrens artistic abilities as well, which is why the Lowenfeld stages of artistic development were created. As with all developmental stages, children progress at different rates and portray different characteristics in each stage. It is crucial to have an awareness of these stages in order to establish individual levels of expectations for students. In each Lowenfeld stage, children exhibit different characteristics that are unique to that particular stage. Such elements involve space representation, human figure representation, and drawing characteristics. These stages of artistic development closely parallel Piagets stages, which tells a lot about not only the childs artistic ability but also the childs development in general. According to Lowenfeld and Brittain (1970) the six stages of artistic development are the Scribbling Stage (two-four years), the Preschematic Stage (four-seven years), the Schematic Stage (seven-nine years), the Gang Age (nine-twelve years), the Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage (twelve-fourteen years) and the Adolescent Art Stage (fourteen-seventeen years) (pp.474-479). In this paper, I will

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS describe and analyze a childs artwork (shown in figure 1) as it relates to general theories of childrens development in art and identify the stage I believe that child belongs in. However, before I begin my analysis, it is important to note that a child may not be defined by one stage; they may have characteristics from two or three different stages. Description and Analysis The childs drawing I am analyzing (figure 1) seems to be a ninja turtle drawn in pencil and outlined in sharpie. The parts of the drawing that are colored in (the outer shell, face, and sweatbands) seem to be colored in with a marker, although Im not sure what color since the drawing is pictured in black and white. This student is very detailed in outlining the arms, face, and shell of the turtle. The outlining emphasizes the curves in the shell and the muscles on the arms. The outlining also accentuates the teeth and size of the turtles nose. Although the student

Figure 1. Example of students drawing

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

didnt use much color in their drawing, I think that the color would take away from the detailing in the lining of the turtle. Due to the dark simplistic background, the detailed turtle is the primary focus of the drawing. Since the turtle is very light and the background is dark, the turtle catches our eye even more due to the contrast of colors. The student also made sure to incorporate the sweatbands on the wrists, elbows, knees and head, which made for an even more accurate representation of a ninja turtle. After putting much thought and analysis into this drawing, I believe that this student is in the Gang Age stage and transitioning into the Pseudo-Naturalistic stage. One characteristic in the Gang Age stage that this student possesses is greater awareness of details. For example, the student used a lot of lines to shape the curves of the turtles shell and muscles on the turtles arms. Since the emphasis of this drawing is on detail rather than action, the ninja turtle is portrayed in a stiff posture. There is also greater awareness of clothing details. This means that the student either incorporates wrinkles, buttons, jewelry or other small details in the clothes of the drawing. Being familiar with the ninja turtles, one would know that the turtles only wear sweatbands around their wrists, arms, knees and head. The student consciously incorporated these clothing details on the turtle they drew to portray it as a ninja turtle. What leads me to believe that this student is transitioning into the Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage is that they have an awareness of joints, body actions and the figure is drawn closer to correct proportions (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1970, p.478). The student makes sure to outline the biceps in the turtles arms to reveal its strength. The student also drew the arms, legs and head proportionate to the turtles shell, which makes the figure appear more realistic. The details such as wrinkles and folds become more important during this stage, and this student made sure to

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS outline every fold and curve in the turtles body. Cartooning also becomes more popular in the

Pseudo-Naturalistic stage and as we see here, the student drew a ninja turtle (which is a cartoon). Conclusion I think it is important to understand the developmental stages of a student as a teacher because the stages provide a guide to knowing what a child can do in art at different ages. According to Mayesky, Neuan and Wlodkowski (2010), Development levels tell the teacher what came before and what is to come in the artwork of a student (p.1). Children may be either ahead or behind the developmental level for their age but it is important for the teacher to know this information so they can plan different lessons or activities accordingly. Not only is it beneficial for the teacher but it also provides students with appropriate guidance and support. If a teacher is not familiar with the different stages of artistic development, they may not have the ability to appropriately foster a childs artistic growth and children may feel misinterpreted or neglected. If a teacher is aware of the particular stage their student is in then the teacher will be able to establish individual levels of expectations for students. All teachers should have the knowledge of the growth and development of children and know the ways by which each student learns. If the teachers are aware of this information, they will be able to build on the childs experiences and take them to new levels of understanding and seeing. As a future teacher, I hope to promote and nurture the creative minds of my students so that they dont feel disregarded or misunderstood. According to Oreck (2006), the energy, focus, creativity, and expressiveness these students bring to the arts- qualities that are poorly measured by standardized tests- are not finding positive outlet in the classroom (p. 2). It is important for teachers to be aware of these artistic abilities so that students can excel and live up to their potential. As I have said before, art making is a way of learning and a means by which

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS the child makes sense of the world. Knowing artistic development enriches the teachers

experience because when children create art, they are sharing personal experiences and attitudes. When a teacher observes and understands the artwork of their students, they in turn learn something about the childs experiences and attitudes.

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS References Eisner, E. (2009). What Education Can Learn From the Arts. Art Education, 62(2), 22-25. Lowenfeld, V., & Brittain, W.L. (1970). Creative and Mental Growth. New York: Macmillan. Mayesky. , Neuman, , & Wlodkowski, (2010). Developmental stages of children's art. Creative Activities For Young Children, Retrieved from

http://webshares.northseattle.edu/fam180/topics/art/DEVELOPMENTALART.MLP.htm Oreck, B. A. (2006). The role of classroom teachers in identifying and nurturing students' artistice abilities. Role of Classroom Teachers, 1-31. Retrieved from http://barryoreck.com/articles_papers/RoleofTeachersPSID.pdf