ART, CHILDREN PSYCHOLOGY

I HAVE READ VERY INTERESTED ARTICLE FROM 

http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~kbroom/Lectures/children.htm. 

"Art, Design and Psychology	Children's Art
Introduction Children explore the world around them through intellectual, physical and emotional methods All these factors play a part in their art. Psychological studies have established a series of stages of development in this process - simply stated as: SCRIBBLE - LINE - OBSERVATION Restriction in Expressive Skill Withdrawal
Two Models: Similar, but different (ages are approximate)	Viktor Lowenfeld Creative and Mental Growth 1978 First Stage of Self Expression (Scribbling Stage) 2 - 4 years First Representational Attempts (Pre-schematic Stage) 4 - 7  years Achievement of a Form Concept (Schematic Stage) 7 - 9 years Dawning Realism (Gang Age) 9 - 11 years Pseudo-naturalistic (Stage of Reasoning) 11 -13 years Herbert Read Education Through Art 1966 Scribble 2 - 4 years Line 4 years Descriptive Symbolism 5 - 6 years Descriptive Realism 7 - 8 years Visual Realism 9 - 10 years Repression 11 - 14 years Artistic Revival 14 years
A general outline  (taken from several sources) Scribble around 14 months shapeless, purposeless The primitive cell from which all graphic art grows wavy (like a waive of the hand) little muscle control needed sweeping movements of the arm from elbow or shoulder tangled movement like a pen attached to a pendulum or string
Lowenfeld (1978) 4 stages of scribble	a) Disordered - uncontrolled markings that could be bold or  light depending upon the personality of the child. At this age  the child has little or no control over motor activity. b) Longitudinal - controlled repetitions of motions.  Demonstrates visually an awareness and enjoyment of  kinesthetic movements. c) Circular - further exploring of controlled motions  demonstrating the ability to do more complex forms. d) Naming - the child tells stories about the scribble.  There is a change from a kinesthetic thinking in terms  of motion to imaginative thinking in terms of pictures.
Scribble and control around 18 months Gradually change to including circular movements, interspersed with lines - basic lessons are being mastered Initially chance, watching another child drawing, slowly brought under control of mind and body control of muscles in hand, wrist and arm collaboration of mind and body	Illustrations from  David  Lewis & James  Greene (1983) Your Child's  Drawings:  Their Hidden  Meaning
Scribble and Precision around age 2 more demanding lines, angles, zigzags and crosses use of arm, wrist and finger muscles challenges to perception, memory and co-ordination of hand and eye movement building of a store of knowledge about motions and products with varying results can continue alongside gradual increasing skill in formal, recognisable pictures
Beginning of Precision More restricted - doesn’t spread across page, isolated lines sometimes named - “a flower”
Pre-Schematic Stage Announced by the appearance of circular images and lines which seem to suggest a human or animal figure. During this stage the schema (the visual idea) is developed. The drawings show what the child perceives as most important about the subject. There is little understanding of space - objects are placed in a haphazard way throughout the picture The use of colour is more emotional than logical Lowenfeld
Two ways toward realism Observation - watching others - copying movements (not the drawings) Experimentation - haphazard - similarity recognised - repetition of success Often human figures, but also animals and plants Humans and animals remain popular, plants decline
Human Forms Primitive and tentative - Head and body only (tadpole drawing) full face parts added as skill and perception increase - feet, noses, eyes, mouth feet, arms, body and head Animals drawn in profile
Symbolism and Schema Around 4/5 School starts - social world broadens regular repetition of schema Circle used for heads and tree tops Drawings don’t look like they should appear to adult eyes figures look alike (no differences between male/female) conceptual understanding rather than visual observation close attention to detail - distortion and exaggeration simple geometric forms Illustration from Kellog, Rhoda (1970) Analysing Children's Art
Human Figures Preceded by consistent shapes Hundreds of them! Eventually the shape becomes a man/mother/sister/brother Very individual, may vary considerably Figures in the child’s experience which impress determine the subject matter people = socialising process lines represent arms and legs
The Schematic Stage - around 7 to 9 years Easily recognized by the demonstrated awareness of the concept of space. Objects in the drawing have a relationship to what is up and what is down. A definite base and sky line is apparent. Items in the drawing are all spatially related. Colours are reflected as they appear in nature. Shapes and objects are easily definable. Exaggeration between figures (humans taller than a house, flowers bigger than humans, family  members large and small) is often used to express strong feelings about a subject. Another technique sometimes used is called "folding over" this is demonstrated when objects are  drawn perpendicular to the base line. Sometimes the objects appear to be drawn upside down. Another Phenomenon is called "X-ray". In an x-ray picture the subject is depicted as being seen form the                                      inside as well as the outside.
In between stages (transition) Neck and shoulders are run together in a continuous outline arms ‘open out’ into the body segment hand and fingers appear feet are in a different schema clothing takes the place of the body neckline and cuffs forming distinct boundaries arms and trunk run together by 7 the average drawing should have most of these	Twainese Children  playing  with kites
Still Geometric Ovals, triangles, squares, circles, rectangles, or irregular shapes are used as body schema All kinds of shapes are used for legs, arms, clothes, etc. When separated from each other, these shapes are meaningless in isolation	Twainese Woman
Meaning Through Exaggeration Arms are often longer, hands enlarged Changes in shape are accompanied by added details or, leaving things out altogether e.g. eating = mouth bigger extended arms if touching or picking up and object Indicates expanding interests and awareness Not copying, concept forming Process: thinking, awareness of feelings, perceptual developments	Picking Flowers
Use of a base line Indicating space relates everything else on the page at 3 - 1% use baseline at 8 - 96% use baseline Conscious relationship is between child and environment outdoors: base for things to stand on character of landscape surface flowers, trees, buildings, machines, animals and people all stand on this base	A visit to the Zoo
Lowenfield accounts for the multiple use of the baseline: Obvious (to children) that people/things line up this is based on a kinaesthetic (movement) experience the child experiences movement in lines its natural, things come, one after another in a line therefore two sides of a street - two base lines Hence, different events can be portrayed: steps, hills, streets, railway tracks	Two neighbours  waiving
The use of a baseline in problem solving: drawing a house on a hill - experienced as climbing up but arriving at a flat area with a house at the top is solved by using two base lines each with the character of the experience The same would apply to drawing: inside a cave, underwater, an animal burrow, etc. Solution - xray or cross section Also seen for inside buildings; house, school, rooms, etc.
Social Experiences Less drawing of single figures - more groups more major objects; children and adults, buildings, landscapes, trees and animals beginning of composition The child at this point holds onto a life when the inanimate object has a relationship with the child e.g a child can give a rock a “good telling off” for hurting their foot!
The Gang Stage - 9 to 11 (Lowenfeld) Dawning realism as process becomes important Group friendships of the same sex are common and self awareness to the point of being extremely                                                                                                  self critical Realism - not in the photographic sense, more an experience with a particular object first time that the child becomes aware of a lack of ability to show objects the way they appear in the                                                                                                                                                        surrounding environment. The human is shown as girl, boy, woman, man clearly defined with a feeling for details often                                                                                                     resulting in a "stiffness" of representation. Perspective characteristic of this stage: an awareness of the space between the base line and sky line. Overlapping of objects, types of point perspective and use of small to large objects are evident in this stage. Objects no longer stand on a base line. Three dimensional effects are achieved along with shading and use of subtle colour combinations. Because of an awareness of lack of ability drawings often appear less spontaneous than in previous stages.                                                                                                                (Less vital and lively.)
Transition A symbolic world is created, lived out on paper, where ordering and arranging relationships can take place This helps the child to become objective and no longer tied to subject-object interpretations If you ask the child to tell the story, their meaning of the story will unfold
Pseudo-realistic Stage In this stage the product becomes most important to the child, marked by two psychological differences. Visual: the individual's art work has the appearance of looking at a stage presentation. The work is inspired by        visual stimuli. Nonvisual: the individual's art work is based on subjective interpretations emphasizing emotional relationships  to the external world as it relates to them Involvement Visual types feel as spectators looking at their work form the outside. Nonvisually minded individuals feel involved in their work as it relates to them in a personal way. Colour The visually minded child has a visual concept of how colour changes under different external conditions. The nonvisually minded child sees colour as a tool to be used to reflect emotional reaction to the subject at hand. NB This accounts for a personal reluctance for students to study colour as separate, without a context of  external conditions, visual or social, in which to set their study.
Some other considerations: When things are difficult... Art Therapy and Visual Metaphor  "…invisible monsters that gnaw away at the inner self, creatures that destroy self esteem and leave in their wake anxiety and pain. For children from violent homes, the monsters can be an abusive parent, neglect, incest, and severe emotional trauma." Kathy Malchiodi 98:4 "In all creativity, we destroy and rebuild the world, and at the same time we inevitably rebuild and reform ourselves." Rollo May 1985:144	Monster Drawing by  a 6 yr  old in a Battered  Woman's Home Source: Malchiodi,  Kathy (1997)  Breaking the Silence:  Art Therapy with  Children from  Violent Homes
When things are different.... Nadia born 1967, of Ukrainian émigré parents, second of three children (other children normal development) Language development problems, diagnosed as on the Autistic Spectrum at an early age Internationally famous Proportion and Perspective understood, not normal until adolescence draws from memory	Horse and Rider by  Nadia (6) Source: Selfe,  Lorna (1977)  Nadia: a case  of extraordinary  drawing ability in  an autistic child
Stephen Wiltshire born 1977, of British parents 1987, when Stephen 10, he was the subject of a QED programme (BBC) Stephen also draws from memory having studied or ‘watched’ a building for 15 mins or so The beginning point of any drawing is random and lines appear “like a sewing machine”, the line spinning from the pencil point until finished. Series of drawings of buildings around London has gone on to have an agent, and many visits to major cities all over the world, leading to several publications	The Albert Hall (10) Source: Casson,  Sir Hugh (1987)  Stephen Wiltshire  Drawings
And finally, for those that have an ability to draw Adolescense Can draw with accuracy and detail Have to acquire perspective, light, shade, depth, solidity, texture Until that is the adult artist wants to draw like a child again! Examples are: Paul Klee, Dubuffet, Kandinsky, Miro, and Russian Futurism	Paul Klee (1905)  Girl  with a Doll brush and  watercolour  behind glass Source:  Fineburg, J. (Ed)  (1998)  Discovering Child  Art:  Essays on  Childhood,  Primitivism  and  Modernism