Running head: CHILDRENS DRAWING ANALYSIS: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

STUDY

Childrens Drawing Analysis: A Qualitative Research Study

Lindsay Moshkowsky
University of Missouri
March 10, 2015

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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this investigation into one students artwork is to
analyze the students thought process, the significance the art holds, as well
as the childs development in relation to the six drawing stages outlined by
Viktor Lowenfeld.
As a future elementary educator it is imperative that I work to discover
the importance and value that lies within art integration, as well as the
meaning making that can be derived from it- through both the teacher and
student perspectives. Art integration assists in reaching and engaging a
wide variety of learners through unique avenues. For this reason, it becomes
clear that the integration of art in the general education classroom can
bridge a figurative gap between diverse students, as art has the power to
facilitate and promote critical thinking and meaning making when connected
to core content. From the drawing sample I collected, I have concluded the
student is inbetween the preschematic and schematic stages due to the use
of geometric shapes, two-dimensional organization, floating objects, and
emotionally related proportions.
METHOD
The collection of the childs drawing occurred on a Sunday morning
around eleven oclock at the kitchen table. The participant is an eight-yearold girl in second grade. I placed markers, colored pencils, and crayons on
the table before approaching her regarding completing this activity. Soon,
she came to the table out of sheer curiosity, and this is when I asked her if

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she could draw me a picture of her family. She obliged, although did not
seem all too excited. Her lack of genuine interest showed as she used only
one black colored pencil in her drawing. The one comment she made during
the artistic process was: Ha, look! Daddy is the smallest and I am the
biggest! I did not respond to this question beyond acknowledging the fact,
as I believe there is larger significance underlying this composition.
After she completed the drawing of her family, I asked: Why did you
only use
black?
She responded: Thats all I felt like using!
I then asked: Why are mom and dad smaller than you?
Her answer: I dont know, but its funny!
As the facilitator of this activity, I was surprised by the end result. I expected
a much more detailed result from this second grader than I received, which
still has me wondering. This student excels academically, however as
explained by Wilson and Wilson, what the child expresses on the page is
likely to change and transform as his or her perception of the complexity of
the world changes. Facilitating this activity has definitely given me more
than a few things to think about as well as encouraged me to look through
different perspectives before judging or critiquing a childs drawing abilities.
ANALYSIS
The student produced a drawing with minimal detail. The drawing
features three people: the artist herself (the child), her mom, and her dad.
Each person seems to be composed of a combination of geometric shapes
and a smile directed at the viewer. The people lack details such as clothing,
and seem to be floating in space. All of these characteristics lead me to

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believe the child is currently in the pre-schematic stage of drawing
development. However, there are several characteristics included in the
drawing, which identify more closely with the schematic stage. These
features include: the development of a repeated form concept (geometric
bodies, same faces), the image is reflective of the childs active knowledge of
the environment; the image is two dimensional, and a proportional
dependence on emotional values is present. Because I know more about this
child, my initial thinking points towards her in charge attitude being the
root reason for the misrepresentation in size of her family- it may be that
there is a large emotional component behind her drawing. With each feature
observed, I believe I have identified an adequate amount of evidence to
indicate that this student is between the pre-schematic and schematic
stages in relation to her mark making and drawing abilities.
When analyzing the drawing of the students family, I am able to see
the presence of the simplicity principle. This means that the child is
choosing to depict an object in as simple and undifferentiated a way as
conforms to the childs expectations for the object (Wilson & Wilson, 1982).
The students constant repetition of the same shapes aligns with this
principle, as the goal was likely to make the drawing as simple as possible
while still representing a human. Additionally, I am able to further validate
the role of the simplicity principle, as I know this student very well. It is likely
that she was aiming for simplicity in conjunction with speed- perhaps also
explaining the lack of details and or color on the page.

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The strongest developmental principle at work in this childs drawing
seems to be the plastic principle, which explains the exaggeration of an
object, person, or action, to display importance. Wilson and Wilson say: In a
family group, me, or perhaps one parent or another, it the dominant figure
(1982). The image the student created depicts her as the largest, and thus
most dominant figure in the drawing. Before researching, I thought this was
attributed to her typical demeanor of being the boss of the house, and after
researching, the idea of the plastic principle is definitely rooted in her
drawing.
The child is currently between two of Lowenfelds stages of
development, making her development as an artist increasingly interesting
to analyze, as there are a variety of principles at play in what I originally
thought was just a simple sketch.
CONCLUSION
From conducting an analysis of all aspects of this drawing, it has come
to my attention that as a future general educator, our students art can truly
hold great meaning, and even clues into their academic and social
development. The drawing abilities of our students can offer much larger
implications, as Erickson and Young explain: Childrens abilities to create
drawings and to understand art develop in a parallel fashion to changes in
their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical growth (1996). From this
reality, I gather that educators must learn to value and interpret a childs
artwork more deeply and holistically, as their expression through mark

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making can hold incredible significance in other areas of their academic
progress. We can then use these findings as evidence to inform our
instruction and ensure its appropriateness.
In what is often a very regimented, and teacher-centered school day,
the integration of art throughout content areas can offer an outlet for
students- a space to be uninhibited learners, in control of both the process
and the product.

In Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning, Isenberg

and Jalongo state: The very essence of art is to break, rather than
perpetuate, stereotypes (2010.) Art integration allows students to break
free of the limitations often imposed upon them, taking the reigns in order to
convey their understanding of a curricular concept in a unique and
personalized manner. As educators we must invest time in developing art
skills among our students, both for their own freedom of expression, and also
as a tool for assessing students development over time.
The Kennedy Centers definition for arts integration is as follows: An
approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate
understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process
which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving
objectives in both (2002). This definition is one of power and clarity. Upon
reflecting over my investigation into a childs drawing, I am able to identify
the purpose. The purpose in understanding a students stage of drawing
development, educators are better equipped to approach arts integration at

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the appropriate level for the student. Art integration can do great things for
the standard curriculum.
In the words of Elliot Eisner, with increased integration, art has the
potential to help children learn to say what cannot be said (2002). The
arts open another space for students to thoughtfully communicate both
meaning and understanding in the most personal mode. This is the direction
we must move to as educators: building a curriculum that does not solely
stand on one solution, one perspective, or one material; but rather, a
curriculum that is supported by a multiplicity of opportunities and
possibilities.

Students Drawing
Subject: Family

References

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Consortium of National Arts Education Associations. (2002). Authentic
connections:
Interdisciplinary work in the arts. Retrieved from

http://www.kennedy_center.org/education/ceta/arts_integration_definition.pdf
Eisner, E. W. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. New Haven: Yale
University.
Erickson, M., & Young, B. (1996). What every educator should (but maybe
doesnt) know.
School Arts, 96(2), 40-42.
Isenberg, J.P., & Jalongo, M.R. (2010). Creative thinking and arts-based
learning: Preschool
through fourth grade (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Wilson, M., & Wilson, B. (1982). Teaching children to draw. Englewood Cliffs,
NK: PrenticeHall.