Interpretations of Elementary Drawing

Jessica Brackett
March 10, 2015
LTC 4240: Art For Children

I. Introduction

I was given simple instructions: find a child to draw a picture, and ask, why,
why, why? How ironic that I had been assigned to dig into a childs thought process on
why they made each marking on paper while I was still struggling with why this
interaction was of any importance. After analyzing one students self-portrait through the
lens of Elementary art, I found my answer. While there is value in understanding a
students developmental stage in relation to art, the greatest power of art in the general
education classroom is its ability to open doors for personal connection.

II. Method
One Wednesday in February, I invited Katie, a sweet, third grade student, to grab
a fresh sheet of paper and her drawing utensils. Her face lit up with joy at the mention of
drawing. Without hesitation she followed me out into the hallway and we sat down beside
each other. After chatting about how much we both enjoy drawing and doodling, I told
Katie, Now, unfortunately you cant draw just whatever you want today. To this she let
out a deflating, aww.
I need you to either draw a picture of you and your family or a picture of
yourself, I explained. These options seemed to please her; she perked up with a smile
and straightened posture. Perhaps the subjects suited what she already had in mind. Ill
draw me!
Although there were some distractions in the hallway with other students and staff
periodically passing by and distant chatter, Katie managed to stay focused on her
drawing. As she created the picture with magic markers, I observed carefully. I asked

questions as they came about regarding placement, color, and meaning of the objects in
her artwork.

III. Findings
Katie first marked a blue triangle in the center of the page. She then added two
legs and two arms with black marker, and it became clear that the triangle was her body
a dress. I inquired, What made you choose blue for your dress?
A simple blue is my favorite color! was all the explanation Katie felt was
necessary. With black marker, she continued to draw her head and added two pigtails for
her hair. Orange was used to draw the hair ties in her hair. Although black is the actual
color of Katies hair, it didnt seem that her choice of black marker for the body and hair
was in deliberate concern of accuracy. Had Katie been attempting to match the color to
her true appearance, she would have drawn her body in a lighter color (peach, perhaps) to
match her skin tone.
Finishing her body, Katie added black, circular forms on the end of her drawings
arms. I draw circles for hands cause its easier than drawing the fingers, she offered.
She explained that she sometimes draws fingers, but not usually. This use of circular
forms for hands and her later use of circular forms to represent vegetables in her fathers
garden exemplify the principle of conservation. It is common for early artists to conserve
the use of figures or forms of which they are familiar (Learning to draw). In Katies case,
she uses circular shapes in a variety of ways because it is a configuration that she is
comfortable with.

As she haphazardly shaded in the sky with her blue marker, Katie seemed to be
laughing at herself. She said, Usually my sky is just like this [scribbled] Its easier this
way.
It seems like Katie is teetering on the edge of drawing with ease and drawing with
accuracy. She chooses to draw in a way that is easiest for her: using circles for hands and
scribbles for the blue sky. However, her need to justify these actions and the way she
seems to sort of poke fun at herself for these methods shows that she has higher
expectations for herself. She wants her drawing to be realistic, but she is not yet willing
to put forth the effort. In comparing these observations to Kerlavages stages of artistic
development, I would categorize Katie as being in the Symbol Making Stage, on the
verge of entering the Emerging Expertise Stage in which children grow to value the idea
of making their drawings look right (Luehrman & Unrath, 73).
To finish the sky, Katie drew a yellow and
orange sun in the top right corner of the page,
and a black bird drawn like a wide M. These
symbols are likely ones that she has repeated
over and over again. I know that when I was a
young artist I would have a sun in the top right
corner of nearly every picture that I drew. I also
drew birds in the same M shaped form as Katie. Once we find markings that work for
us, we often stick to themWhy would Katie alter the way she draws these things if they
sufficiently represent what she is trying to depict? This use of simplistic representation is
an example of the basic principle of simplicity (Learning to draw).

Katie then moved on to the last section of the page and drew a straight green line
beneath her feet. I asked about the setting, where are you in this picture? She told me
that the picture was in her back yard.
Below the green horizon line, Katie made a brown rectangle. What is that going
to be? I asked. She explained that her dad has a garden in their back yard where he
grows tomatoes and
habanero peppers.
The inclusion of the
garden in Katies
drawing was a
reflection of her own
environment. She was
taking details from
her own life to
symbolize her home.
This reflection of her
environment, in
addition to the
established baseline
(the grass directly
beneath her feet) and the two-dimensional, geometrically shaped body clearly shows that
Katie is in the Schematic Stage (Brittain).

While she continued adding detail to the garden, we talked about ways that she
helps her dad in the garden. When I asked Katie what other things she enjoys doing with
her dad, she explained, he lays pavement, so he can get really tired when he gets home
from work. She continued to tell me that her dad often has to go out of town for work
trips. I was able to share how much I relate to her relationship with her dad, as my own
father was also often required to leave on
business trips. I told Katie that it made me
miss my dad but that it also made me cherish
the time that we had together. She agreed.
Although it may not seem so profound, this
personal connection strengthened the
relationship between Katie and I.
More importantly than fostering a conversation of a personal teacher-student
connection, Katies drawing of her fathers garden was a means of creating meaning
through art. Without knowing the term visual literacy, Katie was practicing this concept
of creating a visual message (Johnson, 65). Had I not encouraged Katie to discuss her artmaking with me, I would have missed the opportunity to read her message and learn
about the importance of her relationship with her dad.

IV. Conclusion
Through the process of analyzing Katies drawing and conversing with her as she
created it, I found that she applies the principles of conservation and simplicity. Through
Kerlavages eyes, Katie would be considered to be in the Symbol Making Stage, and

through Lowenfelds stage theory, she could be categorized as being in the Schematic
Stage. Erickson and Young support that students drawing abilities progress at a rate
parallel to their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. As a general
education teacher, I can use this knowledge to help me create appropriate tasks for Katie.
The most valuable reward that I received from evaluating Katies drawing
process, though, was the chance to interpret the message she was sending through her
artwork and to connect with her on a personal level. I believe that the opportunity to build
stronger and more empathetic relationships with my students is the greatest motivator to
pay close attention to how and why, why, why they draw the way that they do.

References
Brittain, W.L. & V. Lowenfeld. (1970). Creative and mental growth. New York, NY.
MacMillan Co, 474-479.
Erickson, M., & Young, B. (1996). What every educator should (but maybe doesn't)
know. SchoolArts, 37-39.
Johnson, M. H. (2008). Developing verbal and visual literacy through experiences in the
visual arts. Young Children, 74-79.
Learning to draw: nurturing the natural. (n.d.). In LTC 4240 "Art for children" (pp. 5664). Columbia, MO: Mizzou Publishing.
Luehrman, M., & Unrath, K. (2006). Making theories of children's artistic development
meaningful for preservice teachers. Art Education, 6-12.