The Stages of Children's Artistic Development

I doubt many people can remember the first time they held a crayon or drew their first picture. Yet this pivotal moment in our childhood is just the beginning of what researchers have found is a series of developmental stages. However, there are differing interpretations of when specific stages occur, how many stages there are, and what occurs within each stage.

Possibly the most significant figure in the research of children's artistic development was Viktor Lowenfeld. Brutger, at the University of Minnesota, provides an outline of Lowenfeld's stages:

1. Scribble (2 to 4 years)
According to Lowenfield the scribble stage is made up of four sub stages. These are:

• Disordered
• Longitudinal
• Circular
• Naming

2. Preschematic (4 to 6 years)
At this stage circular images accompanied by lines such as faces or animals become noticeable. Additionally the child's schema is developed. Children also tend to draw things that matter most to them, such as parents, pets and family members. There appears to be a limited awareness of space, with objects being placed haphazardly throughout the picture.

3. Schematic (7 to 9 years)
The Schematic stage is defined by an improved awareness of space. Colours are used as they appear in the real world such as a blue sky or green apple.

4. Dawning Realism (9 to 11 years)
Dawning Realism, also known as the Gang Age, is characterised by a period of self-awareness and self-criticism. Realism is attempted but the child may discover they lack the ability to draw things as they actually are. Human characters tend to look stiff.

5. Pseudorealistic Stage (11 to 13 years)
The final stage, called the Pseudorealistic Stage, is marked by the child's focus on the final product rather than the experience of drawing.

Individuals at this stage may fall into two different types:

• Visual types - Feel as if they are spectators looking at their work from outside
• Nonvisual types - Feel involved in their work because it relates to them on a personal level.

Eventually Lowenfeld (1947) was succeeded by various other individuals who all proposed similar stages. A list of which can be found here. As well as this a recent cross-cultural study has found that children may differ as they progress through these stages. Alter-Muri and Vazzano (2014) found that boys drew vehicles and weapons more often than girls. They also found that boys were less likely to use colour whereas girls used warm and cool colours equally. Furthermore they also found variation amongst children within the same sub-groups. Alter-Muri and Vazzano (2014) state that "Lowenfeld's art development stages are applicable to age but are not universal,".

Despite criticism of Lowenfeld's stages, it is evident that children progress through some kind of artistic development composed of stages. The exact timing of these stages varies according to different theories and research. It could be suggested that because of individual differences, children will obviously differ in their progress and artistic ability. The study of children and artistic ability has proven fruitful, despite disagreements over the developmental stages, with various therapies and interventions designed around the child drawing. Psychological research will continue to provide further information, not only on artistic development, but on children's wellbeing and happiness through the use of the pencil, crayon, and paintbrush for years to come.

References:

Alter-Muri, S.B. & Vazzano, S. (2014). Gender Typicality in Children's Art Development: A Cross-Cultural Study The Arts in Psychotherapy : http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2014.01.003



Lowenfeld, V. 1947. Creative and Mental Growth. New York: MacMillan Co.