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After completion of earlier two stages, the children now have the ability to draw the variety of marks that make up their 1st pictures which is seen in the next developmental level in art i.e. the pictorial stage. Many 4 to 5 year olds are at this level. The pictures are not made by chance but they are made by the child for a purpose. The basic forms perfected in the preceding stage suggest images to the child that stand for ideas in the child’s own mind. Miscellaneous scribbling is left out. In this way, children draw their 1st symbol. A symbol is a visual representation of something important to the child; it may be a human figure, an animal, a tree or any figure. Art in which symbols are used in such a way is called representational art. The ability to draw symbols in representational art comes directly from the basic forms stage.
The child sees real meaning behind the drawings and names the objects that appear in the art work. It may seem to be a scribble, but it is now a “man” or a “dog” a definite symbol representing something in the child’s life. The human form is often the child’s 1st symbol. A man is usually drawn with a circle for a head and two lines for legs /body. Other common symbols include trees, houses, flowers and animals. The child can tell you what each symbol stands for in her work. It is a common adult practice to label these 1st drawings “children’s art” because they don’t look like “something”. Yet, being able to identify objects in a child’s work. Art is self- expression and has value in any stage. Naming and owning the art produced are also important to children in this stage.
Early pictorial stage (first drawing):
In the early period of the pictorial stage, a child works on making and perfecting one or many symbols. The child practices these symbols, covering the sheets of paper with many examples of the same object. Ex: a child may draw window, doors or trees over and over in each drawing. During this early pictorial stage, the child is searching for new ideas. Symbols change constantly. Early 1st drawings are very flexible in appearance.
Later pictorial stage (schema)
At this point in the pictorial stage, through practice, a child draws symbols easily and more exactly. Many 4-5 year olds take pride in producing a series of many symbols. By 5 ½ to 6 years of age, children generally are ready to make a picture of many things in their experience or imagination. Their drawings are made up of combinations of symbols that are familiar to them. Creative expression is the goal at this stage. A child’s art does not have to include specific symbols, like a house, tree or animals unless the child chooses to include them.
Some teachers find it helpful to keep track of child’s work by keeping occasional samples of their work with a short note on the back indicating what is important about the sample. In the later pictorial stage, each child has a special way of drawing the human form, houses, and other symbols. This individual way of drawing is called a schema. Once the child develops a schema it is special for each child just as signature is unique for each adult.
Importance of schema:
Children draw schema in a picture which is not of actual size, but in a size that shows the emotional importance of the object to them. Ex: people and things important to a child might be drawn large and with details.
Children express other responses to the environment in their drawings. A painting showing a child walking on wet grass may show the feet and toes large in size or child eating favorite dish with large tongue. This may show how the child felt after a walk in the early morning or while eating a dish.
Importance of first drawings:
At about the same time children develop their own schemas, they begin to name their drawings with the world around them. This is the beginning of a new form of communication. In their use of schemas, children express their own personalities. They express not only what is important to them during the process of creating, but also how they have become in thinking, feeling and seeing.
- Observation of pictorial stage
- Suitable art activities
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Participants