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What can a child draw on a sleeping head. The symbolic meaning of the human figure

What can a child draw on a sleeping head. The symbolic meaning of the human figure

17.03.2019

The "Drawing of a Man" test was developed by K. Mahover in 1946 on the basis of the F. Goodenough test in order to determine individual personality traits.

Research procedure

The child is given a simple pencil of medium softness and a standard blank sheet of A4 paper (21 x 29 cm) and is asked to create a drawing: "Please draw the person you want."

Your request may generate a lot of questions or a refusal. If the child refuses, we must try to convince him. All kinds of questions, which, as a rule, are of a clarifying nature (“What kind of person?”), Should be answered evasively, for example: “Anyone”, “Draw whatever you want”. To any expression of doubt, you can say: "You start, and then it will be easier ...". In response to your request, the child will not necessarily create a full-fledged drawing of a person. He can draw a person in part, something like a bust or in the form of a caricature, cartoon character, abstract image.

In principle, any drawing can provide important information about the child, however, if the drawing does not meet the requirements, the child is asked to take another sheet of paper and draw the person again, now in full growth, in its entirety: with the head, torso, arms and legs. The instruction is repeated until a satisfactory drawing of the human figure is obtained. All questions and remarks of the child in the process of drawing, the features of his behavior, as well as such manipulations as erasing drawing elements and additions, you must fix. The same goes for drawing time.

Observations of the child made in the process of working on the drawing will give you important information about its features. How did he react to the task? Did he express resistance or a sharp refusal? Did you ask additional questions and how many? Did he express an urgent need for further guidance?

If so, in what way: did he state it directly or was it expressed in his movements and behavior? Maybe the child boldly began to complete the task and did not express any doubts about his abilities? Or were his doubts and insecurities reflected in everything he did and said? Such observations provide much food for thought: the child may feel insecure, anxious, restless, insecure, doubtful, suspicious, arrogant, negativistic, extremely critical, hostile, tense, calm, trusting, curious, confused , alert, impulsive, etc. and so on.

After the drawing is completed, ask the child if he drew everything, and then proceed to a conversation that is based on the drawing and its features. During the conversation, you can clarify all the unclear points of the picture, and through the attitudes, feelings and experiences that the child expresses during the conversation, you can get unique information about his emotional, psychological state. The conversation may include questions: Who is this person? Where does he live? Does he have friends? What does he do? Is he good or evil? Who is he looking at? Who is looking at him?

Basically you can resort to short version processing graphic information. You will not find any deep revelations, but you will receive some data regarding the mental development of the child. The answers to the questions below will make it clear whether the child shows any obvious abnormalities, whether there are signs of psychopathology.

Result interpretation

Thumb

It is very easy to draw conclusions. In general, the child's drawing should correspond to the description given. The closer his drawing is to this sample, the higher the level of his development. Assigning one point to each positive answer, sum up the points received.

A normally mentally developed child should score, in accordance with his age, the points indicated below.

5 years - 10 points
6 years - 14 points
7 years - 18 points
8 years - 22 points
9 years - 26 points
10 years - 30 points
11 years - 34 points
12 years - 38 points
13 years - 42 points
14 years old - over 42 points

In favor of the child, such additional details of the drawing as a cane, a briefcase, roller skates, etc., speak in favor of the child, but on condition that this detail is appropriate in this drawing or even necessary for this depicted person, for example, a sword for a warrior.

There may also be negative signs in the picture that you should pay attention to, as they may indicate certain problems.

There are no eyes on the face; one eye on the face in full face; two eyes on the face in profile.
No nose, nose in the form of one vertical line or points.
No mouth or one-dimensional mouth as a horizontal line.
No torso or wand-shaped torso.
There are no hands (the figure has one hand in full face), no fingers.
Mitten brushes, stump brushes or fingerless circles.
No feet.
There are no clothes and no sexual characteristics.
The lower leg is wider than the thigh and other violations of body proportions.

Note first of all whether there are gross errors in the image of the figure, for example, those listed above.

If we proceed from the fact that the drawing of the human figure symbolizes the image of the body, which is considered very susceptible to external stimuli that violate emotional condition child, then the picture will symbolically reflect the problems that he is experiencing. The more significant the child's disorder, the more both his body image and the graphic representation of the latter suffer. Following the image of the body, the drawing of the child may suffer completely or partially, or simply become slightly different from the generally accepted one. Among the serious deviations, such as the image of a figure with disparate body parts, completely inappropriate details, the image of another object instead of a person, the erasure of a painted human figure, rigid, motionless, robotic (Fig. 14) or very bizarre figures.

Such cases indicate serious problems and disorders.

Another significant negative factor is the child's depiction of a figure of the opposite sex, which is not necessarily associated with homosexual tendencies, as is often assumed. It can be an expression of a confused sexual role, a strong attachment or dependence on a parent of the opposite sex, a strong attachment or dependence on some other person of the opposite sex.

Faced with something similar or simply incomprehensible, do not rush to draw conclusions. Some oddities in the drawings may have simple and plausible explanations. Therefore, the next step will be the description of the drawn figure. Ask the child to tell who is shown in his picture. Even a simple description of a drawing by a child can give interesting information, because, despite the lack of external resemblance of the author and his creation, in the description of the figure we will talk about the child himself, his feelings, thoughts and experiences.

Other questions to ask your child to get as much information from him as possible:

Who is he?
Do you know this person?
Who does he look like, who does he resemble?
What were you thinking about when you drew?
What does a painted person do than he is in this moment busy?
How old is he?
Where is he located?
What is around him?
What is he thinking about?
What does he feel?
What does he do?
You like him?
does he have bad habits?
Does he have any wishes?
What comes to your mind when you look at this drawn person?
Is this person healthy?
What does this person want the most?

During this conversation with the child, you can ask him to clarify or comment on the unclear details, doubtful or fuzzy places in the picture. Ask also which part of the body, in his opinion, turned out the best and why, and which part was the most unfortunate, why.

Another way to talk to a child is to ask him to write a story about this person.

After you have collected the initial information through this brief survey and analysis of the child's behavior while drawing, you should move on to interpreting the drawing. First of all, it must be borne in mind that each part of the depicted figure has a symbolic meaning, the nature of which is taken into account in the interpretation. Each organ of the body acquires a special symbolic meaning, since echoes of the emotional and social life child.

IN Once again We want to warn against hasty conclusions. Research shows that the ways and manner of expressing emotions, experiences, conflicts and other aspects of a child's mental life change depending on the situation and vary from person to person. Therefore, you should not try to make any diagnosis on the basis of a single sign; in the process of analysis, it is necessary to take into account the drawing as a whole.

The symbolic meaning of the human figure

Head- the personification of the sphere of intellect, the place of localization of the "I" of the child, his mental center, therefore it is not surprising that maximum attention is paid to the head. If a child pays little attention to the head, this may indicate problems of adaptation to the social environment, communication difficulties, or even the presence of neurosis, since the head and, in particular, forehead- it is also a reflection of self-control and the scope social contacts. This is the part of the body that is always open to the views of others and through this is involved in the process of relationships with other people. The absence of a forehead indicates that the child is consciously ignoring the mental realm.

The ratio of the proportions of the head and torso is the relationship between the physical and the spiritual in the child. If a person has disproportionately large head- this may be a sign that the child is suffering from headaches or is experiencing other negative effects in this area. Fixation on the head may be associated with a weakening of intellectual abilities or control, as a result of which the importance of this body part for the child increases. A large head acts in this case as an expression of the desire to compensate for what is missing. Adolescents who are aware of their lag behind their peers in mental development, in the development of reading or writing skills, etc., or who suffer from adaptation disorders, also often draw a large head in a person.

Hair. Isolation of hair on the head may indicate a desire to emphasize masculinity male figure. Emphasis on girls' hair, careful depiction of voluminous hairstyles, long, cascading hair, combined with other obvious elements of decoration, may indicate early sexual maturation.

Face- a symbol of the sphere of communication, the most important center of communication. It is considered to be the most social part of the drawing. A child who experiences difficulties in communication is timid, tends to avoid problems associated with conflicts in relations with others, depicts facial features indistinctly, draws them weakly, depicts them very schematically, misses the image of facial features. At the same time, he can carefully and confidently select other parts of the figure. Indicative is the case when a child draws a face in last turn. The relationship of such a child is very superficial, he tolerates other people in so far as. He is extremely wary, expects only bad things from others, and is often hostile towards others.

We can also talk about aggression and hostility in the case of the image of the corresponding facial expression: bulging eyes, compressed lips or an open mouth with bared teeth. Well-drawn facial features speak of attention to oneself, healthy self-esteem. On the other hand, focusing on this part, overemphasizing and emphasizing facial features may be an attempt to create an image of a socially adapted, successful person with personal energy in order to compensate for his inadequacy and weakness of self-affirmation.

Painted face- a rather negative sign, which correlates with the loss of identity, the loss of a sense of one's own "I". An equally disturbing fact is the image of an animal face or resembling a robot, as well as an impersonal, expressionless face, which can be said to be inanimate.

Chin. It has a stereotypical meaning, according to which we know that the chin is a reflection of willpower, authority, masculinity, etc. Passion for the image of the chin, which is manifested in the fact that it is often erased, redrawn, outlined or drawn noticeably protruding (in profile figures), can be regarded as compensation for weakness, indecision, and fear of responsibility. This can mean a desire for superiority and gaining significance in the eyes of others. Such an interpretation is even more justified if the strong, with pressure, drawing of the entire facial profile is combined with weak, light lines in the image of the remaining parts. In this case, it can be assumed that the author of the drawing does not actually possess such qualities and only draws himself as such in his imagination.

Brows. Eyebrows are given the same importance as the scalp. Neat eyebrows, as well as a neat hairstyle, are evidence of caring for one's own appearance, grooming, restraint, and moderation. Thick, shaggy eyebrows speak of rudeness of character, obstinacy, intemperance, primitive morals, etc. Raised eyebrows are associated with arrogance and arrogance.

Ears- if they are, then they indicate openness of perception or alertness in relation to the outside world. The ears of the children begin to portray in pretty late age, so skipping this body part or hiding it behind hair is considered insignificant. A certain emphasis on the ears in the figure may indicate sensitivity to remarks and condemnation, and indirectly - stubbornness and disobedience to authorities.

Eyes, as you know, is a mirror of the soul, a reflection of the inner world of the child. Already one expression of the eyes can say a lot about a child: shy, dreamy, gloomy. A piercing, piercing look is an expression of aggressiveness. The eyes are large, with traced pupils or without pupils with shaded sclera - a symbol of fear or anxiety. Large and carefully traced eyes are mainly drawn by girls and much less often by boys. Eyes that are wide open but not exaggerated can be a sign of curiosity. The look is not straight, but slanted indicates suspicion.

Since with the help of the eyes we contact the outside world, in the case of small eyes, we can talk about secrecy, self-centeredness, absorption own feelings. Closed eyes- an attempt to isolate oneself from the outside world, from contacts with others. The absence of pupils, empty eye sockets, probably indicate extreme egocentrism, that the child does not find anything worthy of his attention around. Beautiful, symmetrical, well-drawn eyes are a reflection of the desire to be attractive, likeable to other people.

Mouth is a multivalued element. If the mouth is open, then this is considered to be a sign of aggression or verbal activity of an aggressive nature, if teeth are drawn, then this is a clear aggression. Perhaps she is protective. The selection of the mouth, which can be expressed in erasing, displacement, disproportionate size, emphasis, etc., is generally typical of small children who were not so long ago in oral dependence on their mother. In older children, this is already becoming a sign of dependence, lack of independence. The mouth, indicated by one straight line, may indicate internal tension.

Lips- a generally accepted symbol of the sexual sphere. In the drawings of children, lips are one of those details that convey general expression faces. The plump lips of a figure drawn by a girl are a sign of correct gender identification. Drawn lips in the drawing of a teenager may indicate the presence of narcissistic tendencies.

Nose- in itself has no interpretative value. Often, in connection with the nose, they recall the psychoanalytic interpretation, in line with which it is considered a sexual symbol. Although practicing psychologists believe that the experiencing sexual problems a teenager is more likely to focus on symbols such as a tie or trouser pockets rather than on the nose. The absence of a nose may indicate some degree of intellectual disability.

Neck is a link between the body (a symbol of animal passions, impulsive life) and the head (intellectual center, mind, control). The areas of the neck are given attention by those who are concerned with the relationship between bodily urges and conscious control.
Such people are not sure that they can always cope with their impulses. They are characterized by a state of a certain duality. A long neck is associated with a tense, constrained, moralistic, mannered person, well in control of himself.
A short neck can symbolize naturalness, straightforwardness. The absence of a neck in children's drawings is a sign of immaturity.

Rice. 17

Hands- a symbol of activity, communication and contact (Fig. 17). If a person's hands are spread apart, as if for a hug, stretched towards the environment - this is a sign of sociability, active interaction with the outside world. If, on the contrary, the hands are hidden behind the back, sluggishly hang along the body, tightly pressed to the body, the palms are hidden in the pockets - this may indicate unsociableness and isolation. In combination with other features of the drawing, this can be a sign of withdrawal, narcissism and vanity, or strong internal tension. Other important characteristic images of hands are their tone. Flexible, movable, freely positioned hands probably indicate good social adaptability, ease of establishing contacts with the environment, active penetration into the environment. Rigid, stiff, mechanically outstretched, bent at right angles arms can characterize superficial and unemotional contacts with the outside world.

Large, large palms- a sign of an active, explosive character, while the absence of palms indicates unsuitability, lack of faith in one's own strengths, a feeling of unsuitability. Weakly traced palms indicate insufficient contact, a limited sphere of communication and low productivity in practical activities. Carefully traced fingers mean the ability to control the situation, to hold it in hand, to manage it.

Long fingers with nails or stressing fists- a sign of aggression, militancy. Fists on the hand away from the body - open hostility, rebellion, confrontation. If the hands are clenched fists pressed to the body, we can talk about a hidden, suppressed tendency to rebellion. Fingers depicted as if a person is ready to grab onto something, like the claws of a bird of prey, can speak of aggression. Other possible symbols of hostility: hands raised up, painted hands.

Lack of hands- an extreme degree of passivity, inactivity, lack of sociability, timidity, intellectual immaturity. In combination with such features of the drawing as the absence of a mouth, the absence of a torso and the general grotesqueness of the drawing, the absence of hands indicates a poor adaptability of the child. For older children, the absence of hands is a very unusual fact. In addition, it can express the feeling of guilt that the child feels in connection with his aggressive, hostile attitude. The same can mean heavily shaded hands.

short arms may indicate isolation, turning inward, on oneself, and the desire to keep oneself within certain limits, not allowing one's impulses to manifest. If a child draws Long hands- this indicates a focus on the outside world, contact, the desire to acquire, accumulate. large, muscular arms children draw, recognizing the priority of strength, striving to become physically strong, also large and Strong arms appear in the drawings of those who are trying in this way to balance, compensate for their own weakness. On the other hand, a child who is aware of his weak physical condition may depict thin, fragile hands.

torso- a symbol of the child's idea of \u200b\u200bthe physical appearance of a person. A strong, muscular body drawn by a fragile, weak child is a sign of compensation for the missing, ideal physical appearance for him. large, strong body with powerful shoulders in the figure of a child of normal build - inner strength, strong ego.

wide, massive shoulders serve as an expression physical strength and superiority. Adolescents who experience sexual inadequacy may express this in strongly emphasized shoulders in relation to other parts of the body. If strong child draws a weak body, then perhaps this is due to some kind of experience from past experience.

fragile body may be an expression of one's own weakness. A self-indulgent child who ignores any form of self-control may draw a weak, limp body with a disproportionately small head. If Small child depicts the navel - this is a sign of egocentrism, if the navel is drawn by an older child - this becomes an expression of infantilism or the desire to withdraw into oneself. In general, the rounded shape of the body is poise, a calmer character, some femininity.

Angled, rectangular shape associated with masculinity, energy and expressiveness. Often the figure is decorated with additional accessories (bows, buckles, etc.). This means increased attention to your own person. An extremely negative sign is the image of the insides of the body. It indicates serious mental disorders.

Legs- a symbol of support, stability, focus on practical orientation. If the feet are drawn in profile, this is a sign of stability, self-confidence.

Fig.18

Feet facing toes to the observer, or no stop express a feeling of uncertainty (Fig. 18). Adolescents who separate the lower half of the body in the figure with a bold line can thus express the presence of problems associated with the sexual sphere. Weak, short, poorly traced or shaded legs - an expression of uncertainty, weakness, own worthlessness, discouragement. If the feet dressed man depicted with fingers, this may indicate extreme aggressiveness.

small, unstable feet- enough common feature drawings of children experiencing a sense of insecurity. Such children draw unstable figures, ready to fall at any moment due to the extremely weak stability of tiny feet. The child unconsciously expresses in symbolic form the instability of a personality built on a weak, unreliable foundation. In the event of a lack of a basic sense of security, personality development is impaired; constant anxiety continues to hinder progress toward emotional maturity and mental health.

Genitals. Hiding the genital area is often found in drawings of teenage girls. In the female figure, the hands are depicted shyly covering the lower abdomen, while the arms of the male figure are boldly spread apart. One girl drew a bride holding a bouquet over the central part of her body. Other objects may be depicted above the lower abdomen.

Candid image of the genitals. The image of the genitals is so unusual that their presence in the picture can be very significant. The refusal to reproduce sexual organs does not appear to be due to a cultural taboo. A more likely explanation is the shift of interest away from one's body and towards the fascinating world around them, which is typical of children's behavior during the period of latent sexuality. Between six and twelve years of age, well-adjusted children become more and more involved in the process of mastering new skills and in what suits the mores of their schoolmates and friends.

Drawings of children of the period of latent sexuality, in which the penis or vulva are depicted frankly, are very rare. The reasons for this unusual addition are to be sought in cases which involve precocious children aware of the high emotional value invested in the sexual organs. Hernia surgery or circumcision after infancy can cause fear of castration.

Seduction by older children or adults or more subtle maneuvers can excite a child during a period of latent sexuality, especially a bright, sensitive child. Whatever the cause of those rare cases of exposed genitalia - and in most cases it was a behavioral disorder of one kind or another (aggression, phobias) - it did not prevent children, reaching adolescence, from developing and adapting well.

Since the drawn figure is considered to be closely related to the author of the drawing and characterizes him in a certain way, the interpretation should cover the maximum features of the drawing. Aspects of a person's drawing, such as the size of the figure, its pose and location on the sheet, the quality of the lines (pressure, hardness, duration or discontinuity), the sequence of details, the use of background or background effects, as well as foreign objects, are significant aspects of the child's idea of itself and are also subject to analysis. The proportions of the body parts of the figure, the presence of unfinished elements of the drawing, the level of detail drawing, the presence of strong pressure and its localization, erasures, changes in the drawing, the emotions expressed on the face of a person and in his posture are taken into account.

The size and position of the drawing on the sheet

Feeling insecure, anxious children tend to draw small figures that modestly occupy only a small area of available space. The small size of the figure can indicate depression and a sense of inadequacy. In contrast, well-adjusted children with a developed sense of security draw freely, easily, creating a drawing that, by its size, scope, and conspicuous placement on the page, expresses freedom from anxiety and restlessness. The unnecessarily large, bulky size of the figure, apparently, expresses weak internal control and expansiveness.

A tilted figure may reflect a lack of mental balance, instability. A figure shifted to the right on the sheet indicates an orientation to the outside world, a shift to the left means an emphasis on oneself. If a child occupies the upper part of the sheet with a drawing, it means that he is prone to optimism. The feeling of oppression, depression is often reflected in the location of the figure at the bottom of the sheet.

A large, grandiose figure placed in the center of the sheet speaks of inflated self-esteem. If a child draws a line of the earth and places a person high from it, so that he seems to be floating in the air, then, probably, he is characterized by isolation from reality, a penchant for fantasy and imagination games, and weak contact with reality.

perspective

Boys (rarely girls) adolescence sometimes they depict a person with a full face body and a head in profile. Such an unnatural position of the figure is usually considered a sign of social tension. In addition, it can serve as a sign of a certain sense of guilt associated with the sphere of communication. If such a position - head in profile, torso in full face - is aggravated by the image of the legs in profile, then in this case we can talk about low mental development and a violation of spatial imagination.

Other image features

transparency effect(the ability to see one detail through another in the picture). The presence of transparent elements in the drawing can be a completely natural factor if the drawing is made by a child of 6 years old.

Fig.19

At an older age, this may already have a negative meaning, since the transparency of details contradicts reality (Fig. 19). We can talk about a small developmental delay, or more serious disorders, such as personality disorganization or mental retardation. In the "soft" version, transparency may also indicate that the child feels deprived of support and protection. A negative transparency value is evaluated by the number of transparent elements and by the size of the transparent part (the second case seems to be more indicative).

Optional details. Among the optional details of the drawing are such as a cigarette or pipe, weapons, a cane, buttons, pockets, a hat. The weapon in the hands of the drawn figure is interpreted as a sign of a hostile, aggressive attitude. Buttons in the drawings of older children may indicate a lack of maturity, infantilism. The same, apparently, is evidenced by the allocation of pockets. Emphasizing elements such as a tie and a hat is considered to have a sexual connotation. Other sexual symbols are the pipe, the cigarette, and less commonly the cane. The selection of the fly on the trousers can be observed in adolescents preoccupied with masturbation.

Scattered parts of the body. Cases such as these are undoubtedly deviant, since the vast majority of children, even from their earliest attempts at human drawing, draw an integrated figure. A drawing of a person in which the parts are scattered without regard to each other is a clear deviation from the norm. This refusal to create a coherent drawing has been noted in children with severe disabilities and is an indicator of their personal disorganization.

Limited, ascetic, robotic drawings. Limited, stereotypical figures are drawn by emotionally immature children. This violation may different forms, but the most typical for most children is the discrepancy between abilities and school performance. Many of them are quite capable, but weakly receptive to academic pursuits. Often the origins of a problem can be traced back to family situation marked by excessive tension.

Excessive shading. Emphasis on the hatching of the entire drawn figure or part of it can be observed in the drawings of anxious children. Hatching may be limited to the face, lower body, or in particular the genital area.
Excessive, vigorous shading, sometimes directed to the genital area, can be seen in the drawings of suppressed, overly controlled junior schoolchildren, at an age close to the period of latent sexuality. For children who have passed this stage, that is, over 13 years old, who have reached the age when the child is prone to introspection and is worried about his abilities, such reactions are not typical. Cases of shading in drawings can be indicators of emotional distress.

Drawings without people. The drawing of a person has been and continues to be a favorite subject of children's creativity. In the process of intellectual and personal growth child's drawing of a person undergoes a series of transformations, but this image must persist for at least a period of latent sexuality as a central motif in drawings, which may include pets, a house, flowers, a tree, a shining sun, perhaps even a cloud or two. For young children, the exclusion of a human figure from the drawing is so atypical, which, of course, confirms the assumption of probable difficulties in interpersonal relationships. The refusal to draw a person and depict inanimate objects must be considered as an unusual, possibly deviant act, suggesting difficulties in interpersonal relationships, abnormal indifference, emotional alienation, autism.

Dark clouds and shaded sun. Many well-adjusted children can light up a drawing of the human figure by adding a shining sun. Usually in one of the upper corners of the leaf, often in the form of an arc. The lines coming out of the circle represent rays, and the sun may have a smiling face.
Unusually for children, if they add shower clouds and shade the sun. These ominous signs have been seen in the drawings of unhappy, anxious, depressed children.

Erasures. The facts of erasure are considered an expression of anxiety and dissatisfaction. As a rule, erasures lead to deterioration rather than improvement of the drawing, thus confirming that they serve as an expression of conflict.

Line quality

When interpreting a drawing, the quality of the lines is also evaluated. You can find the meaning of one or another type of line in the part of the book devoted to the features of children's drawing in general.

In addition, all the general points regarding drawing tests, as well as the interpretive material of the test "House-Tree-Man" in that part of it that refers to the drawing of a person.

Conclusion

Thus, summarizing the above, we can say that the drawing of a person provides rich information for reflection. The child's drawing allows us to make hypothetical judgments about such personality traits and characteristics as: aggressiveness and hostility towards others, anger, confused sexual role, feelings of frustration and impulsiveness, anxiety, and many other more or less serious disorders.

Information from the book "On Children's Drawing", author Marina Ozerova.

At about 2 years old, children are fond of depicting circles (usually when they master the ability to spin and run in a circle), then they suddenly begin to see a “head” in a circle and call it “Man”, and then draw two lines down from it - “legs”. And at the age of about 3 years, almost all children go through the “cephalopod stage” in drawing.

Often, upon seeing the first cephalopod, parents immediately point out the missing parts. But such an image is a great achievement of the discoverer! Do not rush and advise the child how and where to depict the rest of the body. Later he himself will notice this, but for now he has drawn everything that he pays attention to.
Cephalopods can be not only people, but also animals.

⁣The number of details (legs and eyes) may vary at the discretion of the artist.

⁣
Approximate changes in children's drawing by age.

Four years: the body is most often in the form of a circle or oval (another figure is also possible). The head is connected to the body. The arms and legs are in the form of lines connected with the torso. The proportions are wrong.

⁣⁣Five years: details appear - ears, hair, hats, clothes. Characters acquire gender, male and female figures are drawn differently.

By the sixth year, the child learns the concepts of horizontal and vertical, and his little men are already standing on the "ground" - at the bottom of the picture.

⁣Gradually, the plot becomes more complicated, while the child can repeat the same pattern of faces and figures.

⁣Six years: all parts of the body are drawn (two arms and legs, head and torso), the proportions are more plausible (arms at shoulder level, there is a neck, legs are drawn in double lines, palms end in fingers); small details are noticeable in clothes (buttons, pockets); poses are more varied.

Seven years: try to draw a profile, and not just full face; forms and proportions are believable.

Eight years: the neck, shoulders and arms are drawn with a continuous line.

Nine years: legs can depict movement, postures change. Clothes are decorated with details, attempts are made to draw folds, etc.

Ten to eleven years old: the drawing becomes more realistic, and not schematic, as before, there is a perspective, the desire to convey volume, apply shadows, and draw many additional details. The formation of the picture ends, then it only improves. An adult's drawing differs little from a teenager's if the author does not specifically develop artistic skills.

The image of a person very well reflects the development and mental state of the child. Parents should consult a specialist if:

A child older than 4 years does not draw a person at all;

A 5-year-old child is still drawing "cephalopods";

On the face of a drawn person, important details are constantly missing (especially the eyes) or the eyes are depicted as closed and unseeing;

The faces of the characters are always sad;

A child who was drawing little men suddenly stopped doing it and regularly refuses a request to draw someone.

Parsing some typical situations.

● Parents immediately taught the child to draw a little man with all parts of the body, the child did not go through the “cephalopod stage” and now draws this little man without changes, does not enter any details, and if someone draws differently, he says that “it’s wrong to draw like that” and so on.

1) Discuss the cephalopods of some other authors, show that any options have the right to exist. 2) Illustrate your favorite fairy tales together, talk about the characters, come up with what the characters will hold in their hands, what they will wear and so on (after all, he will not draw the prince and Koshchei in the same way). Just don't draw anything yourself!

● The child is already 4 years old, still draws only scribbles.

If the child develops well, corresponds to his age in everything, tells what he draws, depicts something similar to a circle, tries to interpret scribbles, then everything is fine, the age limits are approximate, you just need to wait.

● A preschool child never draws a person, because he does not get it to look like he wants.

Not the best indicator. See why he is so worried. preschool age- the period of omnipotence. And if the child is not confident in his abilities, then usually this is the result of upbringing. It is best to move away from figurative drawings, standards “it looks like it doesn’t look like it”, and play with materials: draw various abstractions, play with paints, brushes, pencils and crayons from the heart. When the tension disappears, try to return to the images (of the person in particular).

● The child draws constantly the same person, with the same details.

Everything is fine and even very good if he himself came up with this image, and did not copy it or copy it from his parents. The child likes to do what he succeeds, and he repeats the successful action. If this repetition, in your opinion, is too long, advise him to draw a friend for the little man. And one more thing: usually children “stamp” the image they like, and if he draws loved one or a favorite character, then let him admire it again and again!

● The child draws one memorized “template” image, cannot be moved by any other patterns, does not want to draw anything, even abstractions.

Very good and effective ways to remove a "stuck" template - either a completely unusual task, or unusual materials for drawing. It's great if both are together. 99% of the audience of my seminars for my task “to draw a Christmas tree” invariably depicts three different-sized triangles placed on top of each other. After discussing the template, people are perplexed how to draw "their" Christmas tree, they are afraid to deviate from the usual canon, they make it "similar", copy each other. Then I ask you to put down the brushes and draw the smell of the Christmas tree with your fingers. The atmosphere immediately discharges, becomes free and cheerful, jokes appear, and with them bright and original works. Unusual task entails an unusual and free performance. Try to come up with a task for the child that will not be aimed at depicting an object, but at conveying a personal impression.

And - the second method - perform the "learned" image in the most inappropriate technique. Does your child always draw the same house? Invite him to lay out a picture of buttons, beans, pour a stream of sand ... The more interesting ways you come up with, the easier the fear of creativity will pass.

● The child draws only cartoon characters, and never real people or anything else. The drawings are somehow repulsive: vampires and the like.

Such images litter the imagination, the child no longer wants and cannot come up with something else. If you still control his TV program, then you should stop watching cartoons and other programs constantly. Play with your child, draw together so that he can invent characters himself, illustrate a fairy tale, create a fantastic animal... If the kid constantly depicts aggressive characters, you need to pay attention to this and show the drawings to a specialist.

● The child draws the same facial expression for all human figures, "positive" and "negative" characters come out similar.

Invite the child to draw his joy - most likely, it will be an abstract work. Then offer to draw a joyful person so that his joy can be seen by everyone around him. Ask how to convey your joy? For example, you can jump for joy and shout loudly. And how to convey joy only with paint? After that, do the same exercises with any negative emotion- from transferring it with the whole body (posture, gestures, facial expressions, voice) to the drawing.

Preschool age is a time of uncritical imitation. But unlike the authority of adults (especially parents), the authority of peers at this age is easy for a child to cross. The template learned from them does not block his imagination and ability to generate his images. In any case, be sure to praise his drawings and original images, which were invented by YOURSELF.

● I can't work with a child, and nannies-grandmothers teach “how to”. Will free drawing with me be of any use?

The sense will be in any case. For a child, the main authority is the parents, even if he spends more time with the nanny. Try to use your total time For emotional development- ask the child to draw experiences, impressions and the like. This will remove the established patterns of "correct" drawing, and help throw out the accumulated emotions, and provide you with excellent joint activities. When a child is rarely with their parents, it is especially important to find activities that bring them together. It would be nice for you to draw your day in abstraction: how you are waiting for a meeting with a child, thinking about him, and so on. Such drawings can be hung at home, it will be a good emotional feed for the baby in the absence of his mother.

A selection of other articles about children's drawing based on the book by M. Ozerova

Do you want to know the whole truth about your family? Give your child a standard sheet of paper, colored pencils, and ask them to draw a family portrait. Do it even if you think your family is perfect. And even more so, try this method if there are difficulties in communicating with relatives, and psychological climate The house leaves much to be desired. The child is a mirror within family relationships. And his drawing is the key to understanding internal problems even if they are hidden.
So, offer your child: "Please draw our family." At the same time, there is no need to suggest who and how to portray. Let him make all the decisions himself. The task of parents is to follow the order in which household members appear on a piece of paper.
When the drawing is ready, find out from the kid what the names of all the characters on his cardboard are. This is not idle curiosity. You will be surprised, but what you think is an image of a husband, in fact, may turn out to be a portrait. younger son. And then start the analysis.

Image order

Usually, the first child draws either the most beloved family member, or the most authoritative and significant. Very often he considers himself the most important and begins the drawing with a self-portrait. The sequence of appearance of other members of the household indicates the attitude of the young artist towards them. The later a character is drawn, the less authority he enjoys.
If a child has portrayed himself in the very center between dad and mom, he is sure that both mother and father are loved and needed. If he didn’t draw at all, then he feels abandoned by everyone and lonely. "Forget" to portray themselves and children who grow up with little or no supervision, with very a high degree freedom. If the kid did not draw one of the family members, then he has a strained relationship with him, conflicts are possible.
The plot matters
Most often, the family is depicted in the form group photo. But sometimes the child is limited to an abstract plot. And the absence of relatives explains approximately

The girl very carefully drew each member of the family. The emphasis on clothing and hair shows concern for one's own appearance and beauty issues. She portrayed herself the same height as her parents, and her sister a little smaller and put her on a chair. Ivanka certainly occupies an authoritative position in the family. She drew long lush braids for herself (an indicator of status), and Tase - short ponytails.
The girl feels closer to her father than to her mother (in the picture, dad separates Ivanka from mom), she and dad are depicted dressed in the same sunny colors. All characters have hands without fingers. This indicates communication difficulties in the family. Very important point: big heads of figurines. Probably, this child feels not smart enough compared to others. This is also indicated by a cube with letters in front of the girl.

I want to note that the drawing has informative value from 4-5 years. But even now we can say something about the family of little Mary.
In the center, according to the mother, the baby portrayed herself. Egocentrism is very characteristic of children of this age. The traced navel of each figure also indicates this. Above all, the child drew a mother (on the left).
She has the most expressive eyes, nose. Such a position of the mother - above the ground - speaks of the special significance of this figure for the girl, but at the same time about some friction, criticizes her daughter.
The character with the largest head in the picture is considered the smartest by the kid.
To her right, Mariyka portrayed her brother. Their arms reach out to each other, the brother's body is large and square. This indicates emotional contact with the older child and the cohesion of children. But the small head between the brother and Mary herself is probably the father. It is not clearly drawn, perhaps, until it occupies an important place in the girl's worldview, the anxiety that she inspires. Perhaps there is a sun in the picture - mom makes remarks too often.

: "Dad is at work, grandmother went to the store, mom is in the kitchen, and I'm walking on the street." Such a portrait of a family without a family is a serious reason to think.
It is important to pay attention to the background. What surrounds the family? The sun, birds, grass, flowers are positive elements that indicate peace of mind. abundance small parts may indicate that the child is secretive, withdrawn, tries to keep his feelings in himself.

Who is the tallest?

The more authoritative the person depicted by the child is, the taller his figure and the greater his size. Sometimes such a character does not even fit on a piece of paper. Children neglected or rejected in the family very often portray themselves as small, barely noticeable boys and girls, thereby emphasizing their uselessness. Idols and darlings of the whole family, on the contrary, spare no space for depicting their figures.

Between me and others

The distances between the characters are an indicator of the emotional closeness or, conversely, the separation of the child from family members. The closer the baby drew himself to someone, the higher the degree of his attachment to this person. When there is peace and quiet in the house, all the characters are depicted almost close to each other.
Often foreign objects appear between people in the picture. The larger this item, the more indestructible the "barrier" between family members.

Color spectrum

All that loves little man, he will draw in warm colors. The child will express his special affection with rich colors that will involuntarily attract the eye. Black color signals the emotional rejection of one of the relatives. Yellow emphasizes the impulsiveness of a family member, red indicates aggressiveness. In blue, the baby will paint the clothes of one of his relatives, next to whom he feels comfortable. Green - will emphasize the strong-willed qualities, dominance and significance of the figure.
Body parts
Pay attention to how the baby depicts the body parts of his household.
If a child carefully draws all the details of the face, preferring them to the rest of the figure, then this family member is very important to him. If the author portrayed himself in this way, this is a sign of excessive admiration or concern for his appearance. But keep in mind that up to 4 years old, such egocentrism of a baby is quite normal and natural.
Characters with big eyes tend to be fearful. Family members with dot eyes or slit eyes are hiding something.
P0 If only a mouth is drawn on the head of one of the family members (or an emphasis is placed on this part of the face), then, perhaps, in the eyes of the child, this person looks too talkative or makes too many remarks to the baby. If there is no mouth at all, it is depicted as a dot or dash - a person hides his real feelings or finds it difficult to express them in words. DRAWED TEETH - a sign aggressive behavior. And aggression, as you know, breeds fear.
Their length immediately catches your eye? Most likely, these hands belong to a very aggressive family member. It is interesting that a child can portray such a person without hands at all, thus trying to symbolically extinguish aggression and get rid of fear. If the child in the picture emphasizes the length of not strangers, but his own own hands or depicts them raised high, then in this way he signals the desire to assert himself in the family. Short arms betray inner weakness, indecision. Drawn brushes speak of activity, activity.

Perfect family

If you feel completely lost in interpreting your child's masterpiece, try the sub-test called The Family I Want. To do this, simply turn over a sheet of paper and ask your child to draw the family of his dreams. And you'll get your family's prescription for treatment.

Family control

At first glance, this family portrait is colorful and joyful. But let's look at the details. Parents have their hands hidden behind their backs - a sure sign of emotional distance from the girl. Surely Anya lacks emotional contact with mom and dad.
The head in the drawings is responsible for the logical sphere, and our body is the receptacle of instincts. The neck is an intermediary between feelings and reason. Anya's little men have clearly drawn necks, which indicates the ability of her family members to suppress emotions. At the same time, the girl herself (second from left) does not have a neck: the child considers himself less restrained compared to the rest.
Although Anya portrayed her mother closer to her father - to two children from her first marriage, her emotional contact with her father is stronger: they are painted in the same sunny colors. The birds in the picture correspond to the number of little men, which indicates that there are many rules and restrictions in the family.

Teenage CHALLENGES

The way the parents look at Roman in the picture says the following: the boy is holding mom and dad together. He drew human figures with a thin outline, especially the torso: this means that for some reason it is difficult for him to touch his inner experiences. This confirms the absence of color in the figure. It's about not about conscious secretiveness, but about not understanding how to deal with difficult feelings.
First of all, the image of the house attracts attention. It has several large windows: Roman is probably sociable. At the same time, there are no doors: this is a sign that it is difficult for the boy to share his true feelings even with loved ones. For a teenager in puberty, this is quite normal. The pipe stands out. This speaks of a creative beginning, a focus on male characteristics. Thick dark smoke coming out of the chimney is evidence of internal tension. It seems that it is customary in the family to value their cohesion, while there are difficulties with the expression negative feelings to each other.

In a good mood

Before being seated little artist for writing family portrait, make sure...
the child is in a good mood. You should not give this task to the baby after family quarrels, shake. Otherwise, a picture corresponding to psychological state child, not an objective image of the family.
To get more exact information run the test 5-4 times with an interval of several days and identify frequently repeated details. And only then proceed to the analysis.
Note the facial expressions, gestures of the child during
Fix the sequence of figures and details appearing on paper. Write down all the spontaneous statements of the little artist, his reasoning.
Drawing should never be used as the sole starting point projective interpretation. It must be compared with the results of further tests.
and only after talking with the child.
From the magazine "The Only One"