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The child did not draw the mother in the picture. Brief version of the processing of graphic information

The child did not draw the mother in the picture. Brief version of the processing of graphic information

01.02.2019

Purpose of the test

Drawing of a man endow different meanings. Some consider the image of the human figure as a projection of the body image, others as a reflection of the self-concept. It is taken as a projection of the child's relationship to a significant person from his environment, a projection of the image of his ideal "I", an expression of habitual actions. It can be an expression of how a person perceives external circumstances, how he relates to life and society in general, or a combination of the above.

Test Description

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 the individual characteristics of a person.

Instructions for the test

The test procedure consists of giving the child a simple pencil of medium softness and a standard Blank sheet a4 paper (210 x 297 mm.) And they ask you to create a drawing: "Please draw the person you want."

If the child refuses, we must try to convince him. All sorts of questions, which, as a rule, are of a clarifying nature (“what kind of person?”), Should be answered evasively, for example: “any”, “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 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. etc.

After the drawing is complete, ask the child if he has drawn everything, and then move on 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 regarding his emotional, psychological state. The conversation may include questions:

Who is this man?
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?

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

Do you know this person?
Who does he look like, who does he resemble?
What were you thinking about when you drew?
What does the drawn person do, what is he doing at the moment?
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.

Interpretation of test results

Brief version of the processing of graphic information

The answers to the questions below will make it clear whether the child shows any obvious abnormalities, whether there are signs of psychopathology.

The man has a head.
He has two legs.
Two hands.
The body is sufficiently separated from the head.
The length and width of the body are proportional.
The shoulders are well defined.
Arms and legs are connected to the body correctly.
The junctions of the arms and legs with the body are clearly marked.
The neck is clearly visible.
The length of the neck is proportional to the size of the body and head.
The man has drawn eyes.
He has a nose.
Mouth drawn.
The nose and mouth are of normal size.
Visible nostrils.
Drawn hair.
The hair is drawn well, it evenly covers the head.
The man is drawn in clothes.
At least the main pieces of clothing (trousers and jacket/shirt) are drawn.
All clothes depicted in addition to the above are well drawn.
Clothing does not contain absurd and inappropriate elements.
There are fingers on the hands.
Each hand has five fingers.
The fingers are quite proportional and not too splayed.
The thumb is fairly well defined.
The wrists are well drawn by narrowing and subsequent expansion of the forearm in the area of the hand.
The elbow joint is drawn.
Drawn knee joint.
The head has normal proportions in relation to the body.
The arms are the same length as the body, or longer, but not more than twice.
The length of the feet is approximately 1/3 of the length of the legs.
The length of the legs is approximately equal to the length of the body or longer, but not more than twice.
The length and width of the limbs are proportional.
Heels can be seen on the legs.
The shape of the head is correct.
Body shape is generally correct.
The outlines of the limbs are accurately conveyed.
There are no gross errors in the transmission of the remaining parts.
The ears are well defined.
The ears are in place and of normal size.
Eyelashes and eyebrows are drawn on the face.
Pupils are located correctly.
The eyes are in proportion to the size of the face.
The person looks straight ahead, the eyes are not slanted to the side.
The forehead and chin are clearly visible.
The chin is separated from the lower lip.

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. Assign one point to each positive answer and add up the points. A normally mentally developed child should score, in accordance with his age, the points indicated below.

In favor of the child, such additional details of the drawing as a cane, a briefcase, roller skates, etc. speak, but on condition that this detail is appropriate in this figure or even necessary for a given 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 a single vertical line or dot.
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 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.

Symbolic meanings of the human figure

Each part of the depicted figure acquires a special symbolic meaning because it reflects the emotional and social life of the child.

In interpreting this test, hasty conclusions are unacceptable. 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, it is not necessary to make a 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.

Head, forehead

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, the forehead is also a reflection of self-control and the sphere of 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 a 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 lagging behind 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 lush hairstyles, long, cascading hair, combined with other obvious elements of decoration, may indicate early sexual maturation.

Face

The 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.

The case when the child draws the face is also indicative. 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.

A painted face is a rather negative sign that 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.

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

Eyes, as you know, are the 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 in our 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.

The 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

Lips are a generally accepted symbol of the sexual sphere. In children's drawings, lips are one of those details that convey the general facial expression.

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.

The nose itself has no interpretive meaning. 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.

The neck is the 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.

Hands, palms, fingers

Hands are a symbol of activity, communication and contact. 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.

Another important characteristic of the image of the hands is 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 are a sign of an active, explosive character, while the absence of palms indicates unsuitability, lack of faith in one's own strength, 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 emphasizing fists are 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 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 arms, this indicates a focus on the outside world, contact, the desire to acquire, accumulate.

Large, muscular arms are drawn by children who recognize the priority of strength, striving to become physically strong, also large and strong hands 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

The torso is a symbol of the child's representation of the 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.

Broad, 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 a strong child draws a weak body, then perhaps this is due to some kind of experience from past experience. A fragile body can 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 a 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. An angular, rectangular figure is associated with masculinity, energy and expressiveness.

Often the figure is decorated with additional accessories (bows, buckles, etc.). This means increased attention to one's own person.

An extremely negative sign is the image of the insides of the body. It indicates serious mental disorders.

Legs

Legs are a symbol of support, stability, focus on practical orientation.

If the feet are drawn in profile, this is a sign of stability, self-confidence.

Feet pointing towards the observer or lack of feet express a feeling of insecurity.

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 of a dressed person are depicted with fingers, then this may indicate extreme aggressiveness.

Small, unstable feet - pretty 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.

Pattern location and size

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 of the 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.

Size and location

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 developed sense security writers draw freely, easily, creating a drawing that, by its size, scope and conspicuous placement on the page, expresses freedom from anxiety and anxiety.

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) of adolescence sometimes depict a person with a full face and 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 part 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.

At an older age, this may already have a negative meaning, since the transparency of details contradicts reality. 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 body parts

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 impairment can take many forms, but the most typical for most children is a discrepancy between ability and performance in school. Many of them are quite capable, but weakly receptive to academic pursuits. Often the origins of the problem can be traced back to a 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 repressed, overly controlled younger students, 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 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.

When a child draws, he sends us a message encrypted in images. portraying the most ordinary people, objects, landscapes, he unconsciously reflects his attitude towards them, expresses his feelings, showing hidden character traits. But, of course, you need to understand that the interpretation of the drawings is not unconditionally unambiguous. You should not, having found 1–2 one warning signs (“Oh, horror, he painted the sun black!”), Draw conclusions and look for a solution " terrible problems". (By the way, many young artists prefer black because it is very clear and contrasting). For an unprofessional psychologist, a child's drawing can only become a guide, a signal to observe behavioral patterns, to look at certain tendencies.

Master's hand

What characteristic features of the drawing style are useful for parents to pay attention to in order to better understand their child?

Pressure: even and moderate speaks of poise, flexibility, self-control, a tendency to think about one's actions. Strong - about tension, will, assertiveness, high level energy, the desire to overcome resistance (sometimes it can be actions in spite or contrary to). But the weak indicates general indecision, disbelief in one's own strengths,. The kid needs support and approval.

But! If a child is in conditions for a long time when he has to restrain his activity (“to be good and correct” in the kindergarten), then through strong pressure in the drawing, he can “throw off” the accumulated energy.

The size: large large elements often mean egocentrism, the desire for expansion, activity, even aggressiveness. And little men, houses - a sign of timidity, anxiety, a sense of their own insignificance, restraint in the manifestation of feelings, stiffness.

But! The large size of the figures can be associated with the significance of the character for the child, and with vision problems.

Sheet location: if the kid usually draws in the center, then he is comfortable, he is prosperous. The picture is shifting to the right - interest in the future, in change. To the left is a sign of infantilism. A dreamer and an optimist will draw on top of the sheet, and a pessimist on the bottom.

But! This interpretation only works if the child is right-handed. In addition, a lot depends on the plot of the picture.

Palette: if 1 color is usually used, this indicates a fear of expressing oneself; from 2 to 5 - the child is open to new things, flexible, self-confident; more than 7 colors means emotional mobility (instability). Predominantly dark colors indicate a tendency to negative emotions, depression. Bright - for activity, cheerfulness.

But! The choice of color depends on the mood at a particular moment. In addition, at the age of about 6 years, children begin to separate colors according to "gender" (pink - "girlish"), choosing "their" palette for the drawing. But having become older, many, on the contrary, diligently avoid such a division and do not use boring colors.

Discuss their drawings with the children: this will teach them to better understand their feelings.

Test picture "Man in the rain"

This test helps to find out how the child reacts to a stressful situation. After all, the pattern of behavior is laid down in childhood. Therefore, it is useful for parents of a preschool child to understand how the baby adapts to new circumstances, how he reacts to failures - and what qualities need to be developed so that he learns to quickly cope with troubles.

What do you need: Two landscape sheets; pencils (at least 12 pieces of different colors); eraser.

A task: Give the child the first sheet, arranging it vertically. Offer to draw a person, then ask on the second sheet to depict the same character in the rain.

drawing style

clear lines of drawing speak of a tendency to analyze in detail what is happening, to assess the situation, sometimes too withdrawing into oneself.

Irregular contours(somewhere drawn, somewhere not) indicate impulsiveness, susceptibility to emotions in difficult circumstances.

Hatching- tension, anxiety, fear of doing something wrong (fear of punishment). Thin sketch lines - the child is characterized by increased impressionability and suspiciousness.

The image is primitive("stick, stick, cucumber") - the baby is looking for approval, support.

Color spectrum

Very bright colors- the tendency to exaggerate the significance of unpleasant events.

Dark tones- fear of condemnation in a difficult situation, bad forebodings.

Clear color distinction between character and bad weather- Awareness and understanding by the child of a stressful situation, the ability to see its possible causes, evaluate both himself and his condition.

Rainbow, sun, flowers, mushrooms growing in the rain - striving for the best, the baby is internally ready to overcome difficulties

Entourage

The more drops of rain the more the child is afraid of difficulties; rare trickles - the baby is not worried: the problems will soon go away.

clouds- the threat of great trouble, punishment. The sky is overcast - a decadent mood.

Puddles indicate sensitivity, vulnerability, the ability to worry for a long time because of problems.

Umbrella- a symbol of communication with parents; open - waiting for help from mom, closed - from father.

Lack of umbrella, roof- infantilism, unwillingness to make decisions independently.

character image

Floor indicates a model of behavior in a stressful situation: male characterizes decisiveness, active actions in search of a way out; female - passivity, dominance of intuition. "Sex change" in the second figure indicates a change in behavior style. If a hero of the opposite sex is depicted, then the child adopts someone else's model of behavior (one of his relatives).
Age symbolizes the level of qualities that help make decisions: an adult - prudence, a child - the need for support.

Big head - high intelligence, resourcefulness; small indicates a low rating mental abilities.

Large torso- a symbol of dissatisfaction (I would like to be a superhero, win admiration); too small - a feeling of underestimation, humiliation. Sloping shoulders speak of despondency, despair.

Face: poorly drawn - unwillingness to notice problems and deal with difficulties. Depicted in detail - activity, the significance of relationships with other people.

Arms: divorced to the sides - openness; hidden behind the back - unwillingness to compromise, inflexibility. Pressed to the body - a symbol of stiffness.
The actions of the character (runs away, rejoices, sits in a puddle) directly reflect the real behavior of the child in stress.

Scale, position

The bigger the character the better children cope with adversity. A small figure indicates a desire to shift responsibility to others. A huge one that does not fit on a sheet - the child focuses on emotions and cannot reasonably assess what is happening.

Drawing on top of the sheet- confusion, withdrawal into the fantasy world. Below - depression, a feeling of hopelessness and the inability to change the situation. In the center - willingness to solve problems.

Offset to the left- hope that mom will come to the rescue. right- attachment to the father, the desire to impress him with his behavior in difficult circumstances.

Figure in profile, from the back - the child withdraws into himself, hence the difficulty in establishing contacts.

Hero turned left- the kid is focused on himself, not very decisive.
turned right- active, optimistic, thinking about the future and ready to develop.

! Important!

If there are a lot of negative elements in the pictures, invite the child to make up a story from the picture and come up with unexpected turn: What will happen if the sun comes out? Add a second character ("assistant") - tell me new ways of behaving in stress.

Exploring a masterpiece

The figure has noticeably grown in the second picture. This means that the child feels older when faced with difficulties, and this gives him pleasure. Although he uses the usual model of behavior - help and support from his mother (slightly turned to the left), she has already outlived herself, and he is internally ready to "separate" and act on his own. True, while he does not see how to do this, looking back into the past and without relying on a male model. It's time to think together how to act in difficult situations(“turn” the legs to the right, into the future).

The life of children is filled with various emotions and feelings. However, it is problematic for a child to express them correctly, here art therapy comes to the rescue. In the process of drawing, the child fully reveals his inner world and expresses his feelings, experiences and other emotions on a piece of paper. The main task of parents is to learn how to correctly and regularly “read” the art of their baby, this will allow them to get to know the child better and, if necessary, turn to specialists for help in time.

What does a child's drawing say about a child and his attitude towards others?

While drawing, children do not control their emotions, they create a “masterpiece” with their soul, not their mind. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to all the details of the picture, because this allows you to draw certain conclusions about the psychological state of the child and about his attitude to everything that surrounds him. Let us consider below how, by some features and details of a child's drawing, one can understand what the child thinks and feels.

Color selection

Each child feels very subtly and compares his feelings with a certain color. For accurate testing, it is important that the baby has the maximum set of colors to create a pattern.

What does the predominant color in the picture say?

Color	What personality traits do children have who prefer a certain color?	What does the predominance or absence of a given color in the figure indicate?
Red	Aggressiveness, willpower, irascibility, excitability, eccentricity, increased activity and determination.	The predominance of the red tint in the picture indicates openness and activity. Such a child is restless, naughty, excitable, often breaking toys. In the future, such children strive to achieve recognition, success, praise against the background of assertiveness and selfishness. The absence of this color may indicate an inferiority complex and a desire for solitude. Most often these are children brought up in a family with frequent scandals between parents.
Pink	Refinement, tenderness, sentimentality, weakness, compassion, timidity and optimism.	There is dependence on others, looking for constant support, needs the manifestation of love from parents and constant tactile contact.
Yellow	The child is inquisitive and optimistic, spontaneous and sociable, positively emotional, but dependent and jealous. Love for yellow is characteristic of creative individuals.	Dreaminess and fabulousness, originality and dissent distinguish a child who chooses this color. He prefers loneliness and abstract toys (sticks, pebbles, etc.) He always believes in something and hopes. Irresponsibility and impracticality may appear. If the child does not like the color, then he is somewhat closed and focused on his inner world.
Orange	The main qualities of the child: cheerfulness, rich imagination, daydreaming, energy and good intuition.	Increased excitability that has no way out, fun, pranks and screams for no reason are signs that characterize the condition of the baby. The excessive use of this color should alert.
Green	It symbolizes stubbornness and perseverance, independence and poise, high intellectual abilities, the desire for security and spiritual tension.	The use of this color in large quantities indicates a lack of motherly love and a feeling of abandonment. In the future, conservatism and fear of change develop. The child needs to feel secure and have a sense of security.
Blue	The child is distinguished by concentration and focus on the problems of his inner world, he is looking for peace and satisfaction, calmness and fidelity, he often resorts to introspection.	The prevailing emotions of the young "artist" who loves to paint in blue are calmness and balance, a tendency to self-sacrifice. The choice of this color indicates that the child needs rest at the moment.
Blue	Frequent change of lifestyle, optionality, carelessness and carelessness are characteristic of lovers of blue.	If there is a lot of blue in the drawing, then this indicates the balance and calmness of the child at the time of drawing.
blue green	Willpower, serious disposition, pedantry, concern for others and adherence to principles.	The predominance of a blue-green hue in the figure characterizes a special state of the nervous system, or rather, its overexcitation. The child needs more freedom and encouragement, perhaps even a reduction in the requirements.
Violet	It is characteristic of children with a rich imagination, excellent intuition, sensitive and vulnerable, with a rich inner world, as well as immaturity, both intellectual and emotional.	Impressionable, vulnerable, excitable, suggestible, in need of support - these characteristics are suitable for children whose drawings are dominated by purple.
purple	Children who love this color are weak, tender, lonely and defenseless, honest, often closed in themselves and musical.	The child uses this color when he is immersed in himself, feels lonely, weak and defenseless.
Brown	Slowness, discomfort, negative emotional state.	A lot of brown in the picture signals poor health, family troubles, dramatic events experienced, mental disability.
Grey	Indifference, prudence, avoidance of anxiety, detachment.	A lot of gray in the picture speaks of a feeling of hopelessness, routine, poverty and rejection. The child is distinguished by isolation and timidity. Perhaps the child is just tired.
Black	Depression, destruction and protest.	A black drawing indicates that the child is experiencing stress, he is not self-confident and unhappy. This color symbolizes the premature maturation of a complex psyche.
White	The child is honest and clean, often suffering from loneliness and emptiness.	child uses White color for drawing when he feels lonely, experiences nervous strain and mental anxiety. The baby lacks vitality and curiosity.

Bright rainbow colors indicate a good mood and positive emotions of the child, and a pale pattern with a predominance of gloomy colors indicates a reduced emotional state or bad mood the child may be unwell.

Pictures of people, facial expressions

In young years children draw people in the form of cephalopod circles with sticks instead of arms and legs. In this case, pay attention to the colors and the force of pressing the pencil, the proportionality of each character relative to each other. At an older age, children begin to draw the head and face, arms and legs.

Normally, a child most often draws people of his own gender, otherwise we can talk about internal discord.
The size of the head symbolizes mental development and abilities, and the presence of a headdress shows that the child needs protection.
The presence of a face and the clarity of its features speaks of the openness of the baby and his sociability.
The worse the face is drawn, the more “closed” the character of the child is.
Ask the child about the emotions and mood of the characters depicted, this will allow you to reflect on the situation from the child's point of view.
The presence of ears is an indicator of receiving information through hearing and the ability to listen.
The mouth and teeth are drawn by children with an aggressive attitude, and large eyes indicate children's fears, especially if the pupils are drawn.
The size of the hands is an indicator of physical development, and the hidden ones indicate the child's insecurity.
Hands raised up are drawn by aggressively minded kids, and a wide swing indicates a readiness to act.
Long legs indicate the independence of the child, and a wide setting indicates the self-confidence of the baby.
Disproportionate torso small size children draw with a sense of inferiority.
Demonstrativeness and expression of aggression in the drawings of children over 4 years old is manifested through the image of the genitals.

Figure sizes

The more important a person or object is for a child, the larger he depicts them and vice versa. The figure depicts the most significant characters in the life of the baby.

Often a manifestation of aggression or a protective form of behavior is the image of large fists, traced nails and teeth, the presence of a threatening posture and even weapons.

Line outlines

Clear, bold and straight lines, drawn confidently and without doubt, testify to the child's self-confidence and that he is happy.
Weak pressing speaks of the indecision of the young "artist", his fatigue, emotional sensitivity and unstable psyche.
Strong pressure and frequent breaking of the stylus is characteristic of aggressive children.
Different pressing force while drawing indicates a frequent change of mood.
Soft in nature, the baby uses sinuous and smooth lines, and in the presence of a strong-willed character, the figure is dominated by angles and straight, clear lines.
A sign of impulsiveness is lines that have not been completed to the end or a sweeping, careless manner of writing.
Self-corrections, especially if they did not lead to an improvement in the image, indicate increased anxiety of the baby, which is also evidenced by shading.

Layout of a drawing on a sheet

Self-doubt in children is manifested in the layout of the picture. They place it compressed in some part of the sheet, and not on its entire area. There is frequent erasure of details, the child's doubts about the correctness of the image, the border (line) of the earth or floor is drawn above the bottom border of the sheet.

Drawing of my family

Children begin to draw a family from the most significant person for them, and the larger he is drawn, the more authoritative he is for the “artist”. It is better drawn and decorated.
If a child has poor contact with someone, then his child does not draw, or depicts him schematically.
The child's family is friendly if everyone holds hands, and vice versa, if everyone is busy with their own business.
If there are separating objects between people (for example, a tree), then the child feels there is a problem in communication.
The image of the game indicates the presence of rivalry in the family. If someone is drawn with their hands up, then aggression comes from him, or he needs help.
The presence of false information in the picture (dead or non-existent people) indicates the child's discomfort, his desire to change the situation.
If a young "artist" portrayed himself larger than adults, then he feels unique and significant. But about when you feel superfluous, the absence of the child himself in the picture speaks.

How to decipher a children's drawing: 5 examples

It should be remembered that the child transfers to paper in the form of a drawing what he feels and experiences at the moment. For a correct assessment of the psycho-emotional state of the baby, several drawings are required, made at different times.

It may be that the child is generally positive, open and everything is in order, but at the time of drawing he was in a quarrel or was under the influence of not very have a nice moment, of course, that a negative will appear in the figure, but this is only now. Or maybe the child draws a “cry for help” day after day, but the parents do not understand.

Examples of decoding children's drawings

Figure #1.

What does picture #1 say?

Somewhat chaotic, but at the same time bright and dynamic pattern. The child singles out the mother as the emotional center of the family, decorates her dress and places the sun (a symbol of warmth), herself and the dog nearby. The author portrays herself on an equal footing with adults, but at the same time lacking to the ground - most likely she is an impulsive, fighting girl with a boyish character. The level of self-control is low, this is evidenced by the sweeping manner of writing with strong pressure.

Figure #2.

What does picture #2 say?

The drawing is typical for children over 6 years old, therefore the child develops ahead of schedule. The family is depicted dynamically, brightly and at the same time restlessly. The color scheme suggests the gender identification of the “artist” with his father, but he is still closer to his mother. Judging by the picture, it can be assumed that the boy does not have enough space, he does not stand firmly on his feet. At the same time, the purple color indicates a possible psycho-emotional instability and frequent mood swings. Large and angular figures indicate straightforwardness in communication and a tendency to conflict. Drawn pupils and the presence of shading indicate an existing hidden anxiety.

Figure #3.

What does picture #3 say?

The overall composition indicates that everyone is happy and the child is growing up in a friendly atmosphere. The author grouped all family members, children and cats to the right, and adults to the left of the tree, this indicates a clear hierarchy, dad, mom and grandmother enjoy great authority, only the depicted late grandfather is alarming, and the presence of a tree between him and grandmother indicates their irresistible separation barrier.

Figure #4.

What does Figure 4 say?

The girl drew her prototype. You should pay attention to a large and bright drawing, however, located at the top of the sheet, this indicates a positive self-esteem, activity and emotionality, a high level of self-control, sociability and developed intellect against the backdrop of uncertainty and lack of stability (small legs and a clear emphasis on the ground line). This situation is observed in families where they pay a lot of attention to the child, which deprives him of the opportunity to show independence.

Figure #5.

What does picture #5 say?

The image in the figure indicates a positive perception of the world. Mom and dad are drawn together, although they are divorced. Dad brings flowers, which speaks of the boy's hope that his parents will be together again. The depicted birds, as a symbol of hope, only confirm this assumption. The boy wants to be like his father, this is evidenced by the similar colors of the clothes of the father and son.

Let your child draw more often, because this way he can throw out his emotions, and you can get to know your baby better, the main thing is to read the messages of the child's subconscious correctly. You can also understand your child with the help of which you can read about on our website.

Hello moms and dads!

Psychologists have long established the fact that with the help of a drawing, many questions can be answered. Draw up a specific psychological picture the author, talk about character traits, his needs and desires, as well as identify weaknesses and anxieties.

Why analyze children's drawings?

What does the analysis of children's drawing give us? Psychologists often use drawing in psychological work with young children. Through the drawing, you will learn about what you will never hear from the child himself.

Due to his age, he may not make contact, he cannot correctly formulate his thoughts and give a correct assessment of both the situation as a whole and explain what worries him and what his fears, hopes, dreams and desires are connected with.

The subconscious of a small person stores all the answers to the questions posed and will help us get these answers exactly in the drawing. Children most often rarely think about the meaning of what is drawn.

They draw intuitively, emotionally, they are all in the drawing, in the life that they create on paper. This is their fantasy, their world, their magic. Here lies the key to the child's subconscious, to the child's soul.

Of course, only an experienced psychologist will give you a complete analysis of a child's drawing, its interpretation of both individual details and the picture as a whole, and recommendations for parents. But knowing the basics of encrypting children's creativity will not hurt anyone, especially a mother who wants only the best for her baby.

For a small child, from 3 years old, you can already draw small conclusions. At this age, children are already beginning to be more conscious of fine art, they can draw something specific, there is a plot and certain characters.

But you can seriously analyze children's creations only after 4 years. Thanks to everything that can be learned from the picture, it is possible to correct the child's behavior, his academic performance, which will allow the situation to be corrected in a positive way.

Colors in a child's drawing

The colors with which the child fills his work play the main and most significant role. Yes, a child can use many colors in his work, but as a rule, children initially gravitate towards one particular color, one is still closer than all the others. So to say, a favorite color, it is worth paying attention to. Read more about the child's favorite color.

If a child uses a lot of colors in his drawings, this may indicate a versatile personality, a tenacious grip, that the child is not worried about anything at the moment. Rather than when one or two colors are used from the entire abundance proposed. This suggests otherwise, that there is something specific that is bothering him.

Details and elements of the picture

In general, looking at a children's drawing, you can understand it intuitively, what feelings and emotions the author experiences, you can immediately track that he is not all right. This can tell certain elements and specific details of the picture:

Usually children draw landscapes or people on them, houses, fields and open spaces, mountains, flowers, trees, meadows, friends, family. All this is normal. But if, the child begins to draw a cat with claws, or a toothy tiger.

In general, scary animals, real or fictional, this can speak of internal discomfort, worries, fear, hidden aggression. Sometimes such a work can be obtained after going to a circus or a zoo, as well as after watching a cartoon, in this case the child received a vivid impression and reflected it on paper.

Himself significant character the child will definitely place in the center of his picture. This applies not only to people, but also to animals or objects.

If nothing is drawn in the middle of the drawing, there are no objects, then this may indicate a child’s insecurity or low self-esteem. If in the center the child draws some objects or things, something not alive, then this may indicate that the child attaches great importance to his games, toys and material values than relationships with people.

If something has alerted you in the drawing of a child, do not rush to conclusions. One drawing does not yet give cause for concern, perhaps this is a momentary impulse that was reflected on paper. It is important to observe a series of drawings over a certain period. For example, if during the month the baby uses the same thing.

What it is recommended to pay attention to or the first alarm bells:

If a child draws disproportionately large eyes to his characters, this means that the child is afraid of something.
If the child never draws someone close, or draws aside, this is due to the child's distrust of this person.
The child does not draw himself, which means he cannot find himself, he considers himself superfluous.
All family members are at a distance from each other, and even various objects are drawn between them, this indicates an imbalance in relations in the family, quarrels and misunderstandings are possible.
An abundance of brown, pay attention to your baby's health.

Draw and be happy!

I would be glad to see discussions of your children's drawings in the comments.

01.12.2008 Rating: 0 Votes: 0 Comments: 99

With the help of children's drawing, you can better understand the child, plunge into his inner world and learn about his perception of the world around him. From the drawings of the child, one can determine his attitude to the family, to each of his relatives, to the kindergarten, to learn about worries and fears, about the presence of aggressiveness, which the baby dreams of.

To date, there are a number of serious diagnostic methods and tests based on the study of drawings. Of course, only a specialist can conduct a deep analysis of a child's drawing, determine the complete picture of the psychological state and development of the child. But the basics of drawing techniques are quite simple, and independently analyze children's drawings themselves can parents, educators and teachers. To my mind, Being able to decipher children's drawings is important for every parent. If, as a result of such a “preliminary diagnosis”, there are suspicions of some hidden problems, anxieties, you should definitely contact a child psychologist. It is very good if there is an opportunity to consult a psychologist who deals with the diagnosis of drawings. Unfortunately, there are not so many qualified specialists in this field, since, according to the children's psychologists themselves, the teaching to read children's creativity comes only after the analysis of several hundred, or even a thousand or more drawings.
I fully share the opinion of experts who consider drawing the most reliable source of information about the inner world of a child.

The most popular test "Family Drawing" (for a small child the world- this is primarily a family), like most other techniques, can be carried out with a child older than 3-4 years old, who already draws “consciously”. When a child draws a person, it is no longer in the form of “cephalopods” (a ball with arms and legs), but separately depicts the torso and head.

Important for the test:
1. For drawing, it is best to offer your child pencils that allow you to take into account lines, pressure and shading when analyzing a drawing. For plot analysis and analysis of colors, you can paint with paints.

2. Invite your child to draw on a typical day when the child is in a “smooth” mood. That is, you should not test the child if he is emotionally overexcited, for example, after a holiday or after visiting a clinic, or if a conflict situation has occurred in the family. Such a picture may reflect a situational emotional state.

3. Do not draw conclusions from one figure and a separate element that is not related to other elements in the figure. No matter how informative the drawing may seem, testing is desirable to repeat two or three times with a difference of 1-2 weeks. Certain conclusions can be drawn if the elements of the drawing that alarm you are the drawing style of the child.
For example, dad went on a business trip and the child in the drawing of the family did not draw him. In this case, it is natural that the child misses the father. And you should not draw a conclusion about some problems in the relationship, if usually dad is always present in the drawings.

4. While drawing, an adult must be present, but not interfere with the drawing process: do not offer to draw something or someone, do not ask questions and do not comment on a child's drawing. An adult is needed in order to observe the process of creating a picture, to see who and what the child drew first, in what order, to pay attention if some elements did not fit, why. For example, the smallest children, if they are offered to draw a free drawing, begin to draw their mother, but then they can begin to draw the whole family and themselves. In this case, the mother turns out to be large, and all other family members are much smaller. Of course for 3 summer child mother is often the most important person, but in this situation, the inability to maintain proportions and other age-related features is of great importance.

5. After the child has finished drawing, ask them to tell what is drawn in the picture and who is who. The child can give a logical explanation for many incomprehensible or disturbing details of the drawing.

What not to do:
1. Do not analyze "template" drawings: made in children's classes and drawing lessons, pictures copied from books and other samples.
2. Do not try to interpret elements that are incomprehensible to adults in order to avoid false conclusions.
3. You should not “decipher” and discuss the drawings in front of the child, make comments to him when analyzing the conclusions and ask the child questions “why did you draw like that?”.

The first age stages in the development of drawing.
Researchers of children's drawings have identified age stages that successively replace each other. Compliance with a certain stage at a certain age allows you to assess the development of the child.
I agree with the opinion of those experts who believe that the discrepancy between the age stage does not always indicate a delay in the development of the child. The child must "shape" in order to move from one stage to another. So, if the kid draws scribbles, you should not hold the child’s hand and teach him to draw “correct” drawings, the more the child draws himself, the faster he will move on to the next stage of drawing.

(the names of the stages are conditional, different names are used in the literature)
1. Doodle stage, up to about 2 years old. The child learns to hold a pencil, brush, felt-tip pen, chalk in his hand. The kid draws the first strokes, lines, dots, spirals, sometimes random shapes are obtained. The child sometimes does not even look at the sheet of paper on which he draws, the color he draws does not matter to him. The most important thing for the baby is the very process of creation, that from the movement of his hand there is a trace on a sheet of paper.

2. Associative stage ( figurative thinking) until about 3 years of age. The child begins to associate what he depicts with the outside world. At first, the kid draws the same scribbles, but explaining: it's me, it's dad, it's a car. Gradually, figures and objects begin to acquire distinct images. Human figures are depicted as cephalopods - a ball with arms and legs, eyes, mouth, nose, sometimes hair and ears.

3. The stage of drawings with primitive expressiveness, up to about 5 years. The child draws already consciously, trying to depict figures and objects as they are. Drawing silhouettes, the child depicts the torso and head. Distinctive feature this stage from subsequent ones, the child depicts everything that he sees, incl. draws movement, such as how the wind blows and how a person runs - in the form of spirals in the picture. At this age, children most often draw "from memory".

Children over 5 years old can already schematically represent their drawings and draw from life.

Before talking about the possibilities of drawing tests, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are different recommendations for conducting such testing and interpreting drawings, sometimes they even contradict each other a little. This article describes the main points that will help parents understand children's drawing.

The color scheme of the picture.
The first home tests on the color scheme of drawings can be carried out closer to 3 years, when the child begins to carefully choose colors for his drawings. With the help of color, you can characterize the emotional state of the child. Invite the child to draw any beautiful picture and give as many pencils or paints as possible so that the child has plenty to choose from.
Warm colors: yellow, orange, pink, and calm cool colors: green, blue and blue, are considered colors of positive emotional mood and often predominate in children's drawings. If a child often draws in red and paints over large areas of the drawing with it, this may indicate emotional overstrain and even be seen as a symbol of aggression. But you should not be guided by this one sign. Every child has their favorite colors. Mobile and emotional children love bright colors, such as bright crimson.
Often present in drawings rich purple color in large numbers indicates some kind of tension experienced by the author, and should alert parents.
Dark and pale colors, as well as gray and black, are often chosen by modest, quiet "serious" children, so you should not be immediately afraid of such a child's color choice. However if black color predominates in the drawings, the child draws with bold lines in combination with strong pressure, the drawings contain elements often shaded in black, then you need to contact a child psychologist. These signs indicate the depression and anxiety experienced by the child.
At the age of 3-4 years, children use bright colors for everything “beautiful” - they decorate their favorite people. Dark ones, on the contrary, are used to draw what least of all deserves the attention of the child.

We analyze the details: the location of objects and silhouettes on the sheet, their size and other elements.
A sheet of paper is compared to a child's world. Most children try to take as much space on the sheet as possible with a drawing.- this is good and normal, since the child feels himself to be the "center" of his world. If the child depicts small drawings, leaving a significant part of the sheet blank This is indicative of low self-esteem. Such a child may feel very weak, for example, due to the fact that one of the adults is very strict with him.
Sun, flowers, birds- bright positive elements of the picture, indicating peace of mind and a positive emotional mood.

Lots of small details in the picture may indicate that the child hides his emotions and keeps a lot in himself, about the importance for the child to follow the established rules and order.
Closed cabinets, closed locks and other closed items drawings are considered by psychologists as secrets and prohibitions to which the child is not allowed.

Figures and objects that are drawn larger than others- these are the most significant people and objects in the understanding of the child, but not necessarily loved ones. So, in family drawings, mom, dad or grandmother can be much larger than other family members, and a large car or TV can also be present in the drawing.
There is also a pattern of perception of the importance of a person and an object and their arrangement in the figure in a vertical plane. So, if a child draws himself below all family members, then he believes that his opinion is not important to anyone. For example, mom and TV, drawn above other elements of the picture, speaks of their authority.
the closest and dear people the child draws next to him, it’s good if people’s hands are stretched out to each other and touch- it means unity and friendship.
The child draws people the way he perceives them, if he considers people close to each other, he places them side by side in the drawing. For example, a boy might draw his sisters next to each other and himself on the other side of the paper. The remoteness of the figures indicates disunity, the absence of psychological contact.
Favorite people the child often draws in the same color as himself, their clothes can be distinguished by the presence of small details - jewelry, that is, be more beautiful than others.
If the figure shows fictional characters, you need to ask the child about them in more detail - the child feels somehow deprived. With the help of them you can find out what the child lacks in real life.

Analyzing a children's drawing, you need to carefully consider the body parts of the drawn characters.
Eyes- a very important element of the figures. Eyes express sadness, people cry with the help of eyes. Therefore, if a kid constantly draws people with big eyes, this most likely indicates internal anxieties and fears. Adults, as it were, should notice these big eyes and protect the child. When a child draws only a certain person with big eyes, this means that, according to the child, he needs help.

Lips express the mood of the characters: smile, sadness. If the characters of the drawings: the child himself, parents, friends - smile, this is an indicator of harmony and positive attitude The child has. If the drawn character has a strongly marked mouth or multiple lines are drawn around the mouth - a sign that the child perceives this person as a verbal aggressor, such a person does not necessarily speak a lot, he can, for example, make sharp remarks.
And if an adult often scolds a child, he may end up in the picture without a mouth at all. The absence of any part of the body, if other characters have it, should alert.

Head for children, this is a symbol of the mind, the most intelligent characters in the drawings are depicted with a large head.

Ears is not always drawn by preschoolers, so the absence of ears in all characters should not be considered in any way. With their ears, people listen to other people's opinions about themselves. Therefore, if all the figures have ears, but one character does not, he may not listen to criticism about himself. Characters with very large ears - should listen more to the opinions of others.

Arms- this is a symbol of communication, people hold on to them, and interact with others. A good sign is when the drawn figures stretch out their hands to each other and touch. This means that the child perceives the relationship as friendly. Other images indicate a lack of cohesion and interaction.
Small, short, hidden handles are a symbol of weakness - "I can't do anything, I can't change anything in this world." Closed, unsociable children can draw such hands for themselves.
Large hands and many fingers - symbolize the strength of the depicted character.
Many psychologists consider raising hands up as a bad sign. This can be seen as a quarrel. A child depicting himself in this position wants to be feared.

Legs people need for walking, how well a person moves depends on the support. If the drawn figures completely rest on a hard surface (floor, road, earth, carpet) - this is a good sign, a child who portrays himself as standing firmly is confident in his abilities.

Well traced sharp elements - can be symbols of aggression. These are teeth and nails, thorns and sharp corners on the fence. Aggressiveness is indicated by the frightening poses of the figures, the hostile expression on their faces, fists and weapons in their hands. However, in order to draw a conclusion, the child must be asked in detail why he drew it, maybe he is defending himself from something, for example, from his fears.

Ugly, scary figures symbolize that the child feels uncomfortable in the world and needs the support of adults.

The nature of pressure, strokes, contours.
Clear contours, relatively correct proportions (at 4-6 years old, the perception of proportions in a child is minimal), when decorating, the strokes go a little beyond the contour - such drawings do not raise questions from psychologists.
Weak fuzzy broken lines, strokes when painting do not reach the contour - a sign of indecision, low self-esteem and increased anxiety in a child.
People whom a child draws with strong pressure on a pencil or by tracing several times along the contour, or by strongly shading, cause him anxiety in real world. Frequent corrections during drawing, sloppy outline and shading indicate some kind of anxiety for the baby.
Attention should be paid to objects and figures that the child draws with very weak, thin lines, as if afraid to portray.

From 3.5-4 years old, in addition to free drawing , which helps to see the preferred color scheme, compliance with a certain age stage and the general development of motor skills, the child you can suggest to draw:
- a person or himself (if the child himself so desires);
- your family;
- yourself in a kindergarten (or other institution where the child spends a lot of time)
Preschoolers 5-6 years old can be invited to draw a family of animals (from different animals) and a non-existent animal. By drawing an animal, the child displays his image.
The direction of the drawing of the family of animals is not obvious to the child, so the drawing can be more informative. If for some reason a child does not want to draw his family, you can invite him to draw animals. Such a test can be carried out at the age of 4, but with the figures of people it is often easier for parents. Animals may have additional elements that will be difficult to deal with (feathers, shells ...), and at 4 years old, the child draws is still not very clear.

When a child draws himself (or just a little man) you should especially pay attention to how well the facial features are drawn: eyes, nose, mouth. The face is seen as a symbol social sphere, an indicator of self-esteem and adaptation in society. I have repeatedly paid attention to the fact that when you give very young children (1-2 years old) a pencil in their hand and draw a little man in front of them, they immediately try to paint over his face. Perhaps the main reason for such actions is the lack of awareness of one's own "I", oneself as a separate person.

Test drawing "My family"
In such drawings, the sequence is important - in what order the child draws family members. As a rule, children first draw themselves - this is a good sign, because. the child draws, first of all, himself in his world. Sometimes a child draws the most authoritative person in the family first, then himself, and the last least important member of the family. It is bad if the child is the last to draw himself, because. This is a sign of low self-esteem.
It is believed that an egoist, drawing his family, will draw only himself, but I don’t know if there are such children’s drawings, it’s hard to imagine.
If the child did not draw himself among the family members- this is a consequence of difficulties in relationships with loved ones, the child feels rejected by everyone.
In the drawings of the family, special attention should also be paid to the location of the figures in the vertical plane. All children consider themselves already almost big, so it is quite normal when all family members are drawn almost on the same line. If a child has drawn himself significantly lower than others, most likely he is not able to show his individuality and he feels overly dependent on adults.
Spend general analysis.

Test drawing "In kindergarten"
In such drawings, first of all, you need to make out what the child drew.
If the author himself, other children, a teacher, playground and toys are good signs. Most likely, the child is well in kindergarten, he is friends with children, relations with the teacher are important for him, he is interested and significant for him what is happening there.
But of course, it is necessary to conduct a general analysis, consider: the color scheme, analyze the facial expressions and hands of the figures, their location, and so on.
If a child draws only a kindergarten building without people- this means that he experiences discomfort from being there. In this case, the kindergarten is perceived by the child as uncomfortable and faceless, he is not interested in what is happening there and he does not identify himself with this place.

Imagination, intuition and the desire to understand your child will definitely help you!

Comments:

	Lazzat 05.02.2016 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello! Daughter 2 years 8 months. In the last couple of weeks, he draws only with a red marker on the board. She can paint half boards red while pressing down on the marker with such force that her hand hurts afterwards. She can do it silently whole hour. I offer her other colors, but she refuses. This worries me a lot. Thanks for the answer. ANSWER: many little girls like red and pink color. Red, black, blue - bright, clearly visible on a white sheet, with a clear outline. There is nothing surprising and nothing terrible in the fact that the baby draws YET with one - her favorite color.

	Guy 18.11.2015 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello, when taking a test at an early development school, my 3-year-old child drew a family in the form of grass, what does this mean? ANSWER: Gaia, let me answer you with humor: it means that your child is only 3 years old. What m.b. test in the club of general development? I would immediately take my child from such a club !!! They have already shown their incompetence. And the fact that a child drew grass or flowers means that he was drawing what he can or wants at the moment when he was drawing. This suggests that an illiterate psychologist (if a psychologist at all) worked with the child and he did not talk to him. The kid would draw a person if he was asked about it correctly. "Well done, beautiful grass. And now let's draw a person, only a person, but the way you want..."

	Dyusha 07.12.2014 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello, my daughter (3.9 years old) drew a drawing "my family". From left to right: daughter, mother, sister (in mother's tummy), fictional boy, father. She drew from right to left, that is, she was the first to draw dad (smiles) - he has the largest head, but the shortest arms of all the characters. Above his head (and the boy's head) are vertical lines - thorns (as she described). I singled out my mother in sand color (yellow, orange - they weren’t there, so I don’t know which of the common colors to define sand), and all the other characters in red. To the question "what kind of boy is this? where did he come from? who invited him?" the answers are ambiguous - he came himself, somehow, I don’t know, etc. ... Mom’s (sad, or even a little formidable face) and dad’s faces are turned to the boy (or to each other). All the characters have their arms outstretched slightly down to each other. do not touch. the fictitious boy has his arms outstretched. There are also birds and flowers in the picture. The entire A4 format is filled with figures. the distance between the figures is optimal, but the drawing can be schematically divided into 2 zones. 1 - mother, daughter, sister. 2-dad and boy. Family situation: we live with my husband in a "civil marriage" separately. AT recent times there are quarrels (but they do not concern the child in any way - she does not see these quarrels, only sometimes the consequences - well, that is, tears, for example) Question: how can one interpret the state of the child, his attitude?

	Tatiana 09.09.2014 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello. My son Vitalik, a first-grader, today brought such a drawing from school: green grass, on it from left to right - sister Vera for 1 year, dad, me (mother), and he himself is drawn above his mother as if he were hanging on a rope that is tied to a branch tree (only a branch in the figure), that is, there was not enough space for him in the horizontal line and he drew himself in the free space. there is a blue sky in the picture and yellow sun with rays. dad is drawn in blue clothes, Vera is in a red dress, he himself is in green, but he didn’t paint mom at all. everyone is smiling, while Vera and dad have a nose on their faces, while Vitalik and mom have only a mouth and eyes on their faces. Vitalik's relationship with his father is strained, in my opinion, the father believes that he is a breadwinner and Vitalik is already big enough to do without his attention.

	Tatiana 05.07.2014 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Child 7 years old (girl). She asked me to draw a family, drew myself, me, and my husband. All on the same line, myself from my husband's side through me, ALL HAVE CROWNS ON THE HEADS! What is it??? And Husband (we are divorced) sketched the face. ANSWER: Tatyana, if the daughter crosses out the father's face with special effort, anger, aggression ... then in this case you should contact a child psychologist. Correspondence consultation is bad advice or councils. If you haven’t noticed this, then in general, consider that you yourself have already answered your own question - you and your husband are divorced, he has retired from the family. And drawing a face can mean a lot of things. Have you asked your daughter? M.b. it's just a mask, he became different, became a stranger.

	Olga 13.04.2013 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
At the end of March 2013, my daughter turned 6 years old. In her drawings, she always draws me with a crown on her head, herself, also with a crown on her head, and dad (who died tragically 3.5 years ago, but not before her eyes. She was told that dads no more) sometimes also with a crown, and a cat (he lives with us). The drawings, when they are bright, and when they are black and white, but the crowns are decorated. In terms of height, she draws mom and dad almost the same, and herself lower, explaining this by the fact that she is still small. Help me understand - does my daughter not have megalomania or does she yearn that she does not have a complete family, like other children? Thank you.

	Katerina 12.03.2013 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Good afternoon! Help decipher the picture. Daughter just turned 5 years old, drew a double-sided postcard for dad on February 23rd. On the first side: a square house with a triangular roof, a small window and the same door. The house is drawn with a black pencil (contour), painted in red, the roof is blue. A path stretches from the house (feeling of a house on legs). Grass (green with a black outline) and red flowers grow near the house on both sides. Above, red clouds on both sides and red birds, as well as a bright sun (yellow) on the left side of the house. Under the house are drawn from left to right: I (i.e. mother) daughter and father. My daughter and I are blue, almost the same size. I have a head, big ears, hair, and eyes. Mouth and nose missing! There are arms and legs, as well as a navel)) The daughter has a mouth, nose, eyes, hair, but no ears. There are also arms and legs and a navel. Our hands are outstretched to each other. Dad - Huge, more than a house, drawn on the right side. He has: a head (eyes, nose, mouth - smiling, ears, hair) - all in red and pink colors, hair - blue. There is a torso (green color), navel, legs and arms. The arms are very long, stretched horizontally across the entire width of the sheet. On the other side of the sheet: A house, square with a triangular roof (the roof is painted in 2 shades of brown, in the yin-yang style). There is a window and a door, very small. Long walkway from the house (orange). Below is large green grass, to the left of the roof of the house - the sun (yellow), clouds and birds (black - not painted, just an outline). we stand on both sides of the house - father and daughter - on the left, I - on the right. Everything is drawn in brown, me and my daughter are the same size, dad is huge for the whole page, with huge arms that cover everything: the house, me and the daughter. Like hugging??? My dad and I are missing a mouth, my daughter has all the parts and bodies and heads, even the neck. She smiles in all the drawings... Help me figure it out, I'm at a loss.... Thank you in advance... ANSWER: Katerina, your daughter draws wonderfully, and I think everything is fine in your family. You have described everything in great detail, but I am not engaged in individual consultations on this issue and even more so in absentia.

	Leah 19.02.2013 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello. Please help decipher the drawing of a 6 year old girl. Description of the picture: this is a cat with a huge brown head (the head is the largest element of the picture), an orange body, "humanly" standing on its feet. The eyes are almond-shaped, large, with crimson whites, there are only upper eyelashes, there is no nose, there is also no lower lip, there is only a purple large upper lip, the corners of the mouth are raised. On the sides of the eyes are black eyeglass ears (there are no glasses glasses). Sharp triangular ears on the head, green. At the top of the head there is a blue fountain, similar to a whale fountain, from this fountain a yellow lattice-staircase is drawn upwards, with curving handrails, and the space between the ears is also drawn in yellow. The hands are yellow, with a crimson outline, five crimson fingers each, two widely spaced small green legs - this is the smallest element of the whole body. ANSWER: the drawing turned out beautiful, send it to [email protected] site the girl used a lot of different colors and she has a wonderful imagination!!!

	Julia 12.11.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
my child is 3 years old, we also have a second child, the difference between them is 2.4. both girls! eldest daughter she was always whiny, and with the advent of her sister she became completely uncontrollable: she constantly cries, dirty, swears, there are signs of aggression. she loves her sister very much, but at first she rejected me, she always stayed with me after the garden, crying. I used to draw everything with bright colors ("smeared"), but not so long ago I painted a "black daub" in the center of the sheet - I was alerted, I asked her what she painted, she replied that it was mom, dad, Elka (youngest) and Karina (older). Is it worth paying attention to this ??? ANSWER Of course, you should pay attention)) take the time to communicate with the older child alone, without the little one, the girl asks for the attention of her parents in every way

	Irina 03.09.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
My daughter is 6 years old and 9 months old, 2 months ago her brother, my son, was born. She began to draw drawings about our family. My husband and I were drawn from the beginning, then erased and re-drawn, my husband always holds his son in his arms, my husband and I hold on by the hands and the daughter next to me is a little brother, but she is not a brother, not corrected like me and dad. ANSWER: most likely, the baby feels very insecure, it seems to her that her brother is closer to mom and dad. She may feel neglected. Have you tried asking your daughter to comment on her drawings? Spend more time, in the sense of not preparing for school, but playing together. Sometimes it is necessary to give the child the opportunity to be alone with mom and dad (without a brother), for example, dad can go to the movies with her, and mom to the park. All the best

	TatyanaL 05.04.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
I forgot to say that she is 5 years old. No, she draws very well and does it all the time with pleasure (she always brings a few drawings from the garden), she is praised. But for some reason the landscapes became empty. ANSWER: Tatyana, I think your daughter is doing well. Ask her to draw a family or a kindergarten, if she likes to draw, her daughter will definitely fulfill your request and you will feel calmer (if she draws birds and explains that you are a big bird, and she is a small chick - also good). And why the landscapes became empty, firstly, could the tasks have been like that, and secondly, a child at this age can already begin to look for a form of expression for himself. Mb. next week she will start painting the sea, then flowers, and then people again)))

	natalyjune 14.03.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
my daughter is 6 years old, when she drew a family - I liked everything, everyone is the same height, they stand firmly on the ground, the colors are very diverse and bright, the sun, flowers, the drawing is completely filled, the first one she drew herself, then me (mother), then dad and little brother (5 months). My brother was with a typewriter, I was picking flowers, only one thing confused me and I don’t know how to interpret it at all - she drew a pyramid, which she built up to the sky and with this pyramid she was, as it were, “fenced off” from us (mom, dad, brother, but then she "fenced off" the little brother by drawing a tree between him and dad .. Dad picks fruit from the tree into a basket .. I would have thought that it came out with a brother due to lack of space, but then she "cut off" herself from the very beginning and intentionally..what does that mean?

	Katia 01.03.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
my pupil of 6 years old drew a family lilac color: mother - 2 parallel lines, three points nose and eyes, mouth - horizontal line, hands, two sticks are slightly raised up, they do not touch the body, dad is a big head, three-point line is the face, hands, like mom's, parents hold hands. he drew himself "in mom's tummy" - a tiny copy of dad, only with a blue felt-tip pen. the sky is vertical strokes, the earth is a yellow stripe underfoot, no one is standing on it, below the river is a curved line. And a yellow flower with rectangular petals in the air, above it the sun is big, yellow. ANSWER: the talents of the artist have not yet woken up in him :)) work out drawing with him

	Nana 09.02.2012 - 00:00	Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Hello! My son is 3.5 years old, in the garden the teacher showed two drawings (that is, a coloring book, with Christmas trees, a cheburashka and a house, like), one sheet is decorated with black strokes, and somewhere small areas of red. I was horrified by such a drawing, and the teacher said that this was my son's drawing. Moreover, behind the painted black sheet, it is clear that the objects were originally carefully painted over .... is it possible that someone's drawing was praised, and he decided to hide his own behind black? P.S. his drawings are not always black ANSWER: Nana, maybe so, you never know what happened in the kindergarten. I think, because of one drawing, it is not worth doing a deep analysis.