Teach your child to draw a person's face. Drawing People for Beginners

After reading this article. You will be able to follow the step-by-step sequence of learning to draw and will know how to teach your child to draw humans and animals.

1. How to teach a child to draw a person

Now your baby confidently holds a pencil, knows how to draw various lines and geometric shapes, and wants to draw a person. You just need to correctly explain how this can be done from several geometric shapes. But first, remember that every child will not continue to try to outline the figure, since for him this is already clear. He will only repeat your pattern! Therefore, you need to draw his attention and complicate the work in accordance with the child’s age:

Up to 4 years old, you can explain and draw a snowman, tumbler;
Up to 5 years old, complicate various versions of nesting dolls;
From 6 years old, explain the features of drawing a person in full face, and in profile, in motion, at rest/

Be sure to take into account the child’s age and skills. Allow simplification of silhouette lines in clothing. Preserve childlike spontaneity in your drawing!

You may be interested to know how you can find out the level of a child’s abilities from a child’s drawing of a person (See test).

Experts have noticed that a child under 3 years old, as a rule, is able to draw a simple picture using a template. A child under 4 years old can create a drawing from a combination of templates or a simple drawing without using them. When working with a five-year-old child, it is recommended to move away from templates and create almost free drawings. But a 6-7 year old preschooler can use any drawing technique in his work, even a fairly complex one (gouache).

Foster in your child the need for beauty! After all, it is from childhood that the desire for aesthetic perfection is laid down!

2. How to teach a child to draw animals

Remember that to create a drawing you need to develop not only the child’s mental activity so that he can choose a conditional solution to the form. Mental activity is also manifested in the depiction of proportions in the drawing. To do this, the child needs to be able to draw logical conclusions, which will then lead to practical actions.

Drawing animals begins with an analysis of existing experience in solving a visual image. For successful work, try to draw your child’s attention more often in everyday life to revealing the image of each animal: the features of the shape and position of individual parts of the body.

Remember! Almost all animals are uniform in the way they are depicted: the body and legs are drawn according to the same principle. Therefore, only once, first explain in detail the general techniques of drawing an animal, and then only talk through the elements of drawing.

First, invite your child to learn how to draw his favorite toy. Analyze together all the features of the toy’s body shape and the position of all the limbs. Show how sketches are made and then individual details are drawn.

You might find some samples of ready-made step-by-step drawings of animals useful.

Techniques for teaching a child to draw. Pictures that help you learn to draw objects, animals and people.

Every mother wants to raise her child to be at least a talented and successful person. On the way to this dream, women strive to comprehensively develop their children, invest in them maximum knowledge and teach them as many skills and abilities as possible.
One of these skills is the ability to draw. Many kids get quite upset due to their lack of artistic talent.
In this article we will try to figure out how to teach a baby to draw certain things and animate objects.

How to gradually teach a child to draw at 3-4 years old?

Step-by-step learning to draw a child with a pencil or pen:

At the age of 3-4 years, the baby still cannot press hard enough on a pencil, so we select soft pencils for him. Such pencils are capable of leaving marks behind them even after very light pressure.
We demonstrate to the child how to hold a pencil in his hand correctly. If the child is unable to pick up a pencil on his own, we help him with this. Subsequently, we constantly ensure that the baby holds a pen or pencil in his hand correctly.
The first stage of training will be to instill the skill of drawing an even and clear line. At this age, kids are still quite uncertain when holding a pencil in their hand. Therefore, their lines turn out uneven and intermittent. We teach the baby to draw a line confidently and evenly
It is advisable to purchase a special notebook for your child to trace pictures. In such notebooks, all drawings are depicted using numerous dots. The baby just needs to connect all the dots with one line. The result is a beautiful drawing.
At first, we help the child trace the pictures, guiding his brush with our hand. Later, we let the baby independently connect all the dots on the piece of paper.
At the next stage, we teach the child to draw the simplest geometric shapes - circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, trapezoid.
When the baby learns to draw simple figures, we teach him to create drawings from them. For example, using a square and a triangle we draw a house, using a circle and straight lines - the sun, using a rectangle and circles - a bus, etc.
You can purchase or print children's drawing books from the Internet. In such manuals, various animals and objects familiar to children, created from simple figures, are gradually depicted. Subsequently, the child himself will learn to break all objects into shapes and create whole pictures using this technique.

If by the age of five the child has already completed the pencil training described above, you can begin the next stages of developing drawing skills
Now you can expand your little one’s creativity with the help of colored pencils, markers and paints. It is necessary to explain to the child that after sketching a drawing with a pencil, he can color it
On a large sheet of paper, the baby can now create entire compositions and interconnected plots
An ordinary walk on the street can be an excellent help for the development of a child’s imagination. You simply need to ask the baby to capture in his memory pictures that are interesting to him for later displaying them on a sheet of paper. The baby will then very carefully and intently examine the objects around him in order to remember them. Parents can give their child some tips. To do this, you can ask him leading questions like: “What color is this or that object? What are its dimensions? What is the ratio of the sizes of several objects that the baby likes? What do objects feel like to the touch, according to the baby?”
All this will help the child to imprint interesting moments in his memory as best as possible, and then express them on paper.

Upon arriving home from a walk, it is advisable to immediately give the baby all the items necessary for drawing and provide him with a place convenient for creativity.
If your child suddenly has any questions, you need to help him find answers to them.
Parents can also ask their child questions about what he intends to portray. You can ask what sensations the child experiences, trying to draw what he saw earlier
In such classes, you can give your child the right to express his emotions and show them through drawing. For example, you can ask your little one to draw his favorite animal in different moods. That is, the child’s task is to show how the dog laughs, how angry it is, how afraid it is of something. Such lessons will develop the child’s imagination and at the same time express the state of his psyche

How to teach how to draw a tree?

How to learn to draw a tree?

Any tree always consists of a trunk, branches and greenery
You need to start drawing a tree from the trunk. It is worth noting that the tree trunk expands from top to bottom. In other words, the base of the tree is thicker at the bottom and tapers towards the top.
The same applies to tree branches - at the base they are thicker, and towards their end they become narrower
The thickness of the trunk depends on the type of tree. If you want to draw a birch, then the trunk should be thin with bends; if you want to draw an oak, then the trunk should be thick and massive

After the trunk is drawn, it is necessary to cover it with branches. As a rule, the branches of a tree do not start from the root, but from a quarter of its height. The lower branches are usually depicted wider than the upper ones
The direction of the branches is always upward - they seem to stretch towards the sun
On large branches you can draw smaller branches
The crown can be drawn as a solid mass using paints, or it can be drawn with a pencil in the form of individual leaves
When all the elements of the tree are drawn, all that remains is to paint it over. To depict a tree, you will need at least two colors: trunk and branches - brown or black, crown - green

How to draw animals?

As mentioned above, to make drawing animals easier, their body must be visually divided into simple geometric shapes. Having drawn each of the figures one by one, you need to connect them with smooth lines. This is how animals are made.

Machine drawing

How to teach a child to draw a person?

It would seem that drawing a person is very difficult. However, if you adhere to a certain scheme, even a preschool child can cope with this task. So, step by step drawing of a person:

Draw an oval. The oval will later become a human head
Under the oval we draw a rectangle that will act as the upper part of the human body (to the waist)
We connect the oval and rectangle with two smooth lines. Thus we draw the neck
Draw a second rectangle adjacent to the rectangle. Its width should be equal to the width of the first rectangle, but in length it will be slightly more oblong
We divide the second rectangle in half with a line running exactly in the center from top to bottom. This line will help us create some semblance of legs
Along the first rectangle we draw one more thin rectangle. This is how we draw the hands
Smooth the upper part of the rectangles with a smooth line - these will be the shoulders
Now we draw the neck of the sweater, the triangle on the pants, shoes and hands. All extra lines need to be erased with an eraser.

Video: How to teach a child to draw?

The “Human Drawing” test was developed by K. Machover in 1946 based on the F. Goodenough test in order to determine individual personality characteristics.

Research procedure

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

Your request may raise a lot of questions or refusal. If the child refuses, you must try to convince him. All kinds of questions, which, as a rule, are of a clarifying nature (“What kind of person?”) should be answered evasively, for example: “Anyone,” “Draw whoever you want.” To any expressions 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 partially, like a bust, or as a caricature, a cartoon character, or an abstract image.

In principle, any drawing can provide important information about the child, however, if the drawing does not satisfy the requirements, the child is asked to take another sheet of paper and draw the person again, now in full size, with the whole head, torso, arms and legs. The instruction is repeated until a satisfactory drawing of the human figure is obtained. You should record all the child’s questions and remarks during the drawing process, the peculiarities of his behavior, as well as such manipulations as erasing elements of the drawing and additions. The same goes for drawing time.

Observations of the child made while working on the drawing will give you important information about his characteristics. 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 instructions?

If so, then in what way: did he declare 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 a lot of food for thought: maybe the child feels unprotected, he is anxious, restless, unsure of himself, doubtful, suspicious, arrogant, negativistic, extremely critical, hostile, tense, calm, trusting, curious, embarrassed , alert, impulsive, etc. and so on.

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

In principle, you can resort to a short version of graphical information processing. You will not find any deep revelations, but you will receive some data regarding the child’s mental development. The answers to the questions below will make it clear whether the child is showing any obvious deviations or whether there are signs of psychopathology.

Interpretation of the result

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 model, the higher the level of his development. Assigning one point to each positive answer, add up the points received.

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

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

Additional details of the drawing, such as a cane, briefcase, roller skates, etc., speak in favor of the child, but provided that this detail is appropriate in the given drawing or even necessary for the given person depicted, 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 view; two eyes on the face in profile.
There is no nose, the nose is in the form of one vertical line or point.
No mouth or one-dimensional mouth as a horizontal line.
No torso or stick torso.
There are no hands (the figure has one hand in frontal view), no fingers.
Brushes in the form of mittens, stub brushes or fingerless circles.
No feet.
There are no clothes and no sexual characteristics.
The shin is wider than the thigh and other violations of body proportions.

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

If we assume that the drawing of a human figure symbolizes the image of the body, which is considered to be very susceptible to external stimuli that disturb the emotional state of the child, then the problems that he experiences will be symbolically reflected in the drawing. The more significant the child's disorder, the more both his body image and his graphic representation of the latter suffer. Following the body image, the child’s drawing may suffer in whole or in part, or simply become slightly different from the generally accepted one. Serious deviations include the depiction of a figure with disparate body parts, completely inappropriate details, the depiction of another object instead of a person, the erasure of a drawn human figure, rigid, motionless, robot-like (Fig. 14) or very bizarre figures.

Such cases indicate serious problems and disorders.

Another significant negative factor is the child’s portrayal of a figure of the opposite sex, which is not necessarily associated with homosexual tendencies, as is often believed. It may be an expression of sexual role confusion, a strong attachment or dependence on a parent of the opposite sex, or a strong attachment or dependence on some other person of the opposite sex.

When faced with something similar or simply incomprehensible, do not rush to draw conclusions. Some oddities in drawings may have simple and plausible explanations. Therefore, the next step will be to describe the drawn figure. Ask your child to tell you who is in his drawing. Even a simple description by a child of a drawing can provide interesting information, since, despite the lack of external similarity between the author and his creation, the description of the figure will talk about the child himself, his feelings, thoughts and experiences.

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

Who is he?
Do you know this person?
Who does he look like, who does he resemble?
Who were you thinking about when you were drawing?
What is the drawn person doing, what is he currently doing?
How old is he?
Where is he located?
What's around him?
What is he thinking about?
How 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 man?
Is this person healthy?
What does this person want most?

During this conversation with your child, you can ask him to clarify or comment on the unclear details, dubious or unclear places in the drawing. Also ask which part of the body, in his opinion, turned out best and why, and which part was the worst, why.

Another option for talking with your child is to ask him to make up a story about this person.

After you have collected primary information using this brief survey and analysis of the child’s behavior while drawing, you should move on to interpreting the drawing. First of all, you need to keep in mind that each part of the depicted figure has a symbolic meaning, the nature of which is taken into account when interpreting. Each organ of the body acquires a special symbolic meaning, since it reflects echoes of the emotional and social life of the child.

Once again we want to warn about the unacceptability of hasty conclusions. Research shows that the ways and manner of expressing emotions, experiences, conflicts and other aspects of a child’s mental life change depending on the situation and vary from person to person. Therefore, you should not try to make any diagnosis based on a single sign; in the process of analysis, you must take into account the drawing as a whole.

Symbolic meaning of the human figure

Head- the personification of the sphere of intellect, the place of localization of the child’s “I”, his mental center, so it is not surprising that maximum attention is paid to the head. If a child pays little attention to his head, this may indicate problems of adaptation to the social environment, communication difficulties, or even the presence of neurosis, since the head and, in particular, forehead- This 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 gaze of others and through this is involved in the process of relationships with other people. The absence of a forehead means that the child is deliberately ignoring the mental sphere.

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

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

Face- a symbol of the sphere of communication, the most important center of communication. It is considered to be the most social part of the drawing. A child who has difficulty communicating, is timid, tends to avoid problems associated with conflicts in relationships with others, depicts facial features unclearly, draws them poorly, depicts them very schematically, and misses the depiction of facial features. At the same time, he can carefully and confidently highlight other parts of the figure. Another indicative case is when a child draws his face last. The relationships of such a child are very superficial; he tolerates other people to the extent that he can. 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 an appropriate facial expression: wide eyes, pursed lips or an open mouth with bared teeth. Well-drawn facial features indicate attention to oneself and healthy self-esteem. On the other hand, focusing on this part, excessively emphasizing and highlighting facial features may be an attempt to create an image of a socially adapted, successful person with personal energy in order to compensate for one’s inadequacy and weakness of self-affirmation.

Painted face- a rather negative sign that correlates with a loss of identity, a loss of a sense of self. An equally disturbing fact is the image of an animal-like or robot-like face, 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. Infatuation with the image of the chin, which manifests itself in the fact that it is often erased, redrawn, outlined, or drawn noticeably protruding (in the drawings of the figure in profile), can be regarded as compensation for weakness, indecisiveness, and fear of responsibility. This may indicate a desire for superiority and importance in the eyes of others. This interpretation is even more justified if the strong, pressing drawing of the entire facial profile is combined with weak, light lines in the image of the remaining parts. In this case, we can assume that the author of the drawing actually does not possess such qualities and only imagines himself as such in his imagination.

Brows. Eyebrows are given the same importance as the scalp. Neat eyebrows, just like a neat hairstyle, are evidence of caring about your own appearance, well-groomed behavior, restraint, and moderation. Thick, shaggy eyebrows indicate rudeness of character, obstinacy, intemperance, primitive morals, etc. Raised eyebrows are associated with arrogance and arrogance.

Ears- if they exist, then they indicate openness of perception or wariness in relation to the world around us. Children begin to depict ears at a fairly late age, so omitting this part of the body or hiding it behind hair is considered insignificant. A certain emphasis on the ears in the picture may indicate sensitivity to comments and condemnation and, indirectly, stubbornness and disobedience to authority.

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

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

Mouth- a multi-valued element. If the mouth is open, then this is considered to be a sign of aggression or verbal activity of an aggressive nature; if the teeth are drawn, then this is obvious aggression. Perhaps it is protective in nature. Selection of the mouth, which can be expressed in erasure, displacement, disproportionate sizes, underlining, etc., is generally typical for young children who, not so long ago, were in oral dependence on their mother. In older children, this already becomes a sign of dependence and lack of independence. A mouth marked with one straight line can indicate internal tension.

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

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

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

Rice. 17

Hands- a symbol of activity, communication and contact (Fig. 17). If a person's arms are spread apart, as if for a hug, extended 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, hanging sluggishly along the body, pressed tightly to the body, the palms are hidden in the pockets - this may indicate unsociability and isolation. In combination with other features of the drawing, this may be a sign of withdrawal, narcissism and vanity, or strong internal tension. Another important characteristic of the image of hands is their tone. Flexible, mobile, freely positioned hands probably indicate good social adaptability, ease of establishing contacts with the environment, and active integration into the environment. Rigid, inflexible, mechanically outstretched, bent at right angles arms can characterize superficial and unemotional contacts with the outside world.

Large, large palms- a sign of an active, explosive character, while the absence of palms indicates inability, lack of faith in one’s strength, and a feeling of unfitness. Poorly drawn palms indicate insufficient contact, a limited scope of communication and low productivity in practical activities. Carefully drawn fingers mean the ability to control the situation, hold it in your hands, and manage it.

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

No hands- extreme degree of passivity, inactivity, unsociability, timidity, intellectual immaturity. In combination with such features of the design as the absence of a mouth, the absence of a torso and the general grotesqueness of the design, the absence of hands indicates a poor adaptation of the child. For older children, the absence of arms is a very unusual fact. In addition, this may express the feeling of guilt that the child experiences in connection with his aggressive, hostile attitude. Heavily shaded hands can mean the same thing.

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 themselves. If a child draws Long hands- this speaks of an orientation towards the outside world, contact, the desire to acquire, accumulate. big ones, muscular arms They are drawn by children who recognize the priority of strength, who strive to become physically strong; large and strong hands also appear in the drawings of those who are trying to balance and compensate for their own weakness in this way. On the other hand, a child who is aware of his weak physical condition can depict thin, fragile hands.

Torso- a symbol of a child’s idea of a person’s physical appearance. A strong, muscular body, drawn by a fragile, weak child, is a sign of compensation for the missing, ideal physical appearance for him. A large, strong body with powerful shoulders in a picture of a child of normal build means inner strength, a strong ego.

wide, massive shoulders serve as an expression of physical strength and superiority. Adolescents experiencing sexual inadequacy may express this in their shoulders, which are very prominent 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 past experience.

Fragile body may be an expression of one's own weakness. A child who seeks to indulge his desires and ignores any manifestations of self-control may draw a weak, limp body with a disproportionately small head. If a small child draws a navel, this is a sign of egocentrism; if an older child draws a navel, this becomes an expression of infantility or a desire to withdraw into oneself. In general, the rounded shape of the body means balance, a calmer character, and some femininity.

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

Fig.18

Toe-facing feet to the observer, or no feet express a feeling of uncertainty (Fig. 18). Teenagers who separate the lower half of the body with a bold line in the drawing can thus express the presence of problems related to the sexual sphere. Weak, short, poorly drawn or shaded legs are an expression of uncertainty, weakness, worthlessness, and loss of spirit. If the feet of a dressed person are depicted with toes, this may indicate extreme aggressiveness.

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

Genitals. Hiding the genital area is common in drawings of teenage girls. The female figure's arms are depicted shyly covering the lower abdomen, while the male figure's arms are boldly spread to the sides. One girl drew a picture of a bride holding a bouquet over the center of her body. Other objects may also be depicted above the lower abdomen.

Explicit depiction of genitals. The depiction of the genitals is so unusual that their presence in the drawing can be very significant. The refusal to reproduce genitals does not appear to be due to a cultural taboo. A more likely explanation may be a shift in interest from one’s body to the fascinating world around us, which is typical for the behavior of children during the period of hidden sexuality. Between the ages of six and twelve, well-adjusted children become more and more involved in learning new skills and doing things that are in keeping with the habits of their schoolmates and friends.

Drawings by children of the period of hidden sexuality in which the penis or vulva are depicted openly are very rare. The reasons for this unusual addition must be sought in cases which involve precocious children aware of the high emotional value invested in the genitals. Hernia surgery or circumcision after infancy can cause castration fears.

Seduction by older children or adults or more subtle maneuvers can arouse a child during a period of latent sexuality, especially a bright, sensitive child. Whatever the reason for those rare cases of open depiction of the genitals - and in most cases these were behavioral disorders of one kind or another (aggression, phobias) - this did not prevent children, reaching adolescence, from developing and adapting well.

Since the drawn figure is considered to be closely related to the author of the drawing and characterizes him in a certain way, the interpretation should cover as many features of the drawing as possible. 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 extraneous objects, are significant aspects of the child's idea of themselves 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, erasing, making changes to the drawing, emotions expressed on the person’s face and in his posture are taken into account.

Size and location of the drawing on the sheet

Feeling insecure, anxious children tend to draw small figures that modestly occupy only a small area of available space. A small figure can indicate depression and a feeling of inadequacy. In contrast, well-adjusted children with a strong sense of security draw freely and easily, creating designs that, through their size, scope, and conspicuous placement on the page, express freedom from anxiety and worry. Excessively large, cumbersome dimensions of the figure apparently express weak internal control and expansiveness.

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

A large, grandly drawn figure placed in the center of the sheet speaks of inflated self-esteem. If a child draws a line of the ground and places a person high from it, so that he appears to be floating in the air, then he is probably characterized by isolation from reality, a tendency to fantasy and games of imagination, and poor contact with reality.

Perspective

Boys (rarely girls) of adolescence sometimes depict a person with his body in front and his head in profile. This unnatural position of the figure is usually considered a sign of social tension. In addition, this may be a sign of a certain sense of guilt associated with the sphere of communication. If this position - head in profile, body in front - is aggravated by the image of the legs in profile, then in this case we can talk about low mental development and impaired spatial imagination.

Other Image Features

Transparency effect(the ability to see one detail in a drawing through another). The presence of transparent elements in a drawing can be a completely natural factor if the drawing was made by a 6-year-old child.

Fig.19

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

Optional details. Among the optional details of the design are such as a cigarette or pipe, a weapon, a cane, buttons, pockets, and a hat. A weapon in the hands of a 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 and immaturity. The same thing seems to be indicated by the allocation of pockets. Focusing on elements such as a tie and hat is generally believed to have sexual overtones. Other sexual symbols are a pipe, a cigarette and, less commonly, a cane. Swelling of the fly on trousers can be observed in teenagers who are preoccupied with masturbation.

Scattered body parts. Such cases undoubtedly indicate a deviation, since the vast majority of children, even from their earliest attempts to depict a person, draw an integrated figure. A drawing of a person in which 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 serious disabilities and is an indicator of their personal disorganization.

Limited, ascetic, robot-like designs. Emotionally immature children draw limited, stereotypical figures. This disorder can take many forms, but the most typical for most children is a discrepancy between abilities and school performance. Many of them are quite bright, but are poorly receptive to academic pursuits. Often the origins of the problem can be traced back to a family situation marked by excessive tension.

Excessive shading. The emphasis on shading of the entire drawn figure or part of it can be observed in the drawings of anxious children. The shading may be limited to the face, lower body, or specifically the genital area.
Excessive, energetic shading, sometimes directed at the genital area, can be observed in the drawings of depressed, overly controlled junior schoolchildren, at an age close to the period of latent sexuality. For children who have passed this stage, that is, over the age of 13, who have reached an age when the child is prone to introspection and experiences anxiety about his abilities, such reactions are atypical. Incidents of shading in drawings may be indicators of emotional distress.

Drawings without people. A drawing of a person has been and continues to be a favorite subject of children's creativity. In the process of a child's intellectual and personal growth, a person's drawing undergoes a number of transformations, but this image must be preserved, at least during the period of hidden sexuality, as a central motif in drawings, which may include pets, a house, flowers, a tree, a shining sun, perhaps even a cloud or two. It is so unusual for young children to exclude a human figure from the drawing, which certainly confirms the assumption of probable difficulties in interpersonal relationships. 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 detachment, autism.

Dark clouds and shaded sun. Many well-adjusted children can illuminate a drawing of a human figure by adding a shining sun. Usually in one of the upper corners of the leaf, often in the shape of an arc. The lines emanating from the circle represent rays, and the sun may have a smiling face.
It's unusual for children to add rain clouds and shade the sun. These ominous signs have been seen in the drawings of unhappy, anxious, depressed children.

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

Line quality

When interpreting a drawing, the quality of the lines is also assessed. You can find the meaning of this or that type of line in the part of the book devoted to the characteristics of children's drawings in general.

In addition, all general points regarding drawing tests are fully applicable to this technique, as well as the interpretive material of the “House-Tree-Person” test in the part that relates to drawing a person.

Conclusion

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

It turns out that the human figure is drawn according to the rules. If you follow them, the drawing turns out to be quite reliable. How to teach a child to draw people and lay the foundations of artistic literacy?

Drawing a person's face

Ask a child what a person's head looks like, and he will answer that it is an oval.

Draw an oval, slightly narrowed downwards.
We mark the oval into four equal sectors (draw lines crosswise). Divide the horizontal line into 4 equal parts. Vertical (its lower part) into 5 parts.
The pupils are drawn at the side points symmetrically from the center, directly on the horizontal line. The tip of the nose is the second line from the top, the mouth is the second line from the bottom. Teaching a child to draw a person is not so difficult - as you can see, so far everything is simple.
Draw the upper eyelids and finish the lips. An equilateral triangle lies between the outer corners of the eyes and the center of the lower lip. The height of the ears is equal to the length of the nose. Mark the contours of the hairstyle.
Finish drawing the eye - finish drawing the lower eyelid and the upper (its lower border). Draw some eyelashes.
Eyebrows begin to be drawn at the level of the inner corner of the eye. The form is arbitrary. At the same stage, the width of the bridge of the nose is outlined. Shade the dark areas and leave the illuminated areas light.

How to teach a child to draw a person? Before teaching your child, practice yourself.

Change the shape of your mouth, eyebrows, chin. “Customize” the model in a new way. Make sure you get a new face each time. It is important for a child to understand the location and proportions of the parts of the face.

Remember, that:

a woman's nose is smaller than a man's
men's eyebrows are wider and lower
women's lips are more voluminous
the male chin is more angular and slightly larger
women have thin necks
the female eye is more expressive, this difference is conveyed by the eyelashes
Women's upper eyelids are larger than men's
a man's mouth is wider and his lips are narrower

How to teach children to draw a little person, their own age? The image of a child's face has its own differences:

a child's neck is thinner than an adult's
the face is smaller in relation to the head
ears are disproportionately large
round cheeks
lips are fuller
eyelashes are longer and eyebrows are thinner
snub nose
Create a drawing of a human figure

Modern canons of beauty require certain relationships between parts of the body: the human head (its height is the unit of measurement used by artists) fits eight times the height of a person (from the top of the head to the floor).

How to teach a child to draw a human figure with a pencil? We will start with a simpler plot - a man stands straight, facing us. Let's mark the head at the top of the sheet.

Draw a straight line perpendicular to the floor, measuring the head 7 more times. Next, we make markings, marking the main milestones of the figure directly, counting units of measurement from the top of the head to a certain point:

to the center of the chest: 2 units
to the navel: 3 units
to the pubic bone: 4 units
to the middle of the thigh: 5 units
to the center of the knee: 5 units and another part from the crown to the eyes
to the bottom of the knee: 6 units
to the middle of the shin: 7 units
to the floor: 8 units

How to teach a child to draw a person? By studying the proportions, we found that the length of the torso holds 3 units, and the length of the legs holds 4 units. The width of the leg at the beginning of the thigh accommodates one unit.

The hands also correspond to the established proportions:

from the line corresponding to the center of the chest, 3 three units are placed
The width of a woman's shoulder and the width of her head are equal
The width of a man's shoulder is equal to one unit
Schematic figure of a man

How to teach a child to draw a person who moves? Now that we are familiar with proportions, we can try to draw a diagram of a moving person.

For the diagram of a person who is facing the artist, the conventional designation of the pelvis and torso is accepted - an equilateral trapezoid. Although this is not necessary. In order for female and male figures to differ, it should be remembered that:
- a woman's trapezoid-torso is narrower than her trapezoid-pelvis
- the trapezoid-torso in a man is wider than the trapezoid-pelvis
The smaller bases of the trapezoids make up the waistband of the figure. A figure drawn with trapezoids looks like an hourglass.

When a person is turned sideways, the torso and pelvis are indicated by ovals.

When drawing schematic figures, follow some rules:
- the elbow is at the level of the beginning of the thigh
- arms and legs located closer to us partially overlap the ovals of the torso and pelvis
- the oval, indicating the torso, is larger than the lower one, indicating the pelvis
- when the body position changes, the angles between the lines change
After the “skeleton” of the figure is ready, it is covered with muscles and clothing. They complete the details of the face and hairstyle, and add the necessary items: a bag, sports equipment, furniture.

Before teaching a child to draw a person step by step, observe people in different situations. It would be nice to invite a model - a family member or a childhood playmate.