Early Childhood Picture Analysis

From the very day young children are able to hold a writing utensil in their hand, they are given a piece of paper and a box of crayons and encouraged to color, draw, and create something of their own. The wonderful creations range anywhere from colorful pictures of a rainbow and flowers, to some not so cheerful pictures of monsters and death, and everything in between. These pictures can be used as a window into the soul of that little boy or girl. In fact, this is how the majority of childhood therapy is conducted in the United States. This is most likely due to the fact that drawing is an emotional outlet and its often times easier than using words to convey our feelings. This form of emotional expression can continue in therapy throughout …show more content…
Their unique drawings consisted of sloppy, colorful scribbles, stretching all over the paper. I then compared these observations to the older children's techniques and creations. The older kids held their crayons much like the way one holds a utensil to write, resting it in between two fingers with their thumb on the side. I also noticed that their pictures were much different than those of the younger children. Their pictures had neater, more recognizable figures. There appeared to be a commonality related to gender, among the drawings of the older group. I recognized that the majority of the girls created pictures of animals, outdoor landscapes, and an occasional princess. Likewise, many of the older boys drew symbols and scenes from popular video games, different animals and some included a weapon in their pictures. From these observations I gathered that there seemed to be a correlation between age and complexity of the picture drawn. Meaning that the young toddlers have not yet fully developed the fine motor skills necessary to create detailed pictures. This also gave me a little insight as to the difference in the way the crayons were held among the varying ages. Again, I attributed this difference to the development of fine motor and small motor …show more content…
Anthony Schoettle explains that this phenomenon originated in Indianapolis and has begun to spread nationwide over the past decade. He refers to this event as "a party; not a class." Schoettle interviewed a frequent wine and canvas attendant, Alexandra Harris, who further explains how this event is "not a class." According to Harris, even the most amateur of painters can create a great work of art through instruction. Although the wine and canvas events are lead by an instructor, similar to an art class; the relaxed, party-like setting allows for guests to have fun and be social (Schoettle). These events, or rather "parties" as Schoettle calls them, give adults another way to be in touch with their creative side. They also can provide a healing and soothing effect that art produces, as previously