If a child doesn’t like to draw at all, how to inspire him? What to do if the child does not want to draw.

03.05.2019

If in the picture All family members stand nearby and hold hands, the child feels like part of a single whole. He is calm and confident in everyone’s love for himself, feels comfortable and protected.

Closer to himself, the child draws the person he trusts most. A parent who has little contact with the child will find himself at a distance, sometimes separated by a line or placed in a window. Younger brothers or sisters often also find themselves aloof from the rest. If they are also microscopic in size, it means that the child is jealous and fights for the attention of his parents.

It is also interesting in what order the baby portrays his relatives. If he drew himself first, it means that he is egocentric. That's how it should be! It's worse if he only drew himself alone. This means that your baby does not feel like a member of the family and exists in isolation. After himself, the baby usually portrays the family member whom he considers the most important.

It happens that a child does not draw someone close to him - perhaps the child harbors a grudge against him or does not like this person at all. At the end, the child usually draws pets, this is correct. It’s worth thinking about, if a child draws them right after himself, perhaps the child lacks your attention and feels lonely.

All children want to become adults as soon as possible, so in the drawings they depict themselves at the same height as adults. If your child draws himself too tiny, you may be preventing him from expressing his individuality.

What color are the pictures?

Colors are also very important that the child uses. He paints the people he loves most the same color as himself. Restless kids choose warm, energetic colors such as orange and crimson. Quiet and serious kids choose cold and calm tones - blue, light blue, pale yellow. If a baby draws with contrasting colors - black and white - this indicates his internal conflict, which he is unable to cope with.

Pay attention also to the fact that how the drawing is colored. If the pencil goes beyond the contours, the child is independent and freedom-loving. If the drawing is painted too carefully or there is a gap between the outline and the main color white stripe, it means the baby is not confident enough in himself and constantly needs your support.

At 3-4 years old, a child draws something more reminiscent of humanoids than people. It is difficult to understand where the head is and where the hands are. The neck is often absent, and the legs grow directly from the head. Sometimes only the torso may be depicted.

By the age of 5-6 years, the child already draws all parts of the body and face. The absence of any body part should alert you.

The long arms of one of their relatives speaks of the child’s fear of him. If parents often scold their child, then the child may not draw their mouth. The thick legs of the figures indicate that the child feels tension in the family and subconsciously desires a more reliable foundation. The little one, who is uncomfortable in the world, draws scary people with outstretched arms and thumbs.

Special children

Drawings of hyperactive children asymmetrical: if this is a tree, then the trunk is twisted, and the leaves are few, not drawn or depicted schematically. The figures of people are never static, they seem to be waving their arms, jumping, running. Such a child paints carelessly and often cannot complete the work.

Drawings of aggressive children They are distinguished by a large number of sharp angles (fangs, spikes, claws). Characters scream, fight, catch up with someone. Often the drawings contain weapons - knives, pistols, swords.

Children who are used to getting their way with their fists, often depicting large shaded hands. Conflict children draw a large open mouth with huge sharp teeth. Primary colors are either dark (black, brown) or bright (green, red).

In the drawings of anxious children there are many blackened spots or, conversely, the lines are almost invisible. Images of people with large dark eyes that seem to be rounded with fear. The poses are static and the same type. Anxious children do not like felt-tip pens, preferring a pencil and an eraser to correct newly drawn lines. This is where their uncertainty and fear of doing something wrong manifests itself. There are no bright and saturated colors in their drawings.

Don't panic if you see any frightening signals in a child's drawing. Perhaps the baby was simply in a bad mood. Left alone with the child, ask him to draw what he wants. Write down all the comments that your child makes while working, and then discuss what you have drawn with him. Of course, in order to draw any conclusions, one drawing is not enough. But if, time after time, details are repeated in your child’s work that alarm you, collect his drawings and show them to a specialist.

Many parents say: my child doesn’t like to draw. Most often this concerns preschoolers. Parents are concerned about the situation for various reasons.

First and foremost: adults are afraid of problems with writing at school. After all, if a child does not like to draw, then we have “hook hands” with weak fine motor skills of the fingers.

Sometimes adults say: I drew well, but my handwriting is terrible. Apparently the reason was not in fine motor skills.

Reasons for not wanting to draw

What to do if a child does not like to draw? There are 2 reasons for this:

just doesn't like it;
can not.

Upon closer examination, the first reason also reduces to the second. Find time or a specialist (if financially possible). A specialist will teach your child this. Although it happens that adults force a preschooler to draw, causing a strong protest reaction. Then it’s useful to read about the stages of developing a child’s drawing. Maybe you are asking the impossible from your child?

The benefits of drawing

Why so much attention to drawing skills? At school, your child will be able to:

remember the details of writing letters,
present the problem in images, making it easier to solve,
will retell
write statements,
understand and remember texts using the right (artistic) hemisphere of your brain, and much more.

The main thing: your baby will learn to see the world in all its colorful diversity.

Stimulating the process

So, the preschooler does not like to draw and does not want to do it for any reason. The following parental action options are possible.

Coloring

Start with basic coloring. It happens that drawing is not enough imagination and observation, but coloring is a pleasure. This rather mechanical process is most suitable for starting to introduce children who do not want to draw to drawing. For 4-year-old children, pictures with a familiar object with a minimum of details are suitable. Don't demand quality. The main thing is that you took a pencil. Don't be afraid to praise. The pencil doesn't work, take some paint.

Most often - subject pictures with a large number small parts. We also have coloring books, but they are designed for older preschoolers. We prefer story-based pictures. Events unfold on them that can attract the “unwilling”. Discuss what you have drawn and clarify everything. Don't scold if you see a red fox and purple bushes.

Working with coloring books

How to use coloring books to your advantage?

Color it - what else. It's right. But you can color it in different ways. For example, just give children pencils or markers - and do what you want. Moreover, pencils are safer for surrounding objects and walls. Children usually don't like them very much, so choose soft ones. I use watercolor pencils.

Subsequence.

Let the baby first circle the object,
and then colors the outlined details.

Coloring pages on the computer

Not all children love to color. Among my clients there are smart children with weak hands or undeveloped imagination and perception of form. Children don’t like to draw, but they don’t mind sitting at the computer. Then we combine these two things. This is a game of “designer” - we work in a graphics editor. The pictures in the article are an example.

We work in Paint. But I recently read that the program will no longer be updated. There is online Photoshop, Paint.net you can download.

Select interesting pictures and download it to a separate folder, say, on your desktop. (You can print them out and let your child color with something)
Figure it out yourself, and then teach your child how to use the program without delving into it.

I believe that in this case we additionally solve important problems that we must first understand ourselves:

We show the child that a computer is a work tool, not a play tool;
We give the opportunity to demonstrate the prerequisites for a possible vocation.

Usually, coloring on a computer attracts with the brightness of the colors, the speed of the work, and arouses the child’s interest in the process. In addition, the picture is colored for a short time, not exceeding 30 minutes allowed for a preschooler at the computer.

The only requirement for the drawing is that the contour lines must be closed. Otherwise, as the children say: “the paint will spill.” If it is not clear what we are talking about (this is for grandmothers), then draw two circles on a blank sheet of graphics editor. In one of them, “wipe” a hole in the circle line. Try filling them with color. Where the contour is not closed, the paint will “spill” over the entire sheet

Keep your colored drawings in a separate folder and review them periodically. Let your child be proud of his work. But remember, this is only the first stage to awaken interest. The main task is drawing itself.

Fear of a Blank Slate

Sometimes a child does not like to draw because he is afraid of a blank sheet. Children sometimes have such fear. You will need a tablet (not a computer). A piece of plywood, a large cutting board or something similar will do. Attach masking tape piece of wallpaper. Brushes, paints, pencils.

Let him scribble with pencils and paint all over the sheet.
With paints - a wide brush - he paints something endless: the sea, the sky, the green lawn.
Use smaller brushes (or even fingers) to dab - clouds in the sky, flowers on the lawn...

With the help of unconventional drawing techniques, the fear of a blank sheet is well overcome. It’s best to try right-hemisphere drawing. Watch a lesson on right-brain drawing

If your child doesn’t like to draw, don’t be upset. Most The best way- draw together, helping each other and throwing out ideas. Look for techniques for your preschooler. Perhaps sculpting will be a great way to develop your hand. You can draw with plasticine. Excellent pictures are obtained. Or construction from a metal construction set. We wish you success

By analyzing a child's drawing, you can easily learn about the inner world young artist, his psychology.

Each child will depict the same plot in a drawing in his own way. The child will choose lines, colors and shapes that are in tune with his mood, feeling, and vision of the world. Initially, any drawing originates in the head and only then reflects the feelings and thoughts of its author on paper.

This can be seen very clearly in the example of children's drawings. However, there is no need to make hasty conclusions based on just one drawing: “If you depicted everything with a black pencil, it means that the child has deep depression" To get an objective picture of the baby’s psychological state, you need to compare drawings that were made within one month.

We invite you to start understanding with us what children's drawings mean. Our simple tips will help with this:

Psychology of children's drawings: what does the plot of the drawings say?

Parents should pay attention to the plot of their child's drawings. Most often, children depict trees, the sun, the sky, people, animals, houses, flowers and grass.

A huge number of angry, horned, toothy and dangerous animals may indicate strong internal tension of the little author.

The absence of people and animals in children's drawings signals problems in communication.

If a 5-10 year old girl often draws brides, princesses, flowers and bows, this is the norm and indicates that the little girl is preparing to become an attractive young lady.
If a boy aged 5-8 years old draws dinosaurs, scorpions, battles, weapons - this is also normal. Don’t worry - in this way the boy prepares himself for the role of an adult man, a protector, a warrior, so that in case of serious danger he will not get confused and react correctly.

Psychology of children's drawings: emotions convey color

When analyzing children's drawings, it is important to pay attention not only to the dominant colors, but also to colors whose presence is unjustified or exaggerated. For example, when the drawing is made only with black outlines, and the baby does not want to color it further. Or all objects are drawn in red, although in reality they are certainly not red.

Red color speaks of internal conflict, emotional stress, irritability of the child. For example, a baby can highlight in red the one who is the source of his problems.

Blue- the color of inner peace and confidence. School or kindergarten, drawn in blue - a sign of excellent adaptation to society and to the educational process.

Yellow– good mood, activity, positive attitude.

Green– conveys a feeling of acceptance and reliability.

Pink– subtlety of perception, sensitivity, tenderness.

Grey– anticipation of danger, anxiety, depression.

Black– indicates hidden depression, difficult experiences.

In addition to color, it is worth paying attention to exactly how the child colors the drawing. Completely covering up, painting over or shading a figure signals his negative emotions. What a child has painted over causes him either fear or severe anxiety. This could be the figure of a dentist, a harmful peer, a sick relative, or an angry dog.

Psychology of children's drawings: details matter

Psychologists say that not only the size of the drawing itself is important, but also the size of individual parts. A small drawing with small figures and objects signals timidity, uncertainty, and anxiety of the young author.

The location of the picture below the midline of the sheet indicates low self-esteem; above the midline of the sheet, on the contrary, indicates overestimated self-esteem.

As a rule, he portrays everything that is significant for the baby as big. And what is not very important is small. When depicting his friends, the child will draw the tallest not the tallest, but the one who enjoys authority with him. In addition, you need to pay attention to missing details; if legs are missing, this indicates a lack of stability; arms indicate difficulties in interacting with the outside world. A greatly increased size of the ears signals that the opinion of others is extremely important to the child, and he demonstrates that he is ready to “listen” to them. If the size of the head is greatly enlarged in the picture, this means that the child’s mind prevails over his feelings.

Important!

Remember that when analyzing a drawing, the most important thing is general impression. What emotions does the young author express? Satisfaction, joy, happiness or loneliness, melancholy, fear? What's going on in your baby's mind? What is he trying to say with his drawing?

Sergey Vasilenkov for Women's magazine "Prelest"

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 A4 size 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, something like a bust or as a caricature, a cartoon character, 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 height, entirely: with 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

The following are said in favor of the child: additional details pattern, such as a cane, briefcase, roller skates, etc., but provided that this detail is appropriate in this picture 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 from the front; 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 the human figure symbolizes the image of the body, which is considered very susceptible to external stimuli that disrupt emotional condition child, the drawing will symbolically reflect the problems he is experiencing. 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.

Similar cases indicate serious problems and disorders.

Another significant one negative factor is a child’s depiction 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 child’s simple description of a drawing can give interesting information, because, despite the lack external resemblance the author and his creation, in the description of the figure we will talk about the child himself, his feelings, thoughts and experiences.

Other questions to ask your child to get as much information 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 does the drawn man do, what is he doing? this moment busy?
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 figure depicted has symbolic meaning, the nature of which is taken into account during interpretation. Each organ of the body acquires a special symbolic meaning, since it manifests echoes of emotional and social life 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 mental life children vary 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 picture 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 other negative impacts 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 big head in humans.

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 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 a face in last resort. 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- enough negative sign, which correlates with loss of identity, 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, absorption with your 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. Other important characteristic images of hands are 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 claws, can indicate aggression. bird of prey. 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 hands is 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 drawn by children who recognize the priority of strength, who strive to become physically strong, who are also large and Strong arms 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 weakness physical state, 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. Large, strong body with powerful shoulders in the picture of a child of normal build - inner strength, strong ego.

Wide, massive shoulders serve as an expression 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 strong child draws a weak body, then perhaps this is due to some experience from 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 Small child depicts a navel - this is a sign of egocentrism, if the navel is drawn by an older child - 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. On the contrary, well-adjusted children with developed sense security people draw freely, easily, creating a drawing that, by its size, scope and conspicuous placement on the page, expresses 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) adolescence sometimes they depict a person with the body in front and the 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 violation may take different shapes, 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, vigorous shading, sometimes directed towards the genital area, can be seen in drawings of repressed, overly controlled junior schoolchildren, at an age close to the period of hidden 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 was and continues to be a favorite subject 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 persist at least during the period of latent sexuality as central motive in designs that may include pets, a house, flowers, a tree, a shining sun, maybe even a cloud or two. It is so atypical 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 a particular type of line in the part of the book devoted to the features children's drawing generally.

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.

When a child begins to hold a writing object in his hand, he always strives to leave a mark behind. Any surface can become a canvas for a young artist: new wallpaper, furniture, and flooring. The desire to draw anything and everything is a normal stage of a child’s development, so parents will have to be patient and watch how the images and subjects of children’s drawings change. At a certain point, the child begins not just to scribble paper, but to depict all sorts of unknown creatures. Such drawings reflect the inner world of a little person, and today we will figure out how to “read” a child’s drawing.

How the drawing is located on the sheet

The entire space of the sheet can be represented as a coordinate system with two axes, known from school. The point of their intersection is the center of the sheet. The most favorable option is when the drawing is located exactly in the center.

The vertical axis is the child’s self-esteem and his sense of his position in the team.

The picture is shifted upward vertically - high self-esteem, the desire to win a high position in the team (sometimes such children suffer precisely from the fact that their own high opinion of themselves is not shared by those around them).
The picture is shifted vertically downward - low self-esteem, timidity, low self-confidence, precarious position in the team (the child is not recognized in the team.

The horizontal axis is the time axis. The left side of the axis is associated with the past, and the right side with the future.

The drawing is located to the left of center - the child is more focused on the past. Such children are more “in themselves”, make few plans, dream little, and show little activity.
The drawing is located to the right of the center - the child is focused on the future, he is often on a positive wave, very active and active.

Analyzing the elements of the image

Head

The position of the head and face matters.

If the head is turned to the right, the child is aimed at realizing his plans and plans. If he has something in mind, he tries to implement it, even though he abandons some ideas halfway through.
If the head is turned to the left, plans and ideas mostly remain in the head, the child does not make attempts to implement his ideas due to indecision.
If the head is positioned straight, the child is focused on himself, selfish, and has high self-esteem.

Ears

If ears are attached to the head, this means that the child is ready to listen. This can manifest itself as cognitive interest (listens to information), or maybe as an interest in the opinions of other people (listens to others in everything).

Eyes

In a drawing, eyes are a symbol of fear, especially if they are large, clearly drawn, and circled many times. Noticeable and big eyes- a symbol of strong fear. Drawn eyelashes speak of some coquetry, attention to one’s own appearance, and a desire to be liked.

Mouth

The mouth can be drawn in different ways: open, closed, just a line, or real lips.

Clearly drawn lips speak of the sensuality of a child.
If the emphasis is on language, the child is very talkative.
Sometimes both lips and tongue are drawn. This indicates the expression of both qualities.
If the mouth is open, but there is no tongue or lips, especially if there is shading, the child is very timid, can easily get scared, constantly doubts and does not trust. This is especially true for teenagers.
Drawn teeth indicate verbal aggression. This aggression is usually of a defensive nature, that is, the child can respond if something happens.

Forehead

A large and high forehead is a sign of the predominance of rationality and erudition.

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Unusual details on the head

Sometimes children draw different details on their heads, which can also be deciphered.

Horns - aggressiveness or desire to defend, the ability to “butt” if necessary.
Feathers – the desire to attract attention, to stand out, the desire to decorate oneself.
Hairstyle, mane or fur - the child strives to indicate what gender he is and to emphasize this.

Limbs

The drawn creature can stand on its feet or paws. Their appearance also speaks about the child’s internal state.

Massive, strong limbs indicate that the child stands firmly on his feet throughout life. He has something to rely on, he makes balanced decisions, thinks about his actions.
Weak, thin legs or their absence indicate the fragility of internal positions and beliefs. The child makes decisions rather impulsively, his judgments are not deep.

Special attention should be paid to how the limbs connect to the body.

If the connections are drawn well, the child carefully controls his reasoning, thinks logically and consistently.
If the connections are drawn carelessly or are absent altogether, the child seems to be slightly out of touch with reality, his thoughts are chaotic.

In addition to legs or paws, the child can draw other limbs. They can serve as decoration, or they can have some kind of function.

Wings, shell, additional limbs indicate that the child is attracted to various areas of activity, he is comprehensively developed, is interested in many things, and easily makes acquaintances. Such children are confident in themselves and easily take their place in life.
Drawing tentacles indicate that the child almost always acts boldly.
Various bows and decorations in the picture reveal in the child the desire to attract attention, demonstrativeness and mannerisms.

An interesting element in the image is the tail:

If the tail is drawn on the right, the child has high self-esteem, he perceives himself and his actions positively. If on the left, the child is prone to self-criticism.
If the tail looks up, the child is active and confident, if down, the child is depressed and dissatisfied with himself.

"Three trees"

By studying children's drawings, you can not only analyze what the child draws spontaneously, but also give a task. It is very simple and informative drawing test"Three trees".

Invite your child to draw three trees on a piece of paper, and then name which of the trees is the father, which is the mother, and which is the baby himself (there may be more trees, depending on the number of family members). In this drawing we will be interested in the size of the trees. The key to the solution lies in the fact that the child correlates trees with family members not by physical height/size, but by the share of influence that family member has. So, for example, if a child associates himself with the smallest tree, there is nothing to rejoice at, because this indicates that the child’s opinion is not important in the family. Parents should give their child more independence in decision-making and listen to his wishes. The most harmonious picture will be when all the trees are equal. Yes, of course, a child can compare himself to a small tree because... It's small, but the meaning is deeper. Here it is written a little more about this - http://grigorieva-elena.ru/metodika-test-tri-dereva/

The mystery of color

Decoding color is one of the most difficult. Each color has an ambiguous psychological meaning, and besides this, the meaning of color can be different for each child. That is why it is necessary to decipher the meaning of color based on the information already obtained from the drawing: color can emphasize the severity of identified qualities or give them a special psychological meaning.

Psychologically, colors are usually interpreted as follows:

Red color is a symbol of passion, love, but in some cases it symbolizes anxiety, aggression, strong negativity and a sense of danger.
Blue is the color of reason, logic, order. Its other pole is fantasy, madness.
Yellow is the color of love of life, a symbol of openness and freedom. Sometimes it personifies jealousy, deceit, envy.
Orange is a very energetic color, a sign of strength and personal maturity. Its downside is belligerence and the desire to fight.
Green is the color of growth, maturation, hope for the best. Sometimes denotes immaturity or sickness.
Purple is a mysterious color, a symbol of harmony and secret knowledge. Can mean anxiety, depression, withdrawal.
Black can be solid and solemn, or it can be mournful.
White is the color of purity, but sometimes it is a sign of inner emptiness and mourning.
Gray color is generally neutral, its negative interpretation is confusion, melancholy.

By comparing the results of all methods of working with a child’s drawing, you can find out about the child what is hidden deeply and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Any identified experiences and problems must be worked through. The first medicine is mother's love, care and attention. It is better to solve deeper problems with a specialist. Spend as much time as possible with your baby, play and draw together - this will help you better see problems and give you an understanding of how you can help your child.

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