On Children's Drawings by Marina Ozerova

The book is dedicated to the phenomenon of children’s drawings and treats it as a psychologically important aspect of child development. The author talks about different stages that children’s drawings go through, identifying the relationship between the age of the “artist” and the way he expresses the world through his drawings.

The book in dust jacket

The practical chapters contain a great number of tips, advice, and ideas for adults who wish to develop and support creative potential of their child, without imposing visual patterns.

Usually, the child attempts to draw even before his first birthday. This, of course, is not drawing the way we understand it, nor images of any specific objects. The initial stage of development of children’s drawings is called “pre-graphic,” and during this stage the child goes through three phases: the messy phase (dedicated to trying out different materials), the rhythmic scribbles phase (the artist repeats the same movements to produce similar lines), and the association period (which is characterized by first attempts to make out a graphic image).

By the time the children begin drawing, they are able to coordinate their movements, and notice how the material leaves a mark on the surface. Drawing teaches them to control their bodies and to perform deliberate actions. In addition, it is an obvious way of capturing own presence in the world.

From the chapter “The Development Stages of Children’s Drawings”