There are different types of copying, some involving artistic behaviors and some not. It is important to differentiate these types, separating the replication of conventions from more inventive artistic behaviors. A framework for such examination is applied in a group of pilot studies involving children copying comic strips. (Author/RM)

Considers the wide social implications of children's unsolicited drawings of violence, stating that these drawings and children's attitudes toward them are indicative of a central social contradiction; a society that is violent but champions peace. Discusses avenues for action by art educators to help children's development. (Author/LS)

Investigates the uniqueness and distinguishability of individual drawing styles among school-age children to determine whether they have individual artistic styles that go unnoticed. Some support for individual graphic artistic style was provided. Aspects of stylistic distinction are discussed, and recommendations for classroom drawing instruction…

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal, participant-observation study of one boy's spontaneous drawings from preadolescence to adolescence. Themes related to adolescent developmental psychology emerge in the drawings. Concludes that doodling and memory drawing permit imaginative play and free ideation while drawing from pictures…

Explores the reasons art teaching practices developed by Pestalozzi and Froebel in the 1800's continue to influence contemporary schools, especially at the kindergarten and primary grades. Argues that 19th century school art coexists in contemporary North American elementary schools with school art forms originated by Cizek because each represents…

Reports the results of a two-year case study of 144 third and fourth graders' art materials preferences. Results indicate that the students preferred different media for different reasons, with favorites being clay, craypas, felt-tipped pens, and cardboard or wood. Maintains that art educators should take into account students' perceptions about…

Approximately 524 children, grades K-5, were asked to draw a plain or designed cube. At all grade levels, the plain cube was represented as a square with far greater frequency than was the designed cube. Perspective drawings, attempted and achieved, were more frequent for the plain cube. (Author/RM)

Describes developments in strategies used by preschool and third grade children when drawing a three-dimensional model from observation. Concludes that children are able to devise unique responses to solving the problem of representation and that stage theory may be inadequate in explaining their performances. (Author/BSR)

Compares R. Kellogg's (1969) intuitive predictions about teachers' preference in children's drawings of animals and humans with actual judgments made by teachers of those drawings. Also investigates possible effects of grade-level and cultural differences on such evaluations by utilizing U.S. sixth grade and first grade teachers, and Nepalese…

Describes a four-year longitudinal study of the drawings of a preschool boy which preceded four experiments related to observations made in the longitudinal study. Concludes that scribble patterns are a reflection of accidental motor activity. Implications for art education and theories of development of children's art are discussed. (Author/BSR)

This 1981 study replicated a 1970 investigation of the characteristics of clay figures made by children from ages 5 to 11 in order to determine whether children had become more adept during the 10-year period. Children's methods of construction and amount of detail used in the second study did not vary from the earlier one. (Author)

After 15 lessons on clay modeling skills, modeled and drawn human figures by 41 nursery school children were compared to those by control children on formal elements, structure, and detail. The instructional experience significantly improved subjects' clay figure work. No significant sex effect or skill transfer to drawing was found. (SJL)

Kellogg and O'Dell's criteria for designating children's art as pictures and Pitcher and Prelinger's collection of stories from children were examined for analogous patterns of structure. Results indicated that form, derived from a structure of repetition, is embodied by children as a metaphor for pictures or stories. (Author/SR)

In a theoretical and philosophical discussion, the author examines the results of two drawing exercises he used with elementary students. Exercise One, "blind contour" drawing from life, was based on child-centered art learning theory. Exercise Two, copying an artwork, emphasized the learning of graphic conventions and cultural forms. (SJL)