Precocious realists are children who are able to create realistic drawings that resemble those of adult artists. Is this talent a splinter skill, or is it associated with other kinds of high ability? We administered IQ and visual-spatial tasks to 12 precocious realists and compared their performance to a control group of children matched on age,…

Although one study has reported that 6% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have drawing talent, no study has examined the incidence of drawing talent in typical children. We asked 153 children aged 6-12 years to draw a picture of their hand. We scored the drawings for the use of detail, correct proportion, and overall contour;…

This study examined the effects of expressive media (drawing versus writing) and emotion regulation strategy (coping by venting versus coping by distraction) on short-term mood repair. After inducing a sad mood in 40 participants, the researchers randomly assigned them to one of two conditions: drawing or writing. Mood valence was assessed before…

A local processing bias has been found in individuals with autism as well as in typical children with a gift for drawing realistically. This study investigated whether a local processing bias in typical adults is more strongly associated with drawing realism or autistic-like traits. Forty-two adults made an observational drawing (scored for…

Individuals differ in their ability to draw realistically and these differences can be seen in early childhood, prior to any formal instruction. Some children, considered precocious realists, are able to draw far more realistically than their peers, even if they have never received formal instruction. In this article, the authors describe some of…

We investigated whether typically-developing children with a gift for drawing realistically show the local processing bias seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-seven 6-12 year-olds made an observational drawing (scored for level of realism) and completed three local processing tasks, and parents completed the Childhood…

This report presents a methodology for examining perceptual development in the arts and describes a study based on this methodology. The purpose of the study was to chart the developmental course of perceptual skills used in the arts and to investigate whether these skills generalize across art forms and aesthetic properties or whether they are…

Discusses reasons for Chinese childrens' greater skills in drawing when compared with their Western counterparts. Describes teaching methods and learning strategies found in China. Notes Chinese emphasis upon attainment of high skill levels and concentration until a task is complete. Criticizes art education in the United States for its lack of…