A few materials such as yarn and scraps of paper and cloth can provide the media for recording limitless ideas from the imaginations of students. With a little encouragement and a few suggestions of actions, emotions, exaggerations and activities students will produce a vast array of amusing characters. (Author)

Investigates characteristics and themes in 102 drawings by sexually abused children. Themes of the drawings included genitalia, the absence of specific body parts, phallic symbols, inappropriate smiles, distorted body images, kinetic activity, prominent hands and fingers, and hearts. (RJC)

Sketches and drawings are a means of communicating ideas in the design process. Students need help in overcoming the conditioned response of producing finished, polished work and in learning efficient and effective ways of communicating ideas through images. (SK)

In a study of drawing development, children's and adults' drawings of cubes were classified into drawing types. Differences between children's and adults' drawings suggest that younger children use a similarity geometry with feature-based criteria, whereas older children and adults use a vantage-point geometry that includes direction-based…

Investigates the effect of drawing method on the subsequent discriminability of hand-drawn characters. Finds that members of character pairs drawn using dissimilar stroke directions became more differentiated; subjects were better able to distinguish between members of differentiated character pairs; and subjects were better at distinguishing…

Describes how cartoons function as bait to lure the reader to read the newspaper's prose. Argues that a cartoonist must be well-informed, intelligent, and analytical. Discusses cultivating and training student cartoon artists, improving cartooning skills, and the making of a good cartoonist. (SR)

Examined the effects of drawing true and false reminders about a previously experienced magic show on 3- to 6-year-olds' suggestibility and source monitoring ability. Found that children who had drawn the reminders had better recall of reminders and better source memory than children who had only answered questions about them. Both groups reported…

In a between-subjects design, 4-to 6-year-olds were asked to draw from three-dimensional (3D) models, two-and-a-half-dimensional (212D) models with or without depth cues, or two-dimensional (2D) models of a familiar object (a saucepan) in noncanonical orientations (handle at the back or at the front). Results showed that canonical errors were…

This study examined the spousal relationship of 19 courtordered battering husbands as reflected in drawings of themselves and their wives. Two types of drawing characteristics were assessed: (a) graphic indicators of the spousal relationship and (b) graphic indicators of violent or aggressive behavior. Results revealed that the figures drawn by…

Teaching high school students the "grammar" of art--the principles and elements of art and design--while also teaching them about creativity and concept can be difficult. This author has found that combining beginning lessons in line, shape, value, texture, form, and color with projects requiring innovation and inspiration, though challenging, is…

This article describes a middle school introductory art lesson that encourages experimentation as an essential part of the creative process. In this lesson, students experiment with different types of media and tools to create an abstract piece that focuses on the most basic element of art--line. Students focus on line quality, focal points,…

This article deals with a child's impression of literacy. The author interviews Sophia Kazee, a kindergartner, who was asked her about her favorite books. She asked her where she reads at home and in the classroom and asked her to draw these places. The first drawing shows children reading books and Sophia reading to her teacher, Ms. Cresse. The…

An online survey of early childhood professionals who were employed by a national child care company examined beliefs and practices regarding the rights and abilities of young children to express views and be heard. Participants represented seven US regions, and comprised a sample of 107 preschool professionals working directly with children ages…

This research examines perceptions of special education teachers toward mathematics as related to self as student and teacher throughout a semester-long mathematics methods course. Eighteen alternate-entrant special education teachers provided data in the form of mathematics autobiographical essays and classroom drawings. Autobiographical essays…

This arts-based research illustrates how young children engage in "graphic-narrative play"--a personal fantasy-based experience depicted on paper--while representing imaginary worlds centered on the topic, "what the future will be like". The descriptions show how the children not only made representations, but also manipulated…