Art Materials & Ideas to Encourage Artistic Development

Today's blog post is a follow up post from last week's Experiencing Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development with Children in Your Life. Please refer to the previous post for the descriptions of each artistic stage of development. Below are some examples of materials and ideas to encourage the child(ren) in your life at their current phase of artistic development:

Scribble Stage (Ages 2-4)
Use materials that allow the child to choose different colors and experience different mark making. Encourage the child to talk about their creations. In the beginning their drawings may not mean anything until they reach the later portion of the scribble phase known as "Naming".

Art materials:

1. Large crayons
2. 12" x 18" or 18" x 24" paper for drawing and painting to capture large movements
3. Large painting brushes with thick handles for easy gripping
4. Tempera paint
5. Air dry clay/ play dough for sculpting

Ideas to Explore:

1. Allow the child to draw freely
2. Ask the child what their drawing represents

Pre-Schematic Stage (Ages 4-6)
Encourage the child to make connections from their experiences in the world and their artwork

Art Materials:

1. Large crayons
2. 12" x 18" or 18" x 24" paper for drawing and painting to capture large movements
3. Large painting brushes with thick handles for easy gripping
4. Tempera paint
5. Watercolors
6. Colored chalk
7. Construction Paper
8. Glue
9. Air dry clay/ play dough for sculpting

Ideas to Explore:

1. Size Relationships
2. Feelings
3. Body Parts

Schematic Stage (Ages 7-9)
Allow children to draw/create what they want with new art materials. Encourage them to depict natural and imaginative environments.

Art Materials:

1. Multimedia Paper
2. Paint Brushes
3. Tempera Paint
4. Watercolors
5. Graphite Pencils
6. Colored Chalk
7. Oil Pastels
8. Paper Mache
9. Construction Paper
10. Glue
11. Clay

Ideas to Explore:

1. X-Ray Pictures
2. Front and Profile Views 
3. Emotions
4. Experiences in their world (going to school, dance practice, etc.)

Dawning of Realism Stage (Ages 9-11)
To encourage children to develop their artistic skills, have them draw from observation and explore other art mediums to express themselves and illustrate the way they view the world.

Art Materials:

1. Multimedia Paper
2. Paint Brushes
3. Tempera Paint
4. Watercolors
5. Watercolor Pencils
6. Graphite Pencils
7. Colored Chalk
8. Oil Pastels
9. Paper Mache
10. Construction Paper
11. Glue
12. Clay
13. Print Making Materials
14. Book Making Materials
15. Photography
16. Weaving

Ideas to Explore:

1. Art from around the world
2. Drawing from observation
3. Elements and Principles of Art

Experiencing Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development with Children in Your Life

While I was studying to become an art teacher, I was required to take many child and adolescent development classes since I would certified to teach grades K-12. In these classes we discussed the physical, emotional, and social growth that happens within childhood and how it will affect learning in a classroom setting. In my art education classes we also learned about a different type of child development: The Stages of Artistic Development by Viktor Lowenfeld. Today I am going to briefly describe these stages so you can better understand the ways in which children begin to express themselves visually.

The first stage is the Scribble Stage which occurs when children are between 2-4 years of age. In this stage children begin by scribbling their kinesthetic motions onto paper (and sometimes walls). In the late portion of this stage, children begin to name or tell stories about their drawings. This is the shift from the kinesthetic thinking to imaginative thinking with the ability to visualize pictures.

Children then move into the Pre-Schematic Stage when they are approximately 4-6 years of age. This occurs when children begin to draw images that represent either animal or human figures. They create connections with the shapes that they draw to objects in the physical world around them. The most important aspects of the subject are emphasized and the use of color is more emotional than logical.

The next stage of artistic development is the Schematic Stage which occurs when the children are about 7-9 years old. In this stage, shapes are assigned to objects and they are attempting to communicate with the images they create. Another important development is spacial awareness and the appearance of sky and ground relationships.

Children then move onto the Dawning of Realism stage when they are about 9-11 years old. Realism is more about the experience with the object rather than photographic representation of it. Drawings at this stage also have defined steps to the process. Enhanced understanding of space with the use of overlapping also appears. This is also the time in the development of children where self awareness appears as well as self criticism which can hinder the development of their artistic abilities.

The final stage of artistic development in childhood is the Pseudo-Realistic Stage which occurs when children are about 11-13 years old. In this stage, the product becomes more important than the process. They try to mimic the shapes and values that they see in the real world to create works of art that are ready for "stage presentation". Children will also make visual and emotional connections to the objects from the physical world through their drawings. 

Credit: Laurie E. Meyers showcasing Viktor Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development

As a mother, I am now experiencing the beginning of Lowenfeld's stages with my oldest child, Courtney. She is currently in the Pre-Schematic Stage where she is beginning to draw things that represent people or animals. Below are some unprompted pictures drawn by Courtney. It is so much fun to listen to her talk about her drawings and what she is trying to represent with her creations. In a future blog post I will provide you with suggested art materials and ideas to share with your child to encourage their development in their current stage.

References

Clements, Robert D., and Frank Wachowiak. Emphasis Art: A Qualitative Art Program for Elementary and Middle Schools. Allyn & Bacon, 2010

“Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development.” LOWENFELD, www.d.umn.edu/~jbrutger/Lowenf.html.

“Viktor Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development.” Ms. Lewis' Art Stars, www.mslewisartstars.com/viktor-lowenfelds-stages-of-artistic-development.html.