Understanding Children’s Drawings

There has been a growing fascination over the past
century with the emotional and psychological aspects of
children’s art expressions, particularly from the fields of
psychology, psychiatry, and art therapy. Drawing has
been undeniably recognized as one of the most important
ways that children express themselves and has been
repeatedly linked to the expression of personality and
emotions. Children’s drawings are thought to reflect their
inner worlds, depicting various feelings and relating
information concerning psychological status and
interpersonal style. Although children may use drawing to
explore, to problem solve, or simply to give visual form to
ideas and observations, the overall consensus is that art
expressions are uniquely personal statements that have
elements of both conscious and unconscious meaning in
them and can be representative of many different aspects
of the children who create them.