TheVirtualInstructor Blog

Understanding the stages of artistic development can help you become better at creating art. It can also help you become a more effective art teacher. We develop artistically. Just like we develop other skills like talking and walking in stages, we develop artistic skills in the same way.

In 1947, Dr. Viktor Lowenfeld published “Creative and Mental Growth”, which quickly became THE textbook for art educators. Lowenfeld argues that are six clearly defined stages of artistic development and that these stages can be witnessed in the artworks of children. According to Lowenfeld, the six stages of artistic development are:

1. Scribble Stage- (1-3 years old) Children at this age are engaged in the physical activity of drawing. There is no connection made between the marks and representation during most of the scribble stage. However, towards the end of this stage children may begin to give marks names. This stage is mostly about the enjoyment of purely making marks.

2. Preschematic Stage-(3-4 years old) Children at this stage of artistic development are beginning to see connections between the shapes that they draw and the physical world around them. Circles and lines may be described as people or objects that are physically present in the child’s life. It is in this stage that a child first makes the connection to communicating through their drawings.

3. The Schematic Stage-(5-6 years old) Children at this stage have clearly assigned shapes to objects that they are attempting to communicate. They often have developed a schema for creating drawings. There is a defined order in the development of the drawing. Drawings at this stage have a clear separation between the sky and the ground. Often the sky is a strip of blue at the top of the paper, while the ground is a strip of green at the bottom. Objects are often placed on the ground instead of floating in space. Objects of importance are often drawn larger than objects of lesser importance.

4. The Dawning Realism-(7-9 years old) At this stage in artistic development, children are beginning to become more critical of their own work. It has become evident that a structured order to drawing objects is no longer sufficient. While a schema is still used to create drawings, it is more complex than the schema used in earlier stages. Overlapping can be seen and a sense of spatial relationships is more evident.

5. The Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage-(10-13 years old) The use of value and light is now apparent in drawings. Children at this stage of artistic development are very critical of their own success. Success is determined by the level of realism achieved in the drawing. Frustration is a common occurrence. It is exceptionally important to encourage students at this stage.

6. The Decision Stage- (13-16 years old) Children at this stage will decide to continue drawing or view it as an activity without merit. Because of the level of self criticism inherent at this stage, many children, (now young adults) view drawing as an skill that do they do not possess. Others, however, decide to continue working on their drawing skills and continue to develop. I think that it is important to encourage students to continue drawing despite their level of skill. Any skill level can be attained with practice. This stage of artistic development is perhaps the most critical to the development of an artist.

When we observe art, our minds go through a process. This process naturally translates into the steps of art criticism. Following these steps will help us evaluate art effectively.
It is important for us to be able to evaluate art. If we are artists, we must recognize what is good and what is bad, so that we may become more successful at our craft. If we are patrons, we must be able to discern success from failure as well. If we are teachers, we must teach our students the mental process that people naturally go through when they look at and take in a work of art. This way our students are better equipped to create successful artwork on their own, and understand why and how their artworks are digested.
When I teach the steps of art criticism to my students, I have them say this word-”DAIJ”. Yes, I know-”DAIJ” is not a word. I am very ridiculous about it. I say silly sentences like, “Have you guys played any DAIJ ball this summer?” The students may think that I’m crazy, but they remember that word-”DAIJ”. DAIJ stands for the steps of art criticism.

D=Description. The first step in art criticism is description. When we look at a work of art, our minds naturally take notice of the general information that is present. For example, if we take The Mona Lisa, we notice, “Hey, this is a painting of a woman.” When critiquing, start here with a simple description of what is seen in the artwork.

A=Analysis. Analysis refers to how we see the elements and principles of art. In this step, our minds take in the lines, values, and colors of the artwork. We also may take notice of the balance, proportion, rhythm, and unity found within the work. In a critique, students should point out what is happening with these specific elements and principles. Many times, the formal qualities of the artwork are what makes the art successful. Students should understand how these qualities work and what makes them successful in artwork. They should also be able to discern when these formal qualities are unsuccessful as well.

I=Interpretation. Often times, students will automatically skip to this step. We look for meaning in everything, so this is natural. In this step, we explore the meaning of the artwork. What is the artist trying to communicate to us? There are no wrong responses here.

J=Judgment. The last step in art criticism is judgment. Is this work of art successful? It is important if we are teaching students, to guide them in this step. Remind students that the work of art may not be their favorite, but it may still be successful. This way, we teach students to appreciate good art, even if we personally do not like it.
Understanding the steps to art criticism and implementing them in a structured way in critique, will help you create better artwork.