Analyzing Children's Art

In her book entitled "Analyzing Children's Art" Rhoda Kellogg discusses many drawings made by young children. She has studied hundred of thousands of drawings produced not to hang in a museum or gallery but rather to express very youthful thoughts and feelings. These expressions were produced by hands making drawing movements while holding a pencil, pen, crayon, or brush. Often the art of older children is made by looking at a physical object and trying to draw or paint a reasonable facsimile of that object. The art of much younger children isn't produced by looking at an object and then trying to draw or paint an imitation of a model. The younger artist is just moving his or her hand in expression of an urge or a feeling from within the body itself. Rhoda Kellogg discusses these drawings and calls them "the basic scribbles."