Realistic Use of Color by Children

Abstract

Recently published data by Kellogg and O'Dell clearly indicates that children who are at a given point in physical and psychological development, when given the appropriate materials, will produce predictably patterned markings.8 These marks or scribbles are considered important not only because they are the beginning of the child's artistic development, but also because they are considered by many to be the beginnings of graphic expression of the self. During the last ten years, Rhoda Kellogg has devoted much time to a study of the universality of children's markings.' She believes that this universality cuts across both time and culture, and presents evidence of the similarity of cavemen drawings to patterns produced by many present day children throughout the world. There is at least some evidence to suggest that, just as drawings reveal predictable developmental patterns, so also does the use of color, which appears to progress into a direct relationship with the object drawn, and finally into a discrete application in the later years of adolescence.'o Subes has also presented evidence that vivid colors are preferred by younger children and more subdued colors by older children.4 However, most studies of color in children's art has been focused on its role in discrimination processes' or its relationship to expression and personality variables.' These theories hold that, since color can be in itself a means of expression of personality and emotion, the child assumes a subjective, emotional relationship to the color used in his work, consequently disregarding the correspondence of color to reality, since the appeal of the color may be what is more important to him. Likewise, Martin and Valentine in their studies of color preference have found that a type of feeling or unconscious association'5 exists which suggests that color preferences can be traced to a pleasant or unpleasant experience in the past. On the other hand, many individuals who have experience with children's art work have hypothesized that there are identifiable stages in the child's development where a realistic application of color replaces an unrealistic application in the coloring of predrawn stimuli, regardless of the basis for the unrealistic application, e.g., lack of knowledge, emotionally determined color preferences, etc.. Lowenfeld, for one, has pointed out an age at which a child's use of color is described as object, same color relationship, i.e., the child reliably uses the same color when presented the same object. At least three other studies dealing with developmental stages have shown that form is more important than color up to the age of three, and after the age of six, while color is the dominating force for the three years in between.3 4 6 These studies, however, do not provide any developmental data about the age at which a child will not only color the same object the same color in a reliable fashion, but will also use the correct color.