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When did your kids really start to draw--not just scribbles but easily-identifiable scenes and objects? My DS (4 years 1 month), who's very verbal but not so big on math, went from drawing scribbles to drawing pictures virtually overnight when he was about 3 years 10 months old, and he's really on fire with it at this point. As soon as we've finished reading a book, he wants to draw whatever we've just read about. We got him good markers and colored pencils and a fat, quality art pad at Christmas, and he's nearly filled it with drawings. He draws space scenes, ocean scenes, underground scenes, pirates, himself at different ages, his bedroom, vehicles, etc. Does this normally happen at this age or could this be a sign of art ability?

I have a quite detailed picture of a monster truck that DS drew at 2.5 He has since moved on to drawing race cars, and anything else with a fast engine.

Great question MsFriz and one close to my heart since I come from an art background. The 'normal' age of drawing simple figures that are recognizable is 6 to 7 yrs old. This is drawing figures with facial features.

My daughter was no longer scribbling before she was 10 mths old. She was able to control her markings and draw letters such as O, M, H, W by this time. She is now soon to be 2 1/2 and draws complicated creatures. Sometimes they are animals such as a baby bird in a nest which I took a picture of before she erased her doodle pro.(lucky me for having my camera on me at the time.) Sometimes they are strange creatures with facial features. But all have volume and specific features.

I was able to draw complicated figures before I could walk, so around 13 mths and definitely showed signs of artistic talents at an early age. The best thing you can do for your son is to let him explore his abilities and have plenty of art supplies around for him. Every Christmas I would discover a big pile of art supplies under the tree which was definitely a joy.

I agree with Katelyn'sM om..... I have a degree in art education, and 6 or 7 is about when most kids start to really draw.

Kids who are artistically gifted, usually start younger. There drawings are more detailed.

This is a great question; I can't remember a time that ds was not drawing something amazing, definitely by 3 doing recognizable things. He still draws at least an hour a day, reminds me of how the great Japanese artist Hokusai used to sign some of his work: 'Man gone mad with images'. Just like there is way too much in the head and it has got to come out.
Ds definitely 'processes' things he reads and hears about via drawing; not a learning style I've ever heard of but I think it really helps him cement things.

6 or 7 seems amazingly late..? I hope that isn't gonna jinx little dd2y9m - she is still doing big circles and yesterday she came by with two very frantic, concentrated scribbles right next to each other in sparkly purple and said - 'Mommy, these are two ballerinas! They are spinning!'
Which was a great use of what she is capable of doing, but not what most would call recognizable.

We now keep paper and pencil with us in the car, at most restaurants, waiting for stuff, etc., because if ds wants to draw something all of a sudden it's so much nicer to actually offer him that outlet than see it all bottled up.

I'm familiar with this--up until fairly recently, every other picture my son brought home from preschool was titled "hurricane."

These responses are great. My son did draw just a few detailed pictures at a very early age (around 2.5). One of them was of a bag that had a small opening and "dirt" inside of it, which seemed to show depth and dimension. He also got perspective by the time he was 3, putting smaller objects behind larger ones, and he would often draw random scribbles and then "find" pictures in them, like an inkblot test. I have a great picture of a "lilytrotter" that he saw in his scribbles when he was 3. In the last few months though, it has really become a passion, and instead of bringing home pictures of "hurricanes" he's bringing home pictures of his bedroom completed with the bedposts, chair, lamp and toy box, all drawn in the right colors and locations from memory. I think maybe his fine motor skills have just suddenly caught up with his imagination.

My oldest daughter reminds me of this.
She REFUSED to draw anything, until she was about 3 1/2. She went from drawing nothing to drawing people completely dressed with clothes. She focused on this until a few months after she turned 4. She began drawing 3+ hours a day on the whiteboard, and did that for about a year. We are talking about quite elaborate scenes/stories.

Even now, she generally goes straight to the whiteboard after school.

I think it is a sign of several things.
a) I think gifted kids do in general see the world differently. Because of that it makes sense they have more details in their drawings.
b) I think it also shows artistic ability.


Of course, my other daughter began drawing just as prolifically on the whiteboard right before she turned three, and her first tadpole person was right at 2.

Because of that my 'norms' can be a bit off sometimes.

Tammy

DD went through a period where she was drawing a lot. She started drawing stick people with arms and legs and faces right before she turned 2. I was pregnant with DS and she decorated the shelf in his room with stick figures(crayon,pencil and some pen). DH called me in to see what she had done. I was so surprised to see all the little people on the shelf and walls. I told her those are great with a big smile. Two years latter I still find drawings on the backs of doors or the outside of dressers and shelves. Lately she has been drawing on paper and cutting out her drawing and then she tapes it on the door or wall, which is much preferred. I don't mind the art at all. I think it is great. When I close a door there is usually a new little picture there for me and it always makes me smile. Fortunately DH is the one who dose the painting. He would rather they colored on paper, how boring.

I know a child who, well before 5 years of age, could look a complex picture for about a minute and then draw a very close representation of the photo without having to look at the picture again! He also prints perfectly and can write anything he sees. I think he's gifted but his Mom's not so sure. Here's the funny part - the only subject he's having trouble in at school is ART b/c he wont sit still or follow directions. Hmmmm...