Once children have discovered the way to draw a human figure, they will usually move on to the next step in drawing animals.

Animals are based on the same practiced form, consisting of a head with eyes, a nose, a mouth and a body with arms and legs sticking out.

It is usually from the position of the ears that suggests the transformation from a person to an animal. The ears that used to stick out from the side of the head will now be located on the top of the head. The ears usually take on the circular form (ie. to represent a mouse), or a pointy form (ie. to represent a cat).

The body of the figure will eventually stretch out horizontally, with four legs in a row sticking from the bottom of the figure.

The head and tail will be on opposite ends, yet the facial features on the head will continue to be positioned in a frontal pose and not yet a profile.

Notice that the faces of the anmals are still in frontal pose and not yet a profile. Although ears are yet to be seen, one can assume these two figures are animals by the horizontal stretch of the body and the addition of the tail.

Head profiles of animals usually appear at the age of five, or in most cases even later. Many children do not even draw animals until the age of five.

The drawing of animals shows a significant amount of progress in children's art skills and development.

 

 

Trees

Trees are also transitional drawings based on the human figure. The tree most likely take on the form of armless humans, with two long legs to represent the trunk. The circular shape which used to be the head now becomes the treetop.

Trees are often not drawn to size and they usually appear to be similar height to humans and in some cases even smaller.

In this drawing, the child is as tall as the tree. Notice the head became the treetop and the stick legs became the trunk of the tree.

Most children do not reach the level of drawing trees until the age of five or later.

Details will eventually evolve on the trees as children progress. The first drawings of flowers may also begin to appear as children combine familiar shapes that they have practiced before, that being the sun and a stem.

 

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