The Complete Guide to Children's Drawings: Accessing Children‘s Emotional World through their Artwork. Michal Wimmer
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In China, red has a positive connotation and is a symbol of luck. Therefore it is used in celebrations and wedding ceremonies, where brides traditionally wear red dresses. In addition, the ceremony in which a newborn is named is called Red Egg.
Red has a stimulating effect on our nervous system and exposure to it increases the breathing rate and blood pressure (Ritberger, 2009). This is why red is associated with aggressiveness and competition.
In nature, it was found that red causes seagull nestlings to excessively search for food. It was also found that among European robins red triggers aggressive behavior.
Red has other meanings in our life, such as the power of life and inner energy, as well as survival. Max Lüscher – Inventor of the Lüscher Color Test – referred to red as symbolic of activity and leadership, as well as life’s pleasures and success motivation. Goethe referred to red as a noble and graceful color, which symbolizes monarchy and sanctity, but when used in an exaggerated proportion might cause anxiety. Kandinsky agreed with him and thought of red as a color which is in constant movement and therefore causes restlessness.
Following its historic and cultural meanings, in children’s drawings red is considered dominant and impressive. It is related to activity and doing. Children who constantly use red are often characterized as dominant and extrovert. These children like to be at the center of social attention. They like competition and challenges and prefer, of course, to be the winners. They are willing to invest great effort and energy to become leaders. Socially, they are direct and willful, so they know how to get what they need, without giving up to other children. Excessive use of red is common among aggressive children.
In the following drawing, it is possible to see excessive use of red. The girl who made this drawing did not try to document reality, but preferred red over other colors.
Note that when observing colors in drawings I recommend focusing on the amounts of color used, in order to differentiate between balanced and exaggerated amounts of color.
Figure 2-4:Excessive use of red
In general, when the color is used in a reasonable and balanced way, you may tentatively conclude that the child’s is balanced with positive “red meanings” such as active, enthusiastic and having a strong desire to be in the social center. However, when the page is swamped with red, my tentative conclusion would be that the child is attempting to compensate for contents and traits he lacked. Warmth will be replaced by aggression, hastiness by disquiet and the desire to be in the center by an existential need to be popular.
In this case, when the child is not at the center of attention, she behaves as if exposed to an existential threat, and reacts with nervousness and temper tantrums. All this may be concluded from her overuse of red. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, you must cross-check the information gleaned through colors with other graphic indicators in the child’s drawings. Some such indicators are pressure, line drawing style, subject, and figure drawing style. These indicators will help you make a comprehensive and quality analysis of the child’s drawings and determine whether the use of specific color is balanced or exaggerated.
Orange
Kandinsky liked the power of orange – the combination of red and yellow represented, in his opinion, balanced emotions and closeness between people, each remaining aware of his own powers. Like red, orange belongs to the warm color family and as such symbolizes energy, enthusiasm and doing. Children attracted to this color tend to be creative and optimistic. They are willing to dare and join new adventures, out of curiosity and a desire to experience independently and achieve their goals. A child who likes to draw with orange does not obey rules easily, but demands explanations for most requests. He often exhausts his parents with long verbal discussions, in which he usually prevails.
Figure 2-5:Excessive use of orange
Nevertheless, the combination of yellow and red which produces orange somewhat moderates the emotional meanings we associate with red. Thus, children who use this color in an exaggerated way will be assertive rather than aggressive, enthusiastic rather than overeager, etc. When orange is used too intensively, it means the child sees pragmatism and creativity as important elements in his existence. Note that as a rule, orange stands for quality and represents ambition, health and also good communication with the environment, even at high doses.
Yellow
Similarly to red, yellow also symbolize caution and thus appears in many warning signs. Yellow is traditionally associated with jaundice and cowardice, as well as with aging, for both people and objects. In ancient Egypt it was used to mark criminals’ and traitors’ doors. In the Middle Ages, yellow costumes were used as the sign of the dead. In India yellow robes are often worn by Hindu swamis and Buddhist monks in their schools and during the spring festival. In Russia, yellow represents romantic breakup. Finally, we all remember Dorothy’s Yellow Brick Road.
For Lüscher, yellow is a sign of lightheartedness, joy and comfort, which are felt after escape from restricted situations. Moreover, it symbolizes diligence which is not stable or consistent. Often, yellow symbolizes a conflict one must resolve. In the positive aspect, it represents a child’s ambition with the ability to manage others in order to reach his goals.
Goethe observed that yellow is a complex color and noted that although in its basis yellow is a peaceful and joyful color, which gives a sense of warmth, when it becomes soiled, it gives a sense of nausea and discomfort. Kandinsky referred to yellow as an earthly color without any depth, which gives a feeling of restlessness, anger and jealousy.
When children use yellow in their drawings, it represents sensitivity. These children are well aware of their surrounding and deeply influenced by it. They are characterized by cleverness and patience, as well as joyfulness and mischief, but tend not to be troublemakers like children who use red. In addition, they are connected to their family and do not need many friends to find interest, because they have a rich inner world. They are also characterized by high concentration ability and a desire to experience, while taking the right precautions.
Exaggerated use of yellow represents oversensitivity which makes it difficult for the children to manage outside the inner circle of their loving family. When the child swamps the page with yellow, this also connotes naivety, innocence and empathy with other people’s pain.
Figure 2-6:Excessive use of yellow
This drawing was made by a 5½ year-old girl who desperately needs family closeness. Her family relocated to a new dwelling and she was about to enter first grade in a new school, without any of her old friends. As a result, this period was characterized by dependence, sensitivity and a strong need for support and reinforcements.
Pink
As expected, pink is most commonly used by girls. At a certain age this color dominates their world and they dress in pink clothes, play with pink toys, sleep on pink sheets and dream pink dreams. Although some boys also show interest in this color and add pink to their drawings, this color is commonly identified with femininity. Women who are attracted to stereotypically feminine jobs, and who adopt behaviors considered feminine, such as makeup, body care and fashion, tend to use it.
Many parents look at their girl when she is at this pink stage, smile and say that she is a little lady. This girl imitates dress codes of older women, СКАЧАТЬ