Stages of Artistic Development
The Stages of Artistic Development have been studied by many researches. Viktor Lowenfeld, Marianne Kerlavage, and Judith Burton pioneered this field of research; their contributions are responsible for most of the information on this site. Other influential individuals include Rhoda Kellog and Betty Edwards. Since there are many factors that influence a child's artistic growth, these stages should be used as a guide to interpret and understand the process of developing visual language skills.
Timeline* at a Glance
THE TIMELINE IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED. DETAILED PAGES FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING STAGES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO VIEW SOON.
2-4 years: The Scribbling Stage (Lowenfeld); Beginnings of Artistic Language (Burton); Mark Making (Kerlavage)
7-9 years: Schematic (Lowenfeld); Visual Events (Burton); Symbol Making (Kerlavage)
9-11 years: Dawning Realism (Lowenfeld); Representing Expertise (Burton); Emerging Expertise (Kerlavage)
11-13 years: Pseudo-Naturalistic (Lowenfeld); Ideas in Search of Forms (Burton); Artistic Challenges (Kerlavage)
14-17 years: Adolescent Art (Lowenfeld); More Ideas in Search of Forms (Burton); Artistic Thinking (Kerlavage)
17 years+: The Mature Artist
*The artistic stages developed by Viktor Lowenfeld are used exclusively within the in-depth descriptions for ease of reading.
- Imagery: mandalas, slash marks, bang dots, and open shapes
- Transition: closed shapes
- Imagery: filling the paper, floating shapes
- Transition: tadpole people
7-9 years: Schematic (Lowenfeld); Visual Events (Burton); Symbol Making (Kerlavage)
- Imagery: facial features, improved representation of figure
- Transition: baseline (actual or implied)
9-11 years: Dawning Realism (Lowenfeld); Representing Expertise (Burton); Emerging Expertise (Kerlavage)
- Imagery: details, clothing to identify characters/roles, receding space, world-making
- Transition: considered use of design principles
11-13 years: Pseudo-Naturalistic (Lowenfeld); Ideas in Search of Forms (Burton); Artistic Challenges (Kerlavage)
- Imagery: proportions, three-dimensional space, realistic colors
- Transition: understanding of materials
14-17 years: Adolescent Art (Lowenfeld); More Ideas in Search of Forms (Burton); Artistic Thinking (Kerlavage)
- Imagery: inspired by emotions, social issues, and improving skill
- Transition: personal voice
17 years+: The Mature Artist
- Imagery: focus on individual goals, furthering personal voice
- Transition: continuous improvement upon prior knowledge
*The artistic stages developed by Viktor Lowenfeld are used exclusively within the in-depth descriptions for ease of reading.