Pictures help us understand our children from a pedagogical perspective. Through pictures, children express their inner world, emotions, thoughts, and desires. While they find a space for self-expression through drawings, it is not always sufficient. Children often cannot name or comprehend the problems or emotions they are experiencing. This is where the beauty of picture analysis comes into play. We can discover emotions or thoughts that the child may not be aware of in their drawings, lines, and colors. Issues such as sibling jealousy, unhappiness, need for love, perfectionism, anxiety, and social relationships often become evident through picture analysis.
Instructions
- Take a pen (optionally colored pens) and paper.
- Instruct the person you will apply the method to draw one of the following pictures.
- After having it drawn, you can make comments about the person based on the descriptions on the details page of the selected image.
Positioning
The image's position on the page reveals self-perception clues. Centered images may suggest perfectionism and a desire for visibility. Top-focused images indicate optimism, while bottom-focused ones may suggest pessimism. Left-sided emphasis suggests a focus on the past and dependence, while right-sided emphasis implies a focus on the future, individualization, and a desire for independence.
Lines
Dashed lines may signal low self-confidence, indecision, and shyness. Zigzag lines might indicate aggression, selfishness, ease, and masculinity. Circular lines could suggest softness, femininity, compassion, and sensitivity. If lines suit the figure, it's considered normal. Line thickness reflects energy levels, and frequent side-by-side lines forming a contour may indicate aggression in a restrictive environment.
Broad Strokes
Large pictures covering the entire page may suggest a lack of internal control and potential for aggression, observed especially in hyperactive children. Conversely, very small pictures may indicate traits like shyness, timidity, low self-esteem, and introversion. Some children may exaggerate body parts, drawing them larger than reality, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to such exaggerated drawings.
Directions
The direction in which people and other figures in a drawing are facing is important. Movement from left to right signifies the future, while movement from right to left represents the past and turning towards the subconscious. Small children often draw cars and people from right to left, indicating their focus on emotions and the subconscious.
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