Color Selection in Object Drawings of Young Children

Abstract

This action research study examined the selection of color used in six object drawings of young children. Study sample size consisted of eighteen Kindergarten students from a public elementary school in Prince George's County Public School System, Maryland. This study was organized into three phases. Each phase asked student participants to draw six familiar objects (tree, house, boy, dog, girl, car) while limiting the amount of color selection in each phase. The use of logical color and expressive color was investigated and scores were given to each drawing in order to compare logical color usage. Color trends were also documented to show possible color associations in young children's representation of everyday objects. The results found that there was an increase in the use of logical color as the selection of color in each phase was minimized. Strong color trends were shown in the representation of the tree and boy images.