Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 19-20).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1956 T65

Life drawing presents some of the most difficult problems in the school art program: the difficulty of securing models, the necessity of using only the clothed model, and the resistance of many students to this particular discipline. The students’ confidence in their own drawing abilities is at its nadir during early adolescence, and they become easily discouraged when faced with a live model as a subject. This thesis represents an effort to deal with these problems in a manner suited to the age and maturity level of the students. In order to build their self confidence, basic drawing skills and techniques are emphasized and the work is designed to afford them maximum success. Based on the premise that the quality of student art work will show greater improvement if they enjoy what they are doing, much effort is made to present interesting and challenging projects. Emphasis is shifted away from the figure itself at first, and placed upon the clothing instead. The more difficult aspects of figure drawing are approached gradually as the need arises. The work was designed for secondary and junior high school elective art classes. It was tested on a group of eight grade students on the assumption that most of the problems involved are somewhat magnified at that level. The entire unit involved nine weeks of class work. In some areas the results were successful. The more visually minded students exhibited much improvement in perception and drawing skills. Those less visually minded displayed enthusiasm for several of the projects which had been planned specifically for them, but they generally showed less improvement. Nine weeks proved to be rather a long period of time for such a unit, and enthusiasm lessened somewhat during the last two weeks. It was concluded that although the project generally accomplished its goals, perhaps the goals themselves should be re-evaluated. Few students seemed to sense much relevance in learning to draw the human figure as an end in itself. This experience seemed to suggest that the use of life drawing as a vehicle for the expression of ideas and feelings might provide a wider base of motivation.

The present study investigated the relationship between self concept and children's figure drawings. The principle variable under consideration in each child's drawing were (a) size of the drawing and (b) number of colors used. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965) was administered to 80 students selected from the seventh grade at Logan Junior High School, Logan, Utah. The subjects were then instructed to draw a picture of themselves. No further instructions were given regarding specific details of the requested picture. Ten colored pencils along with a regular pencil were made available to each student. No instructions were given as to the type or number of pencils to be used in their figure drawing. After the subjects completed their respective drawings, the experimenter rated each picture in terms of (a) number of colors used for the drawing, and (b) the height or vertical size of the drawing measured in millimeters from top to bottom of the drawing. It was hypothesized that students who obtain high scores on a measure of self concept (positive self concept) will use a greater number of colors in drawing a picture of themselves than will students who score low (negative self concept) on the same self concept measure. Students with high score on the measure of self concept will also draw a picture of themselves which is larger in size (height) than will students with low scores on the self concept measure. In addition to the two major hypotheses, it was also hypothesized that: (1) the high self concept group will have more smiles on the faces of their drawings than the low self concept group; (2) the high self concept group will draw more full figures than the low self concept group; (3) the high self concept group will use more total space on the paper than the low self concept group; and (4) the high self concept group will draw their figures more in the top two-thirds of the page and the low concept group will draw their figures more in the bottom two-thirds of the page. All of the subjects were ranked from high to low scores obtained on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and were then divided into a high self concept group (top 20 scores) and a low self concept group (bottom 20 scores). Scores for the total sample of 80 students ranged from 193 to 394. Thus, the high self concept group was comprised of students with scores from 314 to 394. The low self concept group scores ranged from 193 to 246. The figure drawings of high and low scores on the Self Concept Scale were then compared to determine any apparent relationship between measured self concept and (a) number of colors used in the drawing and (b) overall size of the drawing. Analysis of the figure drawings indicated no significant differences, either in number of colors used, or in size of figure between high and low scorers on the Self Concept Scale. the mean number of colors used by high scorers was 3.5 millimeters. Thus, the basic hypotheses of the study were not substantiated by the results obtained. However, subjective inspection of the pictures in terms of the four sub-hypotheses did produce two significant findings in terms of projective-type ratings of the pictures and statistical analysis by the chi square method. In brief, these particular differences were that students who scored high in self concept drew more pictures with smiling faces and utilized the top two-thirds of the drawing paper, while students with low self concept drew pictures with sadder-looking faces and more toward the bottom of two-thirds of the paper. The data also showed a significantly higher number of boys than girls in the high self concept group.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the amount of peer influence elementary school students exert on each other during an assigned drawing task. Further, the purpose was to determine the relationship of peer influence to other factors: sex, grade level, artistic prestige, and social prestige.Five major questions involving elementary school age peers were under investigation. Hypotheses were developed to determine whether significant relationships existed during an assigned drawing task between peer influence and (1) pairs of boys, pairs of girls, and opposite sex pairs, (2) same sex pairs and opposite sex pairs, (3) peers at various grade levels, (4) artistic prestige, and (5) social prestige.The sample of this study consisted of 656 elementary school students. The subjects ranged from kindergarten through sixth grade and were representative of elementary school students of Mankato, Minnesota.The data used were collected from the sample by involving the subjects in two drawing sessions and, with the exception of the kindergarten subjects, one short session used in the execution of a sociogram. The drawings were judged for Quality Scale scores and peer influence scores. These scores were recorded along with sociogram information, indicating artistic and social prestige, and personal data.Analysis of variance was computed along with subsequent t tests to determine the relationships between peer influence and boy pairs, girl pairs, and opposite sex pairs. To test the significance of statistics pertinent to the relationship of peer influence to same sex pairs and opposite sex pairs, t tests were employed.The relationship between peer influence and grade level was subjected to analysis of variance along with follow-up t tests. Statistics indicating the relationship between peer influence and artistic and social prestige were reported by correlation coefficients.A significant relationship was found between peer influence and sex pairing. Further relationships of significance were found between peer influence and pairs of boys with pairs of girls, and boy pairs with opposite sex pairs. The relationship between pairs of girls and opposite sex pairs did not reach a level of significance.The amount of peer influence which same sex pairs exerted was found to be significantly greater than that exerted by opposite sex pairs. There was also found to be a significant relationship between grade level and peer influence, with peer influence diminishing in intensity from kindergarten through grade six. Statistics reporting the relationship between peer influence and artistic prestige indicated a positive significant relationship while the statistics reporting the relationship between peer influence and social prestige were not significant.With reference to the findings of this study, the ensuing conclusions relative to peer influence investigation in this research are drawn. Pairs of elementary school age boys are more likely to be influenced by each other in the performance of a task than are pairs of elementary school age girls. Opposite sex pairs are still less influenced by each other than are boy pairs or girl pairs.Subjects whose peers consider them high in artistic prestige exert more peer influence during art activities than subjects who are not so rated by peers. Subjects who are high in social prestige are not significantly influential during the same art activity. The present study also concludes that the influence of elementary school age peers need not accelerate with age but can diminish in intensity from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Thesis (M.F.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 20).

One purpose of this study was to determine of the actual physical dimensions of an individual are related to the dimensions of his human figure drawings. The specific physical dimension used in this study is that of stature of height. Another purpose of this study was to determine if college males majoring in Physical Education might be superior to college males majoring in Industrial Arts in terms of their clarity of body image.

The first aspect of the problem of this study is to investigate a number of drawing characteristics, the interpretation of which is frequently associated with dynamics of the maladjusted personality. This investigation is primarily concerned with validity as it occurs in a significant appearance of these characteristics in the drawings of maladjustedd individuals as compared with an assumed significantly lesser appearance in the drawings of relatively well-adjusted individuals. The second aspect of the problem is concerned with distinguishing those characteristics which show the greatest significance of occurrence from those of no significant occurrence in the maladjusted group. The former can be, thus, considered as possibly valid and important for further testing.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1987. / Title from title page screen, viewed August 9, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Max R. Rennels (chair), Heather Hanlon, John R. McCarthy, Louis Steinburg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-128) and abstract. Also available in print.

This thesis describes a process of teaching figure drawing to adolescents which places importance on the subjective experiences of the students. Traditional figure drawing methods emphasizing the development of visual perceptual skills are integrated with activities which are designed to secure emotional participation, and develop awareness of art as a means of expression and communication. This approach seems to motivate students and to reduce the anxiety usually experienced by adolescents when they are drawing the figure.