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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

at what age do children start drawing faces

22 replies

pud1 · 06/04/2011 22:01

was just wondering when children start drawing faces. my dd has started to do this this week. she was 3 in feb. dont think she is advanced but was shocked that she has gone fron scribling to drawing faces within the space of a day

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Rosebud05 · 06/04/2011 22:29

Yes, I think around 3 sounds about right. My dd's drawing and writing developed in the same way, in sudden leaps. Keep the picture!

babyjane67 · 07/04/2011 16:22

my dd drew her first proper face at23months
its of my grown up dds lo&we keep it on the fridge!lol

Escallonia · 07/04/2011 16:30

oh dear, ds is nearly 4 and no sign of drawing faces or people yet, so I am v impressed with 3 and even more with 23mo! ds loathes drawing / colouring sadly. anyone else got a late developer on this score?

FlamingJamie · 07/04/2011 16:45

Mine were about 4

I used to worry that DS1 didn't draw or paint but then he suddenly went mad for it at around 6. Don't worry Escallonia

holyShmoley · 07/04/2011 16:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tgger · 07/04/2011 20:04

My son was nearer 4, at least 3.5. They're all different like most things. Is great when they can draw- gives them something to do! DS now 4.5 and draws lots lots of the time

superv1xen · 07/04/2011 20:10

ds was at least 4 when he started drawing faces. could have even been 4.5.

used to piss me off big time coz my mate (who is convinced her dd is some kind of child prodigy) was drawing them at about 2 1/2 and DS who is a year older couldn't draw more than scribbles.

but as he is now doing very well at school i probably shouldnt have been worried :)

superv1xen · 07/04/2011 20:10

i meant my mates DD not my mate

see where ds gets his brains from cant you...

Tgger · 07/04/2011 20:14

Yeah, they're all different, think my son is ahead of quite a few of his peers on drawing, but he's still not interested in a scooter or a bike .

RobynLou · 07/04/2011 20:15

this is the one and only thing which DD1 was abnormally early in doing so I am unable to restrain myself from boasting to you telling you she drew a face (circle with 2 eyes, nose and smiling mouth) at 19months.

now at 3.5 her drawings are no 'better' than her peers though - as with everything starting early doesn't mean they'll keep advancing quickly, DD1 has been at the same sort of drawing level for over a year now!

Olessaty · 07/04/2011 20:30

They are definitely all different. My DD has been drawing faces since she was two and a half. She knows all her colours too. I believe that different children develop faster (and slower) in different areas. There is a big difference in interests between my two, my DS was more interested in numbers and letters, and my DD is definitely very artistic (as much as you can be at three, lol, her carrots are amazing). It's funny because my sister is a very accomplished artist, especially pencil drawings (of people's faces funnily enough), and I am pretty good at writing. It does make me wonder if there are types of brains that means we develop in different ways.

Pkam · 07/04/2011 21:25

I agree with Robyn - just because they start early with something doesn't mean they'll always be ahead. DD1 drew faces before she was 2 but her ability now at 4.8 is the same as her peers. DD2 did nothing but scribble up until 3 and then one day sat down and drew an entire fairy! Think she'd been waiting until she could do it properly

winnybella · 07/04/2011 21:33

DD was 18-19 months when she started drawing faces- perfect circles, eyes, nose, mouth, ears etc. all in the right places. But that might be genetic as there are a few people on my side of the family who were/are quite talented.

StealthPolarBear · 07/04/2011 21:37

DS was probably 2 1/2 - squashed circle with sticky up hair, wonky eyes and two legs coming straight ot of the chin
Don't know what DH sees in me :o
Needless to say it has pride of place on the fridge

ilovedjasondonovan · 07/04/2011 21:38

27 months

ShowOfHands · 07/04/2011 21:38

It's probably a personality thing. DD likes to draw and will happily sit down and do it. DN is not much younger and wouldn't draw if you bribed her with a flapjack (she loves flapjack)

I have pictures dd drew at just 2 of people with eyebrows, ears, freckles etc. She is 3.11 now and this morning drew a picture of a woolly mammoth with a caveman riding on his back and a dinosaur about to gobble him up. It was very good, lots of extra details that surprised me. But is she advanced? Gawd no. She just likes to draw and therefore has practised an awful lot.

winnybella · 07/04/2011 23:35

Yes, actually what SOH says. DD even at 19 mo would tear paper up in frustration if the face she drew wasn't perfect enough. She could draw the same thing over and over again til she got it as she wanted. I wouldn't think that ability to draw well was any significant marker of how 'advanced' the child is.

I think DS started drawing 'properly' at 3 or 4-and now at 9 can draw reasonably well- but even though he likes drawing Pokemon or Beyblade figures etc a lot I don't think it's really his thing iyswim, while DD might potentially have certain aptitude for it.

RobynLou · 07/04/2011 23:38

same as SOH and winnybella here - we got DD1 an aquadraw when she was about 15months and she used to draw circles with two dots for eyes, over and over, practising, then she moved onto the nose then the mouth, then ears and hair and a neck.

she's not an amazing artist now, but she does have a very long attention span for a 3.5yo.

winnybella · 08/04/2011 00:41

Yes, maybe it's an indication of being able to focus for longer more than anything else: DD now can do quite complicated jigsaw puzzles but I think it's because she can stay focused on them for a long time. So, indeed, her drawing well at an early age might be more indicative of that rather than of any great talent

I definitely remember that DS couldn't focus on things for long time as a toddler- but now at 9 he's much, much better.

ninedragons · 08/04/2011 00:47

DD (turned 3 in January) draws quite sophisticated faces (eg when she draws Elmo, she gets the protruding eyes on the top of his head right). Sadly she prefers the Etch A Sketch as an artistic medium so we don't get to keep them.

winnybella · 08/04/2011 00:53

Yep, DD has one as well and takes it to bed with her every single night- at least it means that she actually wants to go to bed.

ShowOfHands · 08/04/2011 13:31

Etch a Sketch here too! DD will spend hours on drawing and puzzles so yes I think attention span is relevant. She is good at puzzles through sheer determination. She also gets cross if she makes a mistake.

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