Portraits in Precocity: Gifted Child Artists Dazzle Their Audience [Slide Show]
Young Picassos and budding Rembrandts reveal an artistic mind-set at early ages
![Portraits in Precocity: Gifted Child Artists Dazzle Their Audience [Slide Show]](https://www.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/530B5B04-150C-4861-861FCC82E89F7DA6.jpg?w=590&h=393)
Portraits in Precocity: Gifted Child Artists Dazzle Their Audience [Slide Show]
- UNCOMMON DENOMINATOR: No one can predict whether Arrian (left), Rocco (right) or any other child will choose to pursue a career in art. Nevertheless, studies of artistically gifted children are revealing commonalities in their visual processing, hunger to look at art and desire to produce original works themselves, among several other telling signs. Left: Rebecca, Arrian's Mother
Right: Nigel and Amanda Roth - PREHISTORIC PERSPECTIVE: Arkin Rai—a precocious artist—composed this scene with dinosaurs. Note how the dinos in the foreground obscure the creatures in the background. Most children do not discover this effect, called occlusion, until age eight or nine. Check out Arkin's recent works and videos. Arkin Rai
- FRAME OF MIND: At age three, the differences between precocious artists and ordinary children become even starker. Typically developing children often draw abstractions, such as this depiction of a person as a stick figure. A drawing by three-year-old Grace, at right, portrays a more naturalistic scene of two people dancing in elaborate outfits. Left: From collection of Ellen Winner
Right: Grace, Three-Year Old Artist - MODERN START: A talent for nonrepresentational art, rather than realism, may also manifest in life's early days. Arrian drew the composition shown here when he was two years, three months old. He devoted five days of continuous effort to produce this artwork. His methodology, focus and meticulous care set him apart from his peers. Watch Arrian draw in this video. Arrian, Two-Year-Old Artist
- APPLES OF THEIR EYES: At age two years, two months, two children attempted to draw apples. The typically developing child drew an apple as a straight line, as most children of this age do. The artistically gifted child made an effort to capture the fruit's contours. From the collection of Ellen Winner
