Background: Visual perception and observational skills are an essential part of Visual Arts education, through which young learners, in the primary school, acquire important and necessary skills to create artworks during their creative projects. These skills provide learners in the primary school the opportunity to overcome their self-imposed…

The record of eye fixations and movements is an objective measure of an individual's involvement with an art object. This review of eye movement research reveals distinct patterns of viewing behavior which are determined by the age of the viewer, the type of visual materials, the nature of the problem confronting the viewer, and the structure of…

A review of research (particularly that conducted by N. Meier, T. Munro, and B. Lark-Horovitz et al.) about the nature of giftedness in the visual arts and focusing on creativity, imagination, aesthetic judgment, and perceptual ability, provides a basis for examining current assumptions and practices and a foundation for future research. (CB)

Provides four sample activities and illustrations to develop students' perceptual skills. Seeks to help teach students that (1) understanding art takes time and effort; (2) personal reactions are important; (3) understanding the culture in which artworks are created is useful; and (4) many different approaches are available for understanding art.…

Reviews research about young childrens' focusing on the ability to transform a perceived scene into another representation. Reports on a study of 109 children and 18 college-age students on their ability to mold a lump of clay into a three-dimensional figure. Finds that cognitive maturity alone does not automatically lead to competence. (CFR)

Responds to Claire Golumb's research on the cognitive development of young children's ability to create representations of reality using visual arts. Asserts that young children must find acceptable pictorial substitutes when producing representations. (CFR)

Provides an overview of the research literature concerning the development of graphic art skills, relevant instructional methods, and the specific use of visual models as an instructional method. Pertinent findings, relevant methodological issues, and major conclusions are all discussed. Briefly addresses the viewpoints of gestalt and learning…