ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter I focused on the tadpole figure as an example of early childhood drawing. I now turn to the broader question of how the child generates a graphic vocabulary that can serve his needs as he sets about drawing the diverse objects that hold his interest. What kinds of graphic model does the child create for the representation of people, animals, plants, houses, cars, and other items that constitute his immediately observable world? Does the child acquire these models by studying available illustrations and copying them as best he can or, alternately, does the child forge an original vocabulary of shapes that is organized according to a meaningful set of rules?
