Thoughtful Drawings: A Computational Model of the Cognitive Nature of Children s Drawing

Abstract

An interpretation of children s drawing is presented that is based on active perception of the world and the construction of an equivalent self contained two-dimensional world. This model is implemented in a computer program called Rose (Representation Of Spatial Experience). Inspired by the drawings of young children, Rose simulates the perception of the general form and structure of three-dimensional computer models and constructs equivalent childlike two-dimensional representations from them. Rose serves to illustrate the plausibility of the constructive process as a model for real children s drawing and in addition serves as an alternative approach to traditional computer graphic rendering.