Is it a problem when a four year old girl child paints her preschool work dark?

Question

Is it a problem when a four year old girl child paints her preschool work dark?

Answer 1

You should never base assumptions on one behavioral indicator. Now if this same child is aggressive, has poor social skills, parents seem neglectful (smelly, dirty), hordes food, etc. then be concerned.

Answer 2

No, she probably just prefers dark colours.

Answer 3

I worried about my 8 yr dd when she was 4. She was in headstart and said her favorite color was black, but she rarely used it.

One day they went walking outside, and when they come back in the teacher told them to draw something they saw outside that is about the season spring.

She drew a dead bird with x's on the eyes.

I asked her why did she draw this, she said 'it was outside'!

So I guess she thought she could draw anything she saw.

She is fine now and her favorite color is pink.

Answer 4

No, she may just prefer the darker colors, my youngest loves black and dark blue as much as pink and purple. I think it is fine.

Answer 5

actually, as she paints her picture, adding more colors to experiment with the paint, the picture just gets darker (and sometimes uglier in color!)

Answer 6

Probably not. Art can be used for diagnostic purposes, but not just because of color choice.

I would worry more about what is in the picture. Is she constantly drawing a tornado coming to destroy the house? Is she coloring over people’s faces? Does she draw herself separate, or draw the family and always leave out one member?

I ask my students, who are pre-writing, to draw a picture of what happened when they get into trouble. Their pictures are surprisingly revealing, and it provides a basis for the apology they make to either me or their friends. In that situation, if one of my students used a lot of black for a picture I may think it suggested angry feelings.

Major changes in art might be a red flag too. If she always draws scenes and then one day switches to repetitive circles with no explanation, maybe she is having trouble adjusting.

If there are other signs of unhappiness or distress as well, like she cries all the time or never wants to separate from her mom, if she stops talking, if she changes socially, than maybe you should worry more.

Just using dark colors alone is probably not a red flag.

Answer 7

No, I don't believe so. My son colored every picture black for about 5 months right after he turned 4. Now his favorite thing to do is color everything into rainbows.  I'm sure if you give it a little time your daughter will start adding different colors as well.

Answer 8

I wouldnt think so, never hurts to ask her questions though

Answer 9

No she may like dark colors. If the art work has anger or lots of red and black and nothing else then this maybe a red flag. Ask her open ended questions about her art work? Ask her what each item is one by one and write the name of each object next to the item. If it does speak of anger or has any feeling that you know in your gut then you are obligated to report anything you fear. Call 1-800-96-abuse.

This will help you place any report need.

Answer 10

NO experimenting with color is more likely.

I would be more concerned if the pictures she drew of family were with sad faces on them- or no faces at all.

Answer 11

Probably not. Some kids just like the darker more intense colors, or enjoy mixing lots of colors. If you do that it comes out dark. If there are no other signs she is having problems don't worry. Next week everything might be orange.

Answer 12

I wouldn't think so, but if the child starts to draw freakish pictures.....might need looking into