The Monster Engine: Children's Drawings Painted Realistically

[TheDebbieDee]

I found this link on another site but I thought I would share. I think the paintings are beautiful........and strange. Enjoy.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathieus/what-would-a-childs-drawing-look-like-if-it-8q4

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. What a thrill that must have been for the kids.

Those would be great illustrations for a book of modern fairy tales. :)

[tridim]

2. Just brilliant.

One of those things I wish I had thought of first.

[Quantess]

3. That is so cool!

[snot]

4. awesome.

[raouldukelives]

5. Best thing since shrunken heads!

[Bluebear]

6. How very cool!

[Kablooie]

7. And there was this, back in 1963....

[Luminous Animal]

8. Not so cool for the kids.

I wouldn't show any of these kids the adult interpretation of their drawings.

[Bluebear]

10. Why?? It's like having their original tunes arranged for a symphony

[Luminous Animal]

11. The "monsters" has been grossly magnified. All the fun has been excised.

Kids have their own interpretations of fear, beauty, language, song... the challenge is not arranging it through our filter but seeing it through their eyes.

[Luminous Animal]

9. Oh, and by the way...

the kid's drawings were rendered realistically. The adult interpretations were rendered fantastically.

[Quantess]

12. No, I have to disagree. Those children's drawings weren't of puppies, kittens, or flowers.

Look at the kids' drawings again. What about their drawings says "realistic" to you?

[Luminous Animal]

13. For most kids...

imaginary life is as realistic as "real" life. For me, the kids drawings are totally realistic. The adult interpretations are artificial.

[Quantess]

14. I think the kids' drawings are very imaginative.

I was a very imaginative child, myself. And I liked to draw pictures, and create stories to go along with the drawings.

I sort of agree with you, that the child artist looking at the adult rendition of his/her work would be naturally critical of the adult interpretation. I know I would be. But really, what kid wouldn't love, or at least appreciate, an amazing artist interpreting their work?

[Luminous Animal]

15. From my experience...

what a kid draws on paper is not what they actually see. We, as adults, see a crude drawing, they see a universe. When you interpret their drawings, you limit their universe. There is far more to a kid's drawing than meets the eye. Kids, without a doubt, appreciate great beauty, but kids, without a doubt, do not like to be led to see what they already see with their inner eye. For the most part, they'll appreciate the craft but you'll lose the dialog.

[Quantess]

16. The artist's intent was not to "limit their universe".

You are convinced that the children are being exploited. I don't see it that way.
The way I see it, the child artists draw what they see in their imagination, and the adult artist appreciates the artistic talents in a new way.