Includes bibliographical references (pages 401-415) and index.

Part I. The representation of form and space: Perspectives on drawing: deriving a developmental model for artistic talent -- Samples and methods for the spontaneous drawings studies -- From line to representation -- The human figure -- The evolution of a single viewpoint -- Putting space together -- Part II. Composition: Composing the picture -- Conducting the composition study: methods and procedures -- The compositions studies -- Toward a model of artistic development -- Bibliography -- Appendices.

This book traces the development of artistic talent from early childhood to adolescence through a series of studies that look comparatively at development in talented and less talented populations. It presents a model of artistic talent that attributes individual differences to the figurative abilities of talented children. The model proposes that artistic talent results from the continual coordination of heightened figurative abilities with conceptual processes throughout a period critical in semiotic development. The studies focus on the development of form, spatial relationships, and composition in children's artwork. Milbrath's theory is richly supported by original examples of children's artwork.