Deciphering Children's Drawings – The Meaning of the Mouth and Lips in Children's Drawings

The Anatomy of the Lips: What Do Shapes Tell Us

When examining a child's drawing, the shapes of the lips and mouth offer important insights into their inner world. Just like in real life, lips in drawings can come in different shapes, each conveying different emotions and messages.

- Full and Rounded Lips:

These plump and rounded lips usually symbolize satisfaction, happiness, or a sense of fulfillment. Children tend to draw such lips when depicting characters experiencing joy or pleasure. The curvature of these lips reflects a sense of relaxation and comfort within the depicted scene.

- Thin and Straight Lips:

Conversely, thin and straight lips might indicate tension, anxiety, or even sadness. When a child draws characters with tightly closed or thin lips, it could indicate feelings of restraint or discomfort. These lips often accompany drawings depicting conflict or discomfort.

- Curved and Twisted Lips:

Lips that curve upwards at the corners suggest playful behavior or a mischievous personality. When children draw characters with lips turned upwards, it symbolizes a sense of playfulness or a cheerful mood. These lips usually appear in drawings of scenes that are happy and carefree.

- Turned Lips:

Conversely, lips that curve downwards convey a sense of sadness, disappointment, or acceptance. When a child depicts characters with lips turned downwards, it reflects a gloomy mood or a moment of disappointment. These lips are common in drawings depicting moments of loss or melancholy.

The Power of Position: Understanding the Position of the Mouth

In addition to shapes, the position of the mouth within the face structure plays a decisive role in deciphering children's drawings. Whether the mouth is centered, on the side, or completely absent, each position has its own meaning.

- Centered Mouth:

A mouth positioned in the center of the face symbolizes balance, stability, and a sense of security. When children draw characters with mouths positioned in the center, it suggests a harmonious relationship between different elements of the drawing. These mouths are usually found in portraits depicting strong and self-confident individuals.

- Mouth Not in the Center:

A non-centered mouth, positioned on one side of the face, often conveys a sense of strangeness or eccentricity. When children position mouths asymmetrically, it suggests a deviation from accepted norms or a playful disregard for symmetry. These mouths add character and charm to the drawings, and infuse a sense of warmth into the scene.

Lips Without a Face, Face Without Lips

Sometimes, the absence of lips or a face altogether can be significant in children's drawings, offering a glimpse into their subconscious thoughts and feelings.

- Lips Without a Face:

When children draw lips without corresponding faces, it could indicate a focus on a specific emotion or desire. These detached lips might represent the essence of communication or expression, detached from the complexity of facial features. Such drawings often emphasize the importance of verbal or non-verbal communication in conveying emotions.

- Face Without Lips:

Conversely, faces drawn without lips might indicate a sense of silence or suppression. When children omit lips from facial features, it suggests a reluctance to fully express oneself or a struggle to communicate emotions. These drawings might reflect feelings of insecurity or a desire to conceal inner thoughts.

What Do the Studies Say?

In the field of child psychology and developmental studies, children's drawings have long been identified as a window into their inner thoughts, their emotions, and their cognitive development. Among the myriad of details that adorn these works of art, the depiction of lips and mouths holds a special meaning, offering important insights into children's perceptions of emotions, communication, and self-expression. In this article, we embark on a scientific exploration, drawing from academic research to unravel the mysteries behind the depiction of the mouth and lips in children's drawings.

The Language of Lines and Shapes: Extracting Insights from Research

Numerous studies have delved into the meanings behind the shapes and lines that children use to depict lips and mouths in their drawings. In a seminal study by Milbrath and Goelitz (1991), researchers examined children's drawings and found that the shape of the lips largely matched the emotional content of the drawing. Full and rounded lips were associated with positive emotions such as happiness and satisfaction, while thin and straight lips were linked to negative emotions such as sadness or anger. This finding suggests that children intuitively use shapes.

Deciphering Children's Drawings – The Meaning of the Mouth and Lips in Children's Drawings

A children's drawing decoder delves into the complex world of children's drawings, where every pencil stroke tells a story. Among the myriad of details that adorn these masterpieces, the shapes and positions of the lips and mouth stand out as central components, each carrying its unique meaning. In this article, we embark on a journey to decipher the language of lips in children's drawings, and explore the meaning of different shapes, positions, and even the absence of lips or a face.

The Anatomy of the Lips: What Do Shapes Tell Us

When examining a child's drawing, the shapes of the lips and mouth offer important insights into their inner world. Just like in real life, lips in drawings can come in different shapes, each conveying different emotions and messages

- Full and Rounded Lips:

These plump and rounded lips usually symbolize satisfaction, happiness, or a sense of fulfillment. Children tend to draw such lips when depicting characters experiencing joy or pleasure. The curvature of these lips reflects a sense of relaxation and comfort within the depicted scene

- Thin and Straight Lips:

Conversely, thin and straight lips might indicate tension, anxiety, or even sadness. When a child draws characters with tightly closed or thin lips, it could indicate feelings of restraint or discomfort. These lips often accompany drawings depicting conflict or discomfort.

- Curved and Twisted Lips:

Lips that curve upwards at the corners suggest playful behavior or a mischievous personality. When children draw characters with lips turned upwards, it symbolizes a sense of playfulness or a cheerful mood. These lips usually appear in drawings of scenes that are happy and carefree.

- Turned Lips:

Conversely, lips that curve downwards convey a sense of sadness, disappointment, or acceptance. When a child depicts characters with lips turned downwards, it reflects a gloomy mood or a moment of disappointment. These lips are common in drawings depicting moments of loss or melancholy.

The Power of Position: Understanding the Position of the Mouth

In addition to shapes and lines, the position of the mouth within the face structure plays a decisive role in deciphering children's drawings, as highlighted in developmental psychology research. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children progress in clear stages of symbolic representation, each characterized by different levels of abstraction and understanding. In the early stages, children might draw mouths as simple lines or shapes, often positioned in the center of the face. As they progress to later stages, their drawings become more sophisticated, with greater attention to facial expressions and anatomical accuracy.

A study by Pintner and Patterson (1926) examined the developmental progression of children's drawings and found that the position of the mouth within the face structure develops over time. Younger children often draw mouths in a central position on the face, reflecting their limited understanding of facial proportions and spatial relationships. As they mature, their drawings become more anatomically accurate, with mouths positioned in relation to other facial features like eyes and nose. This developmental progression suggests that children's drawings serve as a tangible reflection of their cognitive development and their growing understanding of the world around them.

Beyond Lines: The Meaning of Absences in Children's Drawings

In addition to examining the presence of mouths and lips in children's drawings, researchers have also explored the meaning of their absence. According to Winnicott's theory of transitional objects, children use drawing as a means of self-expression and communication, often projecting their subconscious thoughts and feelings onto the canvas. In certain cases, the absence of mouths or lips in drawings might reflect psychological or emotional issues, such as a reluctance to express oneself or difficulty in communicating emotions.

A study by Goodnow and Levine (1973) examined the symbolic meanings behind the absence of mouths in children's drawings and found that it could be attributed to various factors, including cultural influences, emotional experiences, and individual differences. In certain cases, children might omit mouths as a deliberate artistic choice, focusing instead on other aspects of the drawing. In other cases, the absence of mouths might indicate basic psychological issues, such as anxiety or trauma, that inhibit the child's ability to express themselves verbally or non-verbally.

This article was written by Koby Avraham (MA), a children's drawing analyst