Symbols can show ideas — Art, 4–6
A small picture or mark can stand for something bigger than itself. Art, 4–6 years.
A mark can mean more
An artist can use a picture, colour or mark to stand for an idea. A drawn heart may mean love, and a row of footprints may suggest walking, even though neither picture is the thing itself. You can make a symbol clear by repeating it or placing it where people will notice it.
Why artists use symbols
Sometimes an artist cannot show a big idea as a real object, or does not want to explain it with words. A symbol makes the idea smaller and easier to carry in a picture, sign or costume. People have used marks this way for a very long time, but the same symbol can mean different things in different places.
Make a rain symbol
Imagine making a picture for a weather corner. First, draw one blue drop; someone might think it is only a drop. Add three drops above a cloud, then put the same mark beside the word “rain”. Now the repeated drops give a stronger clue, so people can understand the idea without seeing real rain.
A symbol is not a perfect picture
You may think a symbol must look exactly like the thing it represents. That feels sensible when you draw a house or a cat, because a close drawing helps people recognise it. But a symbol can be very simple: three wavy lines may suggest water, even though water has no permanent lines.
Symbols around you
You see symbols on signs, maps, clothes, books and pictures. A toilet sign, a heart on a card or a star on a poster gives information quickly, without a long sentence. When you make art for someone else, ask what small mark could help that person understand your idea.
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