The aim of the research is to demonstrate the junior pupils' skills development in still life drawing. Being related to the child's cognitive abilities, well-developed linear space perception positively affects the personality and readiness for various activities. Therefore, pupils' acquaintance with the basics of still life drawing in arts classes has both the aesthetic and psychological and intellectual benefits.

Methodology is based on the analysis of theoretical concepts of art criticism, psychological and pedagogical works on developing artistic and creative skills of junior pupils, along with the teaching problems of picturing the space in still life drawings. The author carried out the research and experimental work in the Omsk comprehensive schools to identify the age evolution of children's still life drawings.

The research results denote the following development stages of junior pupils' skills related to still life picturing: the first stage – still life objects are aligned to the lower paper edge; the second stage – objects are placed on a horizontal line above the lower paper edge, the object plane being parallel to it; the third stage – still life objects are aligned to a single line with the spatial representations of the object planes pictured as a slightly inclined line dividing the paper below the middle of the sheet; the fourth stage – objects are pictured on different heights (above or below each other), the object plane is pictured with two lines reflecting the perspective; the fifth stage – still life objects are pictured on different heights, object overlapping being common and the perspective reflection of the object planes pictured with two or three lines; the sixth stage – objects are placed on different levels, overlapping being obligatory and a multilevel object planes possible.

Scientific novelty implies a systematic analysis, description and illustration of development stages of space picturing in children's still life drawings. Acquisition of the drawing literacy by junior pupils according to the above stagers makes a foundation for fostering the spatial perception – a skill necessary for learning the basics of linear perspective.

Practical value is related to the impact of theoretical and practical aspects of the still life drawing that can be used by the arts teachers in the primary school for developing the basic and higher level tasks complying with the new educational standards.

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