Human Figure Drawing

(HFD)
By: Koppitz
Dr. Tahira Yousaf
Senior Assistant Professor

1
 38 potential Emotional
Indicators are as follows:
1. Quality Signs:
Broken or sketchy lines
Poor integration of parts of figure
Shading of the face or its parts
Shading of the body and/or limbs
Gross asymmetry of limbs
Figure standing by 15 degrees or more
Tiny figure, 2" or less in height
Big figure, 9" or more in height
transparencies

2 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 2. The Special Features:

Tiny head, 1/10th of total height of figure

Large head, as large or large than body
Vacant eyes, circles without pupils
Side glances of both eyes, both eyes turned to one side
Crossed eyes, both eyes turned inward
Teeth
Short arms, not long enough to reach waistline

3 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 2. cont…
Long arms, that could reach below knee line
Arms clinging to sides of body
Big hands, as big as face
Hands cutoff, arms without hands and fingers
Hands hidden behind back or in pockets
Legs pressed back or in pockets
Legs pressed together

4 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Cont…
Genitals
Monster or ghost like figure
Three or more figures spontaneously drawn
Figure cutoff by the edge of paper
Baseline, grass, figure on edge of paper
Sun or moon
Clouds, rain, snow or flying birds

5 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 3. Omissions:

Omission of eyes
Omission of nose
Omission of mouth
Omission of arms
Omission of legs
Omission of feet
Omission of neck

6 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Valid Emotional Indicators

7 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Poor integration:
Immaturity & impulsivity
Overtly aggressive individuals
Emotionally not strong
Sign of poor achievement in those who have
neurological impairment & retardation

8 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Shading of the face:
Manifestation of anxiety
Overtly aggressive/ stealing
Poor self concept

9 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Shading of the body:
Body anxiety
Psychosomatic complaints
Guilt feeling
Shading of the hands:
Anxiety related to the activities done by hands

10 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Shading of the neck:
Anxiety related to handling of stress
Try to control anxious impulse
Acting out behavior

11 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Gross asymmetry of limbs:
Aggressive
Brain injured
Poor coordination & impulsivity
Slanting figure:
Sense of instability
Lack of balance

12 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Tiny figure:
Depression
Extreme sense of withdrawal
Poor self image
Big figure:
Aggressive
Immature
Poor inner control

13 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Transparencies:

Psychosomatic complaints
Acting out behavior
Immaturity
Tiny head:
Hostile feeling towards others
Poor achievement
Maladjusted individual

14 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Crossed eyes:

Paranoid ideation
Inward eyes represents hostility & anger
Teeth:
Aggressive
Sadistic tendency if teeth were sharp
Oral sex
Short Arms:
Inadequacy towards task
Difficulty in approaching others

15 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Long Arms:

Aggressively approaching others

Striving for the need of affection, & love
Arms clinging:
Defensive individual
Good impulse control
Paranoid schizophrenic
Rigid & reserved
Big Hand:
Aggressive
Acting out
16 personality Assesment 06/16/20
Stealing things
 Hand cut off:
Poor achievement
Helplessness
dependent
Legs pressed:
Fear of attack
Tension related to sexual activity
Rejection of someone who approached them
Genitals:
Acute body anxiety
Psychopathology

17 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Monster (Ghost):

Poor self control

Environmental stress
Inadequacy
Three or more figures spontaneously drawn:
Need of dependency
Poor school achievement
Problem with their self identity
Clouds, sun or moon:
Under pressure of authority figure

18 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Snow or moon:

Interpsychic conflict
Omission of eyes:
Denial/ refusal of problem
Limited social interest
Omission of nose:
Shy/ withdrawal behavior
Feeling of helplessness
Castration anxiety/ masturbatory guilt

19 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Omission of mouth:

Psychosomatic complaints
Depressed
Anxiety/ insecurity
Refused to communicate with others
Omission of arms:
Depressed & helplessness
Sexual guilt/ overt hostility
Omission of legs:

20 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Omission of legs:

Insecurity
Intense Anxiety
Omission of feet:
Feeling of Insecurity
Helplessness
Hopeless attitude towards others
Omission of neck:
Psychosomatic complaints
Immaturity
Poor inner control

21 personality Assesment 06/16/20

 Koppitz gave importance to following three things for
interpretation of Emotional Indicators

Koppitz gave importance to following three things

for interpretation of Emotional Indicators:
What does he draw? A person has significant
value.
How does he draw? It represents self-image.
Why does he draw? Expression of emotions.

22 personality Assesment 06/16/20

Human Figure Drawing (HFD)
Interpretation
 
 The protocol of HFD displays that she manifests
the signs of suspiciousness, verbally aggressive and
poorly integrated personality. She also exhibits marks
of psychosomatic complaints and guilt feelings over
her aggressive impulses. Streaks of need for change
are also displayed in the layout may be due to some
serious emotional disturbances. She also reveals signs
of fearfulness, insecurity, feelings of inadequacy, and
stubbornness along with negativism