Problems of decorative perception in the open air among students of art faculties of pedagogical universities

The article is devoted to the study of decorative perception as a psychological process in the context of students’ educational and creative activities during plein air practice. The skills acquired by students to study and correctly reproduce real-world objects help them in expressive stylization of nature, since only through knowledge of the subject is it possible to reveal it in the most creative way. However, having mastered the skills of realistic depiction of nature in accordance with the laws of visual literacy, senior students demonstrate an inability to depict nature decoratively. Difficulties in the transition from a realistic image to a decorative one may indicate an insufficiently developed decorative perception in students. The authors examine the psychological difficulties faced by senior students of art faculties when creating decorative sketches in nature. The study includes an analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, observation of students’ visual activities, viewing plein air works in order to identify typical mistakes and the introduction of research results into the educational process. Based on theoretical and practical data, the authors conclude that students’ psychological problems are related specifically to decorative perception, since students do not fully understand what needs to be seen in nature. Viewing students’ plein air works confirms a low level of decorative perception, which is reflected in the absence of such features as: emotional and sensory perception of the landscape, originality of ideas, expressiveness of color, search for the stereotypical and individual, use of stylization, ability to highlight key features and combine details, create a holistic pictorial sketch. The study confirms the need for further study of this problem to reveal the methodological possibilities of plein air practice.