Visual Thinking as a Development Factor of Arts Students' Professional Skills

The purpose of the article is to outline the characteristics projected into necessity and the core points of visual thinking as one of the foundations for arts students’ professional skills development. The research methodology is based on general scientific theoretical methods of analysis, synthesis, abstraction, observation, and special didactic approaches, which revealed the main factors of arts students’ visual thinking. The study of the concept of “visual thinking” requires the use of interdisciplinary methodology, which is based on an inclusive combination of methods and principles of a number of social and humanitarian sciences (art studies, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy, pedagogy, sociology, and history), where people realise their potential. The scientific novelty of the study is to substantiate the need to study and further understand the concept of visual thinking as a necessary element of professional maturity of arts students, as a factor governing the student’s (individual) ability to independent intellectual activity at the appropriate level of sociocultural relations and further independent career. Conclusions. We consider visual thinking as a stimulus for creative development and as one of the means of creating works of art. Visual thinking is given to a person from birth. It is most characteristic of children from an early age, which begins to transform into conceptual thinking over time. As a result, the creative potential in adulthood becomes lower than young children have. The development of arts students’ visual thinking is the basis of creative development, and one of its most effective factors of self-realisation, which results in an unexpected idea of the subject, which complements the idea formed on the basis of prior knowledge and emotional and aesthetic experience. The desire of an artist student to self-realise, to reveal their own artistic abilities and capabilities is a factor within all forms of creative student life. It is possible if the teacher respects the personality of the artist student, trusts and accepts their personal goals, needs and interests, creating the most favourable conditions for the disclosure and development of their personal potential, self-determination and achievement. Therefore, one of the most important areas in the activities of arts education facilities should be to create conditions for the professional and personal development of future artists, the formation of their creative individuality and professional competence