흔히 창의성 하면 예술, 그 중에서도 미술이 떠오를 만큼, 미술은 창의성과 밀접한 관련을 맺고 있는 것으로 인식되어 왔다. 실제 미술과 교육과정 개정의 역사를 살펴볼 때, 1차 교육과정에서부터 7차 개정 교육과정에 이르는 시기까지 창의성은 미술과 교육목표의 핵심으로 설정되어 왔다(양윤정, 박소영, 이성도, 2005: 25).1) 미술과 교육장면에 있어서도 창의성은 중요한 교수학습 방법으로 다루어졌으며 이에 관한 다양한 연구들이 수행되어 왔다(이철수, 1999; 김창식, 이영희, 이재영, 2003; 김춘일, 2006).
Until now, various creative thinking models used in visual arts do not seem to properly reflect visual art's uniqueness. In terms of this, we are not sure those creative thinking models can make same effect in visual arts education as in math and science education. In conclusion, creative thinking process model in visual arts can be suggested as like: from the phase of exploration to the phase of theme finding, to the phase of inventing, to the phase of boundary breaking, and to the phase of aesthetic judgement. Firstly, exploration phase is the period that formes problem in the context of visual arts, and the problem itself being not clearly understood and confused yet. Secondly, theme finding phase is the period that artist grasp the core of various problems in mind. The core problem is personalized as artist's own, meaningful, and authentic matter. Thirdly, inventing phase is the period that artist makes artworks as concrete forms to solve the problem. Artwork is the visual formation of themes which have been incubated in artist's mind. Fourthly, boundary breaking phase is the period of reflecting the invented artwork. Artist evaluates whether artwork transcends old tradition and assesses its worth objectively. Lastly, aesthetic judgement phase is the period of completing artwork. In this phase, artist makes judgement whether to complete works, and the core of judgement is aesthetic. Aesthetic judgement is higher form of artistic creativity and sensitive feeling toward artwork as living things.