It has been suggested that drawings are symbolic constructions which follow certain rules. In order to investigate one aspect of representational rule use in drawing, (an object's orientation), 36 kindergarten, second, and fourth grade children were asked to draw familiar objects placed in several orientations or an orientation of their choice. The results suggest that the orientation drawn is more likely to be consistent with representational rules than with the view before the child. Analogies with another symbol system, language, are discussed. (Author/RH)