T-07 ADVANCED: DIVERSE ANIMALS docx

A ZEBRA NAMED





Brenda Hoddinott
T-07 ADVANCED: A ZEBRA NAMED SPOT

In this very heavily illustrated project, you
focus on capturing Spot’s striped pattern and
the textures of her eyes, nose, ears, mane,
and fur while rendering the basic exterior
forms and shapes which characterize simple
bone and muscular structures.
Suggested drawing supplies include good quality
white drawing paper, graphite pencils, kneaded
and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener.

The instructions are divided into the following three sections:
SKETCHING PROPER PROPORTIONS: You sketch the proportions of the zebra’s head
and neck.
SNOUT, STRIPES, AND MORE STRIPES: You use your observation skills to outline
Spot’s snout, mouth, and stripes in preparation for adding shading.
SHADING TEXTURES AND STRIPES: Numerous illustrations show you how to render
the delightful stripes and fuzzy texture of Spot’s fur, and the textures of her eyes, nose, ears,
and mane.

This advanced project is recommended for artists with good drawing skills, from age 12
to adult, as well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators.

32 PAGES – 51 ILLUSTRATIONS
Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2005 (Revised 2006)


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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2
SKETCHING PROPER PROPORTIONS
In this section you sketch the proportions of the zebra’s head and neck. While the understructures
of an anatomically correct zebra are very complex, this caricature of a baby zebra is kept simple.
1) Draw an egg-shape as the large upper section of the head.
Use an HB pencil and sketch very lightly! Leave lots of space on your drawing paper,
above and below the egg-shape, to add the ears, snout, and neck.
2) Add a U-shape below the head as his snout.
Constantly double check the proportions of each section of your sketch as you go, by
visually measuring the shapes and spaces, and their relationships to one another.
ILLUSTRATION 07-01 ILLUSTRATION 07-02

Don’t press too hard with
your pencils! No matter how careful you are,
you may need to erase and modify various
lines. Lightly drawn lines are easy to erase!

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may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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3
ILLUSTRATION 07-03
3) Sketch triangular shapes to mark the locations of
the eyes.
The eyes are located approximately halfway
between the top and bottom of the egg-shape.

ILLUSTRATION 07-04

4) Sketch two upside-down U-shapes as
the ears.
Take note that the U-shapes of the ears
are slightly larger than the muzzle-shape.


As the old saying
goes, “There’s safety in numbers”! Herds of
zebras often merge together to become one
larger family, sometimes with several
hundred members.
When zebras cluster together into a single huge mass of stripes, it’s almost impossible
for predators to see where one animal begins and another ends. Hence, all members
are safer.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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4
ILLUSTRATION 07-05
5) Sketch an oval
inside each ear.

6) Add a slightly
curved line along
the right side of
the ear on the
left.
7) Sketch the
section of his
mane in between
his ears with a
fuzzy outline.
8) Add a slightly
curved line on
the right to mark
the location of
the upper edge of
his neck.





9) Use a fuzzy
outline to
mark the
location of
the mane.

Zebras live together in stable, close-
knit herds, in which adult females
are the leaders and adult males are

the protectors of the family.
Zebras are very sociable animals,
and their bold stripes allow them to
be easily spotted by other zebras, so
as to easily make new friends.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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5
OUTLINING EARS, FACE, MANE, AND NECK
In this section you outline all parts of the zebra with either neat lines or fuzzy outlines. What I
call a “fuzzy outline” is actually a type of hatching. When you look at outline drawings (or
contour drawings) of many animals from a distance, the perimeter appears to be one raggedy
line. In fact, when you look closely, you can see that some of the edges of the fur are made up of
numerous curved hatching lines that are ragged, and of various lengths and thicknesses.
ILLUSTRATION 07-06 ILLUSTRATION 07-07
To show you
what I mean,
examine this
contour drawing
of a dog and the
close-up views
of the hatching
lines which
make up parts of
his outlines.

ILLUSTRATION 07-08

ILLUSTRATION 07-09









Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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6
10) Lighten all your sketch lines by patting them with your kneaded eraser.
11) Redraw the upper section of the head including the ears and mane, with either neat
lines or fuzzy outlines as shown in the following four illustrations.
ILLUSTRATION 07-10

ILLUSTRATION 07-11















Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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7
ILLUSTRATION 07-12

ILLUSTRATION 07-13

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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8
ILLUSTRATION 07-14
















In recent
years, severe
droughts in
East Africa
have harshly
affected the

natural habitats
of zebras, and
subsequently
caused high
mortality rates.

12) Outline the sides
of Spot’s face,
paying special
attention to the
sections where
the eyes are
located.
Take your time and
draw your outlines very
slowly and carefully!

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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9
ILLUSTRATION 07-15

When drawing
an oval, circle,
or partial
circle, rotate
your paper and
examine the
shape from
different
perspectives.
Look at its
reflection in a
mirror to help
locate problem
areas.
13) Add the outlines of
the zebra’s eyes.
Check that both
eyes are
approximately the
same size, and
located along the
same horizontal
plane.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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10
ILLUSTRATION 07-16
1) Upper Eyelid: the fold of skin above the
eyeball that opens and closes
2) Highlight: a tiny bright spot where light
bounces off the shiny surface of the eye
3) Pupil: the dark circle inside the iris
4) Iris: the big circular shape of the eye that
varies in value from very light to very dark
5) White of the Eye: the visible section of the
eyeball, that is light in value.
6) Inner Corner: the small section of the eye
in the inside corner
7) Lower Eyelid: the smaller fold of skin
below the eyeball

14) Outline the upper eyelids, the inner corners, the whites, the irises, and the edges of the
lower eyelids.
The irises appear as partial circles because the upper sections are under the upper eyelids.
ILLUSTRATION 07-17

15) Sketch tiny circles as the highlights of the eyes, and add the pupils inside the irises.
ILLUSTRATION 07-18









Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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11
SNOUT, STRIPES, AND MORE STRIPES
In this section, text instructions are kept to a minimum. You use your observation skills to
outline Spot’s snout, mouth, and stripes in preparation for adding shading.
ILLUSTRATION 07-19 ILLUSTRATION 07-20

ILLUSTRATION 07-21
16) Add stripes to Spot’s
face with thin neat
lines.
Begin with a
triangular shape in the
middle of Spot’s
forehead and add
another smaller
triangle inside. Then
add a spot in the
center, and you’ll
understand how Spot
got her name!
Continue adding
stripes. The directions
in which the lines
curve are very
important because
they indicate the
major forms of the
anatomical
understructures.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.

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12
Don’t worry about trying to draw your stripes exactly like mine. However,
pay close attention to the various directions in which the outlines of the stripes curve.
Also, you should draw large stripes where mine are large (as on her body), and smaller
spots where mine are small (such as on her forehead).
ILLUSTRATION 07-22

The striped patterns of zebras, especially on the
shoulders, vary from one animal to another, making individual animals easier to identify
within large herds. For example, a young foal can find her mother by searching for her
familiar patterns. The distinctive patterns also help researchers to identify and track
specific zebras throughout long-term studies.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail:
Web site: or
13
ILLUSTRATION 07-23

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail:
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14
ILLUSTRATION 07-24

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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15
ILLUSTRATION 07-25

17) Add a more
detailed outer
edge to the
mane with
raggedy
hatching
lines.
18) Outline the
stripes on
Spot’s mane
with curved
lines.

The lower
right sections
of the mane
are farther
away from
Spot’s head.
Hence, as per
the basic rules
of perspective,
the stripes in
this section are
slightly smaller.

19) Outline the
perimeter of
Spot’s snout
and the lower

edge of her
mouth.
The directions in
which the lines curve are
important, because they help
give the illusion of form to
the various sections of the
zebra’s face, head, and neck.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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16
20) Use gently curved lines to begin outlining the stripes of her neck and chest.
21) Add Spot’s nostrils and the opening to her mouth.
ILLUSTRATION 07-26

ILLUSTRATION 07-27









22) Continue outlining stripes as in
Illustrations 07-28 and 07-29.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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17
ILLUSTRATION 07-28

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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18
ILLUSTRATION 07-29



















23) Check
over your
outline
and touch
up any
sections
you aren’t
happy

with.
24) Pat you entire
drawing with
your kneaded
eraser to
lighten all your
sketch lines.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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19
SHADING TEXTURES AND STRIPES
In this section, numerous illustrations show you how to draw the delightful stripes and fuzzy
texture of Spot’s fur, and the textures of her eyes, nose, ears, and mane. Light affects the
placement and value of every section of shading, which in turn helps define the basic exterior
forms and shapes which characterize her bone and muscular structures.
Remember, different values are created by:
Varying the density of the lines you draw. Density refers to whether the individual
hatching lines are close together or far apart.
Varying the pressure used in holding your pencils. For light lines you press very
lightly with your pencil. Press harder with your pencil to make darker lines.
Using different grades of pencils from 2H to 6B.
ILLUSTRATION 07-30
Examine this illustration of the
completed drawing. Take note
that the light source is from the
upper left, so the shading is

darker on the lower right and in
the sections that are in shadow.
A zebra has both black and
white stripes. Black stripes are
shaded with values that range
from middle to dark. Light to
medium values are used to
represent white stripes.
Also, keep in mind that a broad
range of values gives contrast
between the sections that are
close to the light source and
those that are in shadow. For
example, the values used for
the black stripes in the shadow
areas are quite dark. In
contrast, the sections of black
stripes that are closer to the
light source are much lighter in
value.
The hatching lines used to draw
fur are ragged and uneven with
lines of various lengths.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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20
ILLUSTRATION 07-31

25) Use a 2H pencil
to add light
values to identify
Spot’s black
stripes.
These hatching
lines identify the
stripes that need
to be shaded with
dark values, and
also map out the
directions in
which the fur
grows. Hence,
take your time and
constantly refer to
my drawing as a
guideline.



Always place
a piece of
clean paper
under your
hand as you
draw.
Each time you
work on a new
section,

remember to
move your
paper so it’s
always under
your hand.
This prevents you from
smudging the drawing,
and protects the paper
from the oils in your skin.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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21
26) Use raggedy hatching lines and various pencils to add shading to the black stripes on
Spot’s face as in Illustration 07-32.
Black stripes are best rendered with soft pencils from 2B to 4B. The values are darker on
the right and lower right. Yet, the edge of the face on the far right is slightly lighter. This
rim of reflected light helps accentuate the three-dimensional forms.
ILLUSTRATION 07-32
27) Outline the
side of the
face on the
right with a
freshly
sharpened
2B pencil.

ILLUSTRATION 07-33














Illustration 07-33 shows a close-up of the raggedy
hatching lines that make up the white and black stripes.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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22
28) Add shading to the white stripes with raggedy hatching lines.
Pencils from 2H to 2B are ideal for shading white stripes.
ILLUSTRATION 07-34

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may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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23
ILLUSTRATION 07-35
29) Add shading to the small tuff of mane in the
very front (in between Spot’s ears).
ILLUSTRATION 07-36







The section of the mane in the very
front (as in Illustration 07-35), is
blended into the stripes of the
upper forehead with hatching lines.
ILLUSTRATION 07-37



Long raggedy
hatching lines,
behind the front
tuff of the mane,
are shaded very
dark (see
Illustration 07-

36).
The section of
the mane on the
far left is lighter
in value than the
corresponding
section on the
right side, which
is in shadow
(refer to
Illustration 07-
37).

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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24
30) Use a full range of values from very light to almost black to add shading to the upper
eyelids, eyelashes, irises, pupils, whites of the eyes, and lower eyelids.
Remember, the light source is from the upper right. The upper eyelid crease is very dark
and the values graduate lighter toward the lower edge of the upper eyelid. Outline the
irises, highlights and the corners of the eyes. Add shading to the lower eyelid.
ILLUSTRATION 07-38
Draw the
eyelashes
with a very
sharp
pencil.
Make sure

they are
darker
closer to
the upper
eyelid.
ILLUSTRATION 07-39
Medium
values are
added to
the various
parts of the
eye. Note
the
sections
that are
lighter
than
others.
ILLUSTRATION 07-40
With dark
values, the
eyes come
to life. The
highlight
of the eye
on the
right is
shaded
lightly
rather than

left white.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and
may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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25
ILLUSTRATION 07-41
31) Add shading to the lower section of Spot’s face,
her snout, nostrils, and mouth.
The fur is very short in these sections; hence,
short hatching lines work best. The sections that
are light in value help give the illusion of form.
ILLUSTRATION 07-42

32) Add shading to Spot’s ears (Illustrations 07-43
to 07-46).
You can leave the highlighted strands of fur
white, and work with the negative space around
them and/or use a kneaded eraser shaped to a
wedge to pull out individual strands.
To make individual strands appear a little thinner,
use a very light (2H), freshly sharpened pencil to
outline the edges. Be very careful not to make the
outlines too dark or the fur no longer looks soft
and natural.