Zebra Day

Art Tutorials |

Zebra Day

All About Zebras and How to Sketch Them

In celebration of International Zebra Day, I am sharing two online workshops I’ve taught on zebras and how to sketch them.

Mountain Zebra Workshop

Click HERE to register and click HERE to download the South African Mountain Zebra images that we will refer to in the workshop.

Grevy’s Zebra Workshop

In this workshop recording, you’ll learn all about the three species of zebras and then I’ll lead you through a step-by-step demonstration of how to draw the endangered Grevy’s Zebra.

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

  • Similarities and differences between zebras and their relatives.
  • Survey of the 3 species of zebras; their anatomy, habits, habitats, and where they live.
  • How to draw a zebra, in which we will learn about and draw the endangered Grevy’s Zebra.

MATERIALS NEEDED: All you need is a pencil and some paper. You may also download the high-resolution image (as seen below) of the Grevys’ Zebra that I demonstrate how to draw in the video.

 

 

 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR ZEBRA IMAGE

 

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ZEBRAS

  • A zebra herd is called a dazzle or a zeal.
  • A zebra’s pattern of stripes is as unique as your fingerprints.
  • Their skin is black to protect them from the sun and their stripes are white.
  • A zebra’s voice sounds more like the braying of a donkey than the whinny of a horse.
  • Zebras belong to the Equidae family which had its evolutionary roots in North America.
  • Zebras are closely related to horses and donkeys and are so genetically similar that they can breed with them in captivity and produce sterile hybrids known as zonkeys and zorses!
  • Unlike horses, zebras have stripes, an upright mane, and a shorter, less hairy tail. They are also less likely to be tamable, though some were domesticated by the ancient Romans and called ‘tiger horses.
  • Zebras are in the same order as rhinoceros and tapirs; the Perissodactyla or odd-toed ungulates.
  • There are three species of zebras that each live in different habitats and geographic regions of Africa.
  • The Grevy’s Zebra, named after a former ruler of France in the late 1800’s, is the most endangered, with only about 3,000 remaining.
  • Threats to Grevy’s Zebra include poaching for their meat and skins, habitat loss, and competition with livestock, as well as drought and disease.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT ZEBRAS