T-07 ADVANCED: DIVERSE ANIMALS docx

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

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)

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!

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

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

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

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

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

ILLUSTRATION 07-12

ILLUSTRATION 07-13

Take your time and draw your outlines very slowly and carefully!

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

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

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

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

ILLUSTRATION 07-23

ILLUSTRATION 07-24

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

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

ILLUSTRATION 07-28

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

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

This prevents you from

smudging the drawing,

and protects the paper

from the oils in your skin

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

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

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)

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

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

ILLUSTRATION 07-43 ILLUSTRATION 07-44

ILLUSTRATION 07-45

ILLUSTRATION 07-46

Burchell's zebras, now extinct, lived in South Africa until

the early 20th century They had no stripes on their hindquarters, and were yellow with black stripes instead of white with black stripes Sadly, this subspecies was over-hunted until finally none were left The very last Burchell's zebra on earth lived in the Berlin zoo until it died in 1918

ILLUSTRATION 07-47

33) Refer to Illustrations 07-47and 07-48

to complete the shading of her mane, neck, and shoulders

The directions in which the stripes curve on her body create the illusion

of three dimensional forms Also note that the stripes of her mane line

up with those on her body

The overall shading is very dark

in the shadow sections closest to her face At the same time, the shading fades out toward the outer edges so as to not detract from her gorgeous face

ILLUSTRATION 07-48

34) Beginning at the top of her ears, check over your shading and touch up any sections you aren’t happy with (refer to Illustrations 07-49 to 07-51)

35) Erase any fingerprints, or smudges with your kneaded eraser molded to a point (or a sharp edge of your vinyl eraser)

ILLUSTRATION 07-49

If you enjoy drawing stripes on a zebra, you

may also enjoy drawing spots

on a giraffe (T-04 Dandy) or a

Dalmatian (T-02 Shadow)

Check out the advanced section

of http://www.drawspace.com

Take note of the modifications I made to Spot’s snout by adding more contrast, and making small changes to the shape of her nostrils.

ILLUSTRATION 07-50

When you practice sketching animals from life, you increase your ability to draw quickly, improve the fluidity of your lines, and sharpen your observation skills Animals rarely stay still for more than a few seconds at a time, but with lots of practice and patience, sketches become quick and easy

to capture

ILLUSTRATION 07-51

BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIOGRAPHY

As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints

My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the

enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and

academic Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter,

the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable

>Brenda Hoddinott<

Born in St John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted “Learn to Draw” books During Brenda’s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”

Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes As supervisor of her community’s recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several children’s art programs In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites

Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT

Drawing for Dummies (2003): Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book

is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People (2004): Winner of the Alpha-Penguin

Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally