Horse of a Different Color

Drawing the Graphic Standard of Animals: The Zebra

Available to purchase as prints and signed reproductions at:

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Plains Zebra. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

First question. Are Zebras white with black stripes, or back with white one? All I knew when I was a kid was that I could draw the entire animal with one black marker, and that was cool! When I first realize I loved to draw, back in elementary school, the very first animal I attempted was a zebra. The graphic stripes were so inviting to draw. Simple by wrapping the stripes around the animal it gave the appearance of a 3 dimensional image. I drew Zebra after Zebra after Zebra, and never got bored. Plus, I could change up the stripes on everyone and make them all unique. Drawing this Zebra brought me right back to my first animal drawings, and even today I still love drawing a Zebra. Plus this animals true colors are two of my favorite...Black & white.

The stripes on a Zebra are unique to each individual, and that no two are alike is amazing. Due to over hunting for skins and habitat destruction they are endangered. One subspecies the quagga became extinct in the 19th century.

Detail of the Zebra's head

Detail of the Zebra's eye. My favorite feature.

 My Zebra in process. 

Here the head is almost complete. 

A Twist of the Neck

Drawing a Giraffe from a Different Angle

Available to purchase as prints and signed reproductions at:

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Giraffe. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

By now you know I love spots. Take spots and put them on one of the most unusual animals on the planet, and you've got my attention. I've always been intreged by Giraffes, I've done a lot of sketches of Giraffes, but never taken the time to study, examine, and really get to know what an amazing creature one is. Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrail animal and the largest ruminant on the planet. Fully grown they stand 16 to 20 feet tall. 

When I started doing sketches for this drawing I was going to do a horizontal composition. Kinda like the one from my sketchbook (below). But something just didn't feel right. The Giraffe felt boxed in by the edges of the paper. It felt like it didn't have freedom to move. A vertical composition, which I do very few of, worked out perfectly. The one other aspect of the animal I was totally fascinated with was it's neck. One of the most amazing features of the animal. I couldn't just do a straight view of the neck. I had to show it's incredible beauty and anatomy as it twisted from top to bottom. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I had drawing it.

Detail of the Giraffe's Head

Detail of the Giraffe's Eye

Work in Progress after about 8 hours

One of my Giraffe sketches in a Moleskin

African Elephant Pen and Ink Wash

"Intricate Faces"

11x17" on paper

Here's the second pen & ink drawing in my "intricate faces" series of an African Elephant.  Below are two details. This piece is 11x17", mixed ink on paper.

Detail of face

Detail of eye

Black Rhino Pen and Ink Wash

11x17" on paper

Besides wanting to do a finished larger version of an earlier sketch I did, I'm starting a series of extremely close up heads of large, mostly endangered, animals. I'm craving to draw more and more detail, so whats more detailed than getting up close and personal  with extremely intricate animals.

Here's the first pen & ink drawing in my "intricate faces" series. I had to start with one of my all time favorite animals, the Black Rhino. The species overall is classified as critically endangered, and one subspecies, the western black rhinoceros, was declared extinct in 2011. This piece is 11x17", mixed ink on paper.

Detail of face

Detail of eye

One of my favorite drawings of a rhinoceros is "Durer's Rhinoceros". Albrecht Durer's woodcut circa 1515. My father gave me actual original print that came out of Sebastian Munster book from 1550. I have it proudly framed. I recently saw the Albrecht Durer show at the National Gallery in Washington DC. He's in my "Top Ten" artist of all time list. His level of skill, craftsmanship, and detail is breath taking. To think he worked by etching into metal and wood, in reverse, is something I can hardly image possible.

Albrecht Durer Woodcut 1515