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Hi everyone,

Here is Part 1 of the Zebra Tutorial. I've broken the tutorial up into three videos because of its length. Parts 2 and 3 are linked below.

I painted my Zebra on hot pressed paper because I find it easier to get the straight edges of the stripes on the smooth paper. 

I have written the size of my paper and the size of the Zebra itself on the Supplies List. I feel this painting will be more difficult to paint if you make your Zebra much smaller than mine. So keep that in mind when you choose your paper.

Paper Stretching video is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/31443575

This tutorial is for intermediate and advanced painters but beginner painters will find it useful also.

All of the files you need are attached below. I've included a larger version of the line drawing. I enlarged it and I've split it in two so that you can print it on two pieces of printer paper and tape them together. 

Part 2 of the Zebra Tutorial is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32340335

Part 3 of the Zebra Tutorial is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32341049

The reference photo I used for this painting is my own.

Don't forget that I have a Patreon tutorial index on my website that makes it easier for you to find the tutorial you're looking for: http://www.louisedemasi.com/new-index   When you click on the thumbnail of the tutorial you want to do it will always take you to Part 1 of the tutorial. Parts 2 and 3 will always be linked in the description of Part 1.

Have fun and I'm looking forward to seeing your results.

💜🦓💙

Files

Zebra Watercolour Tutorial for Patreon Part 1

This is part 1 of the Zebra Watercolour Tutorial for Patreon.

Comments

Yvonne Walton

Louise I wanted to ask you a question about the zebra. Would you have used lamp black if you were to do the zebra again or use the French ultramarine and burnt sienna Max if you were to do it again.

Louise De Masi

Hi Yvonne, That's a really good question and I've thought about this myself sometimes. I think I probably would go with the Burnt Sienna/ French Ultra mix if I was to paint a zebra again.

Yvonne Walton

Thank you I got mine all ready and then listening to your tutorial you said lamp black so I just went along with it. I’ve finished it and like it so much that it went straight into a frame and is on my wall in my bedroom. Thanks again Louise. Please don’t give up these fantastic tutorials they are just awesome.

Louise De Masi

Thanks Yvonne. I saw your zebra painting. It's gorgeous! 🥰

Natalie Hughes

Just finished this one. Thank you so much for another fabulous tutorial. Had a very stressful time at work recently and something about doing this one, getting into the rhythm of painting the strips really helped to relax me at the end of a hard day.

Louise De Masi

Wonderful! I'm glad. Thank you Natalie. I hope work is better now.

Vala Friðriksdóttir

Hi Louise. I have problems with opening the Zebra line drawing document. I can only open the enlarged ones.

Louise De Masi

Hi Vala, Dom here. I just checked and it's working at this end. It should open the same as the others.

Vicki Pate

Where did you find that large palette on a lazy-susan spinner? I hav never seen anything like it and am intrigued.

Rainkatt

Thanks Louise, I just printed out the crow work pages (was waiting on a new printer!) Looking forward to doing them all!

Chantelle Venter

This one looks amazing. I have all the colours except sepia. Is there anything I can substitute that with perhaps?

Louise De Masi

Thanks Chantelle. Sepia is a dark brown. It's the darkest brown I have. I don't use a lot of it in this painting. I use it on the mane and also on the eye. If you don't have a really dark brown you could probably mix some black into a brown that you do have to darken the colour.

Chantelle Venter

I see i have w burnt umber and then I have a Sennelier Raw Sepia. Just not sure how the the W&N and Sennelier is going to act together. Will give it a try and order sepia in the meantime. 😊

Cecilia Nuyianes

With the zebra painting, the drawing is very intricate. Do you do a quick test run to see what colors you will use? Or do you just color from your experience?

Louise De Masi

I've painted this Zebra before so that made it easy for me. I made a few changes from the first one I painted though. Generally I tend to choose colours from experience.

Cecilia Nuyianes

I really appreciate your teaching. Thank-you. I am learning from you.

Louise De Masi

My pleasure Cecilia. That's so good and I'm happy you are here.💕

Bruna Ciabarri

Thank you very much, Louise! That’s exactly what I was waiting for. A hard challenge but a wonderful Christmas present for me! I’ll try to do my best following your tutorials. Great teacher, great progress! Best wishes from Italy.

Hx

you are the best teacher I have met!!!! great teacher, I have learnt a lot from you. Thank you very much !! I would like to learn how you paint a duck---I mean that one you keep it for yourself and will not sale it ....I love that too... I hope you can find time to do a tutorial and share with us,,,,thank you in advance!

Cecilia Nuyianes

Finished watching part 1....OMG!!! Such patience and control!

Charlie

like all your other lessons? . outstanding! and, thank you so very much for breaking these up into 3 separate videos, Louise ... there are still some of us out here with really rotten internet service and it really help! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!

Louise De Masi

My pleasure Charlie. Thank you! We have problems here with the internet too.

Kris Briedé

Great photo by the way!. Thanks for the early line drawing - I'm set up and ready to go! Using Langton Prestige Watercolour board as Ive had this sitting in my cupboard waiting for something special to use it with. Never used it before, so Ill let you know how it goes. Like you, my first challenge is the paper drying too quickly. Its hot here as well and I'm sitting underneath a fan so its going to dry everything really quickly. Might have to turn it off for a while. Thank you for creating this tutorial so quickly for us. Cheers Kris.

Louise De Masi

My pleasure Kris. Thank you! I hope you enjoy it. Langton Prestige Watercolour board sounds impressive. I need to search for that. Let me know what you think of it.

Debra Sullivan

Oh, another beauty, (but beyond my own abilities. For now :) At the moment I have an assortment of hydrangeas, monster leafs and crows, each at different stages of completion. Each successive painting is better than the last. But, I’m still struggling with buckling. I’m not able to send you pics so I wonder if I can just describe what’s happening? This is what I’ve been doing... 1. Soak paper for approx. 5 min. in cold water. 2. Lay wet paper on a bigger sheet of glass and run either my hand or a sponge over it to make sure there are no pockets of air trapped underneath. 3. Wet the back of the gummed tape and tape all four sides of the paper. My tape is 3” wide and I usually have about 1” of it on the paper and 2” on the glass. At this point everything is nice and flat. 4. Leave everything to dry naturally, usually overnight. Once it’s dry, approx. three quarters of the paper will be nice and flat but in every case there are smaller areas that have buckled. I would be so grateful for any suggestions. If you really do need to see pics I can get a friend with a cell phone to take some. Thank you so much for any advice.

Debra Sullivan

I should also tell you the paper I'm using is Arches cold press 140 lb (300 g/m) 10 in x 14 in (26 cm x 36 cm).

Linda Pahl

Louise, I'm stunned and impressed with the speed at which you put this entire tutorial together. You continue to inspire and amaze! Thank you for being the person and artist that you are -- very special, indeed.

Linda Pahl

I am actually a beginner yet I will still attempt this beauty for all I might learn along the way to completion. Can't wait to begin!

Louise De Masi

Hi Debra. That happened to me quite a few times until I started to use staples as well as the gummed tape. I put the staples through the gummed tape and the watercolour paper. I use either wooden boards or my gator boards to attach the paper to. I've never used glass. Sometimes the tape lifts off the paper slightly in places. The glue doesn't always hold it so that's why I started using staples. Some artists I've read about even glue the gummed tape with more glue. I demonstrate what I do in a video here on Patreon.

Louise De Masi

Thank you very much Linda. This is a lovely message. 😘

Louise De Masi

Enjoy it and take your time. It will give you lots of practice with your brush. 💕

Debra Sullivan

Yes, I did see how you use both staples and tape. I should have mentioned I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and my hands are pretty crippled and very weak. But, I'll do some research and see if they make staplers that are easy enough to use. Or, I could always find a friend who could do it for me. The only reason I started using glass was because all proper surfaces were already being used with a variety of watercolour paintings all in different stages. I had to resort to using a pane of glass from one of my cupboard doors that happened to be in the process of refinishing, hahaha. I swear once Christmas is over I'm going to go stock up on proper supplies, and hopefully a nice staple gun. Thanks again for all your help. It's very appreciated.

Louise De Masi

I'm so sorry about your arthritis. Try using some gator board if you can get hold of some. It is soft in the middle and you can use an ordinary paper stapler rather than one of those heavy duty ones. Although I'm not sure that your arthritis would allow you to use the light weight one either. Hugs ❤️.

Debra Sullivan

Thanks, Louise. I’m so used to the arthritis it hardly gets in my way at all, just have to know my limitations. And THANK YOU for telling me like it is re: stapling the paper. I so wanted to believe any number of You-Tubers who claim that step is NOT necessary. It most definitely IS necessary, and I have a dozen waving paintings to prove it. So, I’m now the proud owner of an “Easy Squeeze” staple gun, as well as a good assortment of gator board pieces and my last two paintings (your hydrangea and crow tutorials) are beautifully flat. What a difference! They didn’t even buckle while I was painting on them. The next time my daughter drops in I’ll get her to take pics with her cell phone so I can show you. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Louise De Masi

My pleasure Debra. Me too! I have lots that are wavy too because the tape lifted off the paper before it was dry. An 'easy squeeze' stapler sounds interesting. I didn't know there was such a thing. I'm glad the stretching is working for you now. It's so much easier painting on a flat piece of paper than one with waves in it and the flat paper frames beautifully. I have seen a lot of really nice watercolour work hanging in exhibitions that were spoiled because the paper was slightly wavy in the frame.

Cassandra Kinlyside

Ladies. I am studying botanical art and they tell you to use a different type of hot pressed paper. I bought some Fabriano Artistico and was so shocked when using my first little test piece. I was all prepared to wait for the paint to fully dry as usual with Arches and noticed that I could drop my colour in as the paper took twice the time to dry that the Arches does. It shocked me. So maybe something to try in the future. I have only tested the piece yesterday but will paint my zebra today and let you know how it goes. My paper is also 640gsm so not sure if that helps in any way but it was a relief not to have to worry about it drying as fast as I am now used to. Hurry up winter is all I can say. I am originally from Canberra and now live in Rural South East Queensland. My love of watercolour has me wanting to move to Tasmania :) for the cold.

Kris Briedé

Louise, I was very impressed with this board. Paint went on very smoothly and I was able to correct and scrub out small mistakes without the surface deteriorating. I tried to order more via Jackson’s, but the delivery costs were ridiculous this time, so abandoned the order. I haven’t been able to source it in Australia. Shame, because I would definitely use this most of the time if I could.

Naomi Witzke

Louise, you are equal parts master painter and master teacher. I find it especially helpful that you explain why you made the choices you made, for example why you painted the shadows on the zebra before painting the stripes. Those are the little tips that many artists would neglect to tell us, but they make ALL the difference. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously and so clearly!

Isatys09

Dear Louise, I just started the Zeba tutorial and had a smudging accident on the nose. I tried all basic techniques to lift as much pain (mostly Winsor Violet) of but there is still a stain. I posted an help request on your Facebook Student page. Most recommend to add a background which would be a last resort as I really love the clean effect of a pure white background for this piece. I was thinking to cover it with pastel or some kind of opaque paint but afraid to make it worst. Any recommendation? Thanks!!

Louise De Masi

I hate it when that happens. You could try one of those magic erasers. You wet them with water and gently rub them over the paint. They are slightly abrasive so be gentle if you do. I don't know if doing that effects the archival qualities of the paper though. If you don't want to do that then maybe some watercolour splashes, drips of paint etc might disguise it.

Carol Crawford Barfield

Could you ask Kris Briede where she bought the Langton Prestige Watecolor Board she mentioned in her comment 3 months ago. I cannot find watercolor board in the United States. Thank You Louise.

Louise De Masi

Hi Kris, Carol, one of the patrons here is asking where you bought your Langton board from. Could you let me know when you get a chance? Thanks.

Kris Briedé

Hi Louise. I purchased from Jackson’s in the UK. Got a good deal on delivery costs at the time, but those costs have risen so much now that it’s way too expensive to buy from them. Haven’t been able to find any here in Australia. Just received some Canson Montval Art Board to try. I’ll let you know when I try it out. Kind Regards, Kris

Louise De Masi

Thanks Kris. I know I went to buy something the other day from the US and the delivery costs were more that what it was I wanted to buy. I didn't get it. Let me know how the Canson board goes.

Louise De Masi

Carol, Kris got her board from Jacksons in the UK. The link is in my message above.

Frederika Zylstra

I love this! I am a beginner, so very likely bit off more than I can chew. I'm halfway through the second video and while I've made a number of mistakes, it still looks great (from a bit away) I may do this one a second time so I can incorporate what I've learned. Fun and relaxing.

Louise De Masi

This is a difficult painting Frederika so you're doing well if you are on to the second video. I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Alina Fazal Juma

hi louise! excited to try this zebra painting out it's stunning! Question - if i don't have black would you say it would work if i mixed my own? or would this be an impossible task with so much black needed? look forward to hearing from you!

Louise De Masi

Hi Alina, Thank you! It could be done if you have some experience. It's definitely easier though if you use the pre-mixed black. It might frustrate you too much if you're trying to mix it all the time.

Anita Jogi

Hi Louise, I can’t wait to try out the zebra painting. It will be a challenge though. Unfortunately I too don’t have lamp black, would it be possible to use payne’s grey? I am aware it has more of a blue shade. I realise mixing the black could be difficult maintaining the same colour.

Louise De Masi

Hi Anita, I don't think I would use Paynes Grey instead of Black. You'll end up with a Steel Grey Zebra. If you don't want to use black I would mix some black up with three primary colours. You might find it a little frustrating when the colour separates but swirl it with your brush each time you pick it up. Also mix it into a palette that has little wells. It's better if the paint remains contained in a smaller area so that it can't spread out too far. Watch this post here to see what I mean: https://www.patreon.com/posts/33371044

Anita Jogi

Thank you for the advice.

Liliana Klass

Hi Louise. The zebra is me next project. I know you said the hot press arches paper you use is 10x20 in. What’s the size of the drawing? Thanks

Louise De Masi

Hi Liliana, I've written it on the Supplies List. The paper is 14" by 20" and the zebra measures about 15.7" from its nose to its rump. 💕

Cameron Hartley

I've had lots of fun working on your tutorials. Until now I chose to use cold press paper. This time I used both hot and cold press working with each to see and feel the difference in how the paint works on each. I am also painting large at10x20 . I don't have much experience painting with hot press and it shows. Cold press demands more paint then hot press. I still feel more comfortable using cold press. Painting on hot press is more difficult for me but I'm going to buy more and use it on more of your tutorials

Louise De Masi

That's great Cameron. I'm glad you are enjoying the tutorials and it's good that you are experimenting with the paper. I find cold pressed easier to use than hot pressed too but I like painting on both.

Maggie

Hello, I wonder, Louise, how you enlarge your photos to accommodate a larger paper size? (if you have answered this previously, my apologies). I am would like to try some of my own photos and wonder where to begin. Thank you. M

Louise De Masi

Hi Maggie. I have Photoshop installed on my computer so I use that to resize everything. There are resizing websites that you can try if you are unable to do it yourself. Google - 'online image resizer' to see some of them.

Maggie

Thank you for your quick response. I shall on digging.!!

Naginder Manhas

I really enjoyed painting this zebra and found it to be easy with your instruction. The photograph you took sure caught so many details to paint. I am going to paint a zebra using a photo from pixabay where there is a golden light on his face. I purchased a couple of Da Vinci paint brushes. They hold water very well and the point really helps to get into the smaller areas. I waited to buy them as I wasn't sure if I would enjoy watercolour. I love art, especially watercolour now. There is so much beauty in the mix of colours that keeps the eye mesmerized. I feel so happy after I finish a painting and it looks so good. Thank you!!!

Louise De Masi

That's great Naginder. I hope you enjoy using the brushes. I love their fine tips and holding capacity as well. Good luck with your next Zebra. 💕