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Zebra Drawing Ideas

Twenty-three zebra drawings you can copy straight onto paper, from a zebra standing in a flower field to a zebra wearing a scarf. Every one is a clean pencil outline drawn by hand, with no shading and no colour. Pick one, keep it next to you, and copy it line by line.

Alpaca Bear Beaver Buffalo Bunny Camel Cat Cheetah Chipmunk Cow Deer Dog Donkey Elephant Ferret Fox Giraffe Goat Hedgehog Hippo Horse Kangaroo Koala Leopard Lion Meerkat Monkey Mouse Otter Panda Raccoon Skunk Sloth Squirrel Tiger Wolf Zebra

How to draw a zebra step by step

A zebra is built the same way as a horse, so once you have the body right the stripes are just decoration on top. The trick is drawing the body and legs before you add a single stripe.

  1. Draw an oval for the body and a smaller oval for the head, joined by a curved neck line.
  2. Add two pointed ears on top of the head and a short upright mane running down the neck.
  3. Draw four slim legs under the body. Keep the knees slightly bent rather than straight for a natural stance.
  4. Add a long tail with a tuft of hair at the end.
  5. Last, add the stripes. Curve them around the body and legs rather than drawing them straight, and make them thinner near the legs and face.

Darken your final lines at the end and rub out the guide shapes. That last step is what makes a drawing look finished rather than sketched.

Which zebra should you start with

If this is your first zebra

Start with the plain standing zebra or the simple standing zebra outline. Both face you squarely with nothing else on the page, so you are only thinking about the body shape, not the stripes yet. The zebra sitting down is also forgiving, because the folded legs hide the hardest part.

If you have drawn animals before

Try the zebra wearing a hat, the zebra wearing a scarf or the zebra holding a balloon. The zebra stays simple and you are adding one small prop, which is a good way to make a drawing feel finished without more difficulty.

If you want a challenge

The zebra running with legs spread and the zebra jumping playfully are the hardest here, because the legs stretch out at different angles at the same time. Draw the curve of the back first in both, and the rest follows.

What you need

An HB pencil, plain paper and an eraser. A 2B pencil helps if you want darker final lines. Nothing on this page needs a tablet, a light box or special paper, and none of these were drawn with any.

Three things that make a zebra look like a zebra

  • The stripes are too straight. Straight lines look like a fence, not fur. Curve every stripe slightly to follow the shape of the body.
  • The legs are too thick. Keep them slim and long. Thick legs make the zebra look like a pony instead.
  • The mane is missing. A short upright mane along the top of the neck is what separates a zebra from a plain horse outline.

Zebra or foal

Same drawing, different proportions. For a young zebra, make the head bigger compared to the body, the legs a little shorter and the eyes larger and rounder. Several of the drawings on this page already use these softer, rounder proportions, which is why they read as friendly rather than wild.

Ways to use these drawings

Copy any of these by hand, or download and print them for yourself, for your children or for your classroom. They work as colouring sheets, tracing practice, a warm up before a bigger drawing, or line art for a card. The hat, the balloon and the pumpkin drawings all suit seasonal or birthday cards. If you want to use one in something you sell, write to us first.

Questions people ask

What is the easiest zebra drawing on this page?

The plain standing zebra or the simple standing zebra outline. Both face forward with no props and are built from a few simple shapes plus stripes.

Are these zebra drawings free to download?

Yes. Every drawing here can be downloaded and printed for personal use, school use or classroom use at no cost. For commercial use, please contact us first.

Can young children draw these?

Most of them. The standing zebra, the sitting zebra and the zebra wearing a hat all suit children around five and up. The running and jumping drawings suit older children and adults.

Why does my zebra look like a horse?

Almost always the stripes and the mane. A zebra needs curved stripes running around the body and legs, plus a short upright mane rather than a long flowing one.

How do I draw a zebra standing still?

Draw the body oval and head first, then add four slim legs directly under the body with slightly bent knees. Add the mane, tail and ears, then finish with curved stripes.

How do I add stripes without making a mess?

Draw the whole zebra in light pencil first, including the legs and mane. Add stripes last, curving each one around the shape of the body instead of drawing them straight across.

What pencil should I use?

An HB for the light guide shapes and a 2B for the final lines and stripes. If you only have one pencil, an HB is fine. Press lightly at the start so the guides rub out cleanly.

Are these drawings made by hand?

Yes. Each one was drawn in pencil on plain paper and photographed. They are not computer generated or traced from photographs.