A PROFESSIONAL artist is sharing her skills with children, in a series of art classes at Colchester Zoo.

Animal and portrait artist Alison Burchert, who has drawn Manchester United players and is now working on a portrait of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, will host a week of workshops for eight to 14-year-olds.

Her subjects will be a wolf, a zebra, a penguin, a white tiger and an orangutan, which will be drawn from the safety of the Stanway zoo’s Discovery Centre.

The children will make their drawings from photographs taken by the Tiptree artist, before roaming the zoo to see the animals in the flesh.

Ms Burchert, 46, said: “They can learn so much about the animals, just by drawing them. For instance, all tigers have different stripes.

“I noticed a penguin has a back thumb with a claw, just by drawing it.

“These are the things they will absorb when they look a little closer.”

Three two-hour sessions, from today until Friday, take place at 9.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm. The cost is £20.

For further information, visit www.alisonburchert.com or www.colchester-zoo.co.uk