Caroline
Few animals in nature have as much personality as monkeys do! These mischievous little creatures are always up to shenanigans and having fun while causing trouble.
They also come in many different breeds, shapes and sizes around the world.
With their larger-than-life personalities and acrobatic skills, monkeys have many fans around the world who enjoy seeing their adventures.
If you love monkeys as well and would like to draw one yourself, then we have the perfect guide for you!
This step-by-step guide on how to draw a monkey in 9 easy steps will have you drawing a monkey easily before you know it!
How to Draw A Monkey – Let’s get Started!
Step 1
We’ll take it from the top for the first step of this guide on how to draw a monkey, so let’s begin with the top of the head.
This will be made up from a curved line with three points at the top to make it look like there is some curly hair on top.
Step 2 – Next, draw in the rest of the face
Continuing on from the top of the head you drew n the last step, you can draw in a curved line from under it to form the bottom of the face.
Then, draw in a small curved portion at the bottom to make a small chin for the monkey.
Step 3 – Now, let’s give your monkey some ears
Now that you have the face drawn, we can add some ears to your monkey drawing. These will be drawn with curved lines coming out from the sides of the head.
Once you have the outer ear, draw in another line inside of it to create the inner ear portion.
Step 4 – Add in the outline of the face
In this step of our guide on how to draw a monkey, we will be drawing in the face outline of the monkey.
The outline is a shape made up of a few curved lines that are quite rounded at the top. The reference picture will give you a good guide on how to draw the shape, so don’t be afraid to refer closely to it as you draw!
Step 5 – Give your monkey a cute face
Your monkey drawing wouldn’t be complete without a cute face to finish off the head, so we will give it one now!
We’ve drawn in a cute, smiling face for the monkey that you can use for yours. The eyes are two small oval shapes that we will fill in later on.
The nose and mouth are also made up of some simply curved shapes to form a smiley mouth for your monkey.
The lines used for this face design are simple yet effective at creating a cute face for your monkey!
You can also change up a few details such as the eyes or mouth if you would like a different expression for your monkey.
Step 6 – Next, draw in some arms and a body
The head of your monkey drawing is pretty much finished now, so let’s begin on the body. The arms of your monkey should be pretty thin and lanky on your monkey.
They are resting comfortably at the side of the monkey’s body as he takes it easy, but you could also change up the position of the arms if you wish!
Once the arms are drawn, you can use a rounded oval shape for the belly of your cute monkey friend!
Step 7 – Now, add in the first leg of the monkey
For the 7th step of our guide on how to draw a monkey, we shall add in the first leg on the left side of the monkey.
Before you draw the leg, add in a curved line between the hands on the floor to make the bottom of the body.
When you’re ready to draw the arm, it will be drawn with a sharply curved line extending from the bottom of your monkey’s body.
It will be curved to show that the monkey is sitting, and then end in a simple little foot.
Step 8 – Draw in the other leg of your monkey
You’ve almost finished your monkey drawing now! For this step, simply draw in the leg on the right-hand side of the body.
This should be easy for you, as you’ve already drawn the other leg and this one is a mirror image of that one.
With both of the legs drawn, don’t forget to add a twisty tail to your monkey before moving on!
Bonus: Try These Extra Tips To Make Your Monkey Drawing Easier
Some people say that drawing cartoon characters is easy, but the only people who would say that are people who haven’t ever tried it themselves.
Some folks may find it easier than others, but even the people who find it easier will still need to work hard to get to that point. What we’re basically saying is that there is nothing to be ashamed of if you struggled with this monkey drawing.
If that was your experience, it could just take a few more tips to make it easier for you! First of all, the best thing you can do is to slow down and take your time with it.
Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to get it right the first time around. If you have to try it ten times before you get it wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that!
It can also help to use a drawing tool that is a bit less permanent than a pen, such as a drawing pencil. You can get light pencils that can be easily erased if you make a mistake.
Then, you can use your pencil to play around with really simple shapes and lines, and these can start to form a basic outline for the drawing.
Using simple shapes with a medium that can be easily erased can allow you to figure out the proportions and positioning of the drawing in a much less stressful way.
Once you have the hang of it this way, you can then get your pen and add the final lines of your drawing and then erase all of the practice lines.
This way, you can make it much easier and no one will ever see the practice lines!
Step 9 – Now finish off your monkey with some color
Now that you have successfully drawn a cute monkey, it’s time for the fun task of coloring it in!
We used some shades of brown for our drawing, but for this step you should use any colors you love to finish it off! This is your chance to really show off your creativity and let your imagination run wild!
There are also many great art tools and mediums you could use to finish off your monkey drawing!
I would use some acrylic or watercolor paints to bring this monkey to colorful life, but I know any colors and art mediums you choose will be amazing!
4 More Ways To Make Your Monkey Drawing Unique
Have some wild drawing fun as we make your monkey drawing look even better! One way to make your monkey drawing even better would be to add some friends for this one!
To do this, all you need to do is follow the steps of the guide and then change some small details.
These could include the position of the limbs, tail and body, and these small changes can make a big difference!
Changing the facial expression of each monkey will also help them to look unique.
Creating a wild monkey party would certainly make this an even crazier fun picture!
Whether you add more monkeys or just stick to one, adding a background is something you should definitely consider. They could be in a jungle or maybe in a zoo for a few typical settings.
On the other hand, you could also go for something a bit wackier such as having the monkey at a birthday party or even in space.
These are just a few ideas, but no matter what you choose for a background will help set this drawing apart.
We love the cartoon style of this monkey sketch, but there are ways you could change it too. Once you have the hang of this design, you could try to make it more realistic or maybe even more stylized and cartoony.
It’s completely up to you, and no style will be better or worse than the last. It all depends on what you feel you want to create, so let your creativity flow!
Having fun with colors and art tools is another way to make this drawing of a monkey even more unique. We showed you some ways to color this monkey in the guide, but there is so much you can do!
You could try out some new mediums you’ve never used before and even mix some you wouldn’t normally think to use together.
For example, you could use watercolor paints for most of the drawing and then use colored pens for the finer color details!
Your Monkey Drawing is Complete!
You should pat yourself on the back now, because you completed your goal of learning how to draw a monkey!
We really hope that this guide helped to make this drawing challenge easy for you, and we also hope that it was a lot of fun!
Remember, whenever you want to learn how to draw something that the best way to go about it is to separate it into steps and take it slow.
How will you finish off your cute monkey drawing? Will you draw in a fun jungle background, maybe give him a funny hat or draw in some bananas for him to enjoy?
Whatever you choose, don’t forget to use some lovely art mediums to add some beautiful colors to your monkey!
If you enjoyed learning how to draw a monkey in this guide, then be sure to check out our site frequently to never miss out on our other step-by-step guides we’ll be bringing out constantly!
We would also love to see some cute and colorful monkeys, so we hope you’ll share your finished monkey drawing on our Facebook and Pinterest pages so we can enjoy your fun artworks!
Here Is A Monkey Drawing For Kids To Inspire You!
Monkeys are such mischievous little creatures, and it’s no wonder why they are so beloved by many (even though some countries see them as a nuisance.)
This monkey drawing for kids by our artist Freddy shows off the cuter side of a monkey, and it also gives you something to use as you work on your own drawing.
This depiction is cartoony and yet detailed at the same time, and it makes this monkey look very cute. You will see all of the details that he has created with some bumpy and jagged lines.
These help to make the monkey look furrier and even cuter than it already is. Freddy also added some minor background elements to give this monkey a place to play.
You could also add some more to the background to make the setting more distinct.
