How to draw a monkey - a free monkey drawing guide
Draw a friendly monkey step-by-step using simple shapes, lines, and shading techniques. Practice proportions, facial expression, and coloring skills. Download the PDF for complete instructions.
Photos of friendly monkey drawing examples
Step-by-step guide to draw a friendly monkey
Step 1
Place your paper and pencil in front of you and draw a large light circle for the monkey's head.
Step 2
Draw a slightly oval shape under the head for the monkey's body and connect it to the head with two short lines.
Step 3
Add two round ears on each side of the head and draw a smaller curved shape inside each ear.
Step 4
Lightly draw a vertical line and a horizontal line crossing the head to help place the face features.
Step 5
Draw two oval eyes on the horizontal guideline inside the head.
Step 6
Add a small filled circle inside each eye for the pupil and leave a tiny white spot for sparkle.
Step 7
Draw a small rounded triangle or oval for the nose below the eye line.
Step 8
Draw a big smiling mouth under the nose with a curved line and add a small curved cheek line on each side.
Step 9
Draw two curved arms on the sides of the body ending with simple rounded hands.
Step 10
Draw two short legs under the body with rounded feet.
Step 11
Draw a long curvy tail coming from the side of the body and curl the tip into a spiral.
Step 12
Erase the center guidelines and any extra sketch lines you don't want to keep.
Step 13
Shade gently with the side of your pencil along the edges of the head body and under the chin then blend softly with your tissue or blending stump.
Step 14
Color your monkey using darker color for the body and a lighter color for the face belly and inner ears while staying inside the lines.
Step 15
Take a picture of your finished friendly monkey and share your creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a blending stump or tissue for shading and blending?
If you don't have a blending stump or tissue, use a clean cotton swab, your fingertip, or a folded piece of toilet paper to softly blend the pencil shading along the edges of the head, body, and under the chin.
My monkey's face looks uneven—how do I fix the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth?
If the face looks uneven, lightly redraw the large circle head, re-add the vertical and horizontal guidelines across the head to reposition the two oval eyes and the small rounded triangle nose, then erase extra sketch lines and darken the correct lines.
How can I change this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, have an adult pre-draw the large head circle and slightly oval body and let them add big round ears, oval eyes, a smiling mouth, and color with chunky crayons, while older kids can follow all steps, practice subtle shading with the side of a pencil and a blending stump, and refine the spiral tail and facial details.
How can we personalize or extend the monkey drawing?
Personalize your monkey by adding clothes, a patterned belly, a jungle background, or a banana prop, color using darker tones for the body and lighter tones for the face, belly, and inner ears, then take a picture and share your finished friendly monkey on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a friendly monkey
How to Draw MONKEY Easy Step by Step || drawing for kids
4 Videos
Facts about drawing for kids
✏️ Most artists start with simple shapes like circles, ovals, and rectangles to block in a monkey's body.
📏 Baby monkeys have proportionally larger heads and eyes, which makes them look extra cute when drawn!
😊 Changing the eyes and mouth makes your monkey look happy, surprised, sleepy, or mischievous.
🐒 Over 260 species of monkeys live on Earth — pick a favorite to inspire your sketch!
🎨 Using just three tones—light, mid, and dark—can give your drawing convincing depth with simple shading.
How do I draw a friendly monkey step-by-step?
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