How to Draw a Monkey

Cartoon monkeys are adorable and fun. All you need is some paper, pencils and a little time, and you'll be able to create a cartoon monkey face of your own. Learning how to draw a monkey isn't difficult, and it can be a great stepping stone to learn how to draw other cartoon-like characters.

Instructions

Prepare Your Work Area

1. Draw a circle or oval, depending on how round you want it to be. This will be the outline of the monkey's face.

2. Sketch in two lines, splitting the circle in half vertically and horizontally.

3. Set your hash marks for reference points on the vertical rule. On the vertical rule, sketch little hash marks 1/3 and 2/3 of the way between the top of the circle and the horizontal rule, and 1/3 and 2/3 of the way between the horizontal rule and the bottom of the circle. For reference, we will refer to these hashes in the instructions below as V1, V2, V3 and V4, respectively.

4. Set your hash marks for reference points on the horizontal rule. On the horizontal rule, sketch hash marks 1/3 and 2/3 of the way between the left side of the circle and the vertical rule, and then again 1/3 and 2/3 of the way between the vertical rule and the right edge of the circle. For reference, we will refer to these hashes in the instructions below as H1, H2, H3 and H4, respectively.

Ears and Eyes

1. Make the ears by drawing Cs. On the left side of his head, place your pencil on the left edge of the circle, even with the V2 hash. Draw a C on the side of the circle, with the top point being even with V2 and the low point being even with V4. Repeat on the right side, but draw the C backwards.

2. Finish the ears by adding smaller Cs to create the illusion of inner and outer areas of the ear. On the left side, put your pencil right where the horizontal rule meets the line of the circle. Draw a partial C, but don't connect it back to the circle. Instead, stop it short of touching the circle, even with the V3 hash. Repeat on the right side of the monkey's head, by drawing the partial backward C.

3. Draw an arc on the left side of the monkey's face, from the V2 spot on the vertical rule to the low point of the ear, rounding the arc out so that it crosses through the H1 hash. Repeat on the right side of his face, with this arc passing through the H4 has.

4. Draw the left eye. Sketch a circle or oval, so that the bottom edge sits right on the arc that you created in step 3. The left edge of the oval should be about even with H2, the top edge should be about halfway between V2 and V2, and the right edge should be close to but not touching the vertical rule. Color in a pupil on the inside bottom corner, make sure to leave a little speck of white.

5. Draw the right eye. Follow step four exactly, except make the left edge of the oval close to the vertical rule and the right edge about even with H3.

Nose and Mouth

1. Draw another oval for the nose. The bottom edge of this oval should sit right on the horizontal rule, and the top edge should be about halfway between the horizontal rule and the V2 hash. The left edge should be halfway between H2 and the vertical rule; the right edge should be halfway between the vertical rule and H3.

2. Pencil in the nostrils. Draw little half circles on the bottom of the oval/nose to make the nostrils.

3. Create a winning smile. Mark a dot where H1 and V3 intersect; make another dot where H4 and V3 intersect.

4. Turn your paper so the monkey is facing upside down.

5. Draw a shallow arc between the two dots, making the top of the arc even with V4 when it crosses the vertical rule.

6. Turn the paper back, so the monkey is facing right side up again.

7. Draw little diagonal hash marks for the corners of the monkey's mouth.

Finishing Touches

1. Place dots at the following intersections: halfway between V1 and the top of the eyes; H2 and V1; H3 and V1.

2. Turn your paper clockwise 90 degrees, so that the top of the monkey is facing toward your right.

3. Draw a big, round 3. The starting and ending points will be on the horizontal rule, at the H1 and H4 hashes, respectively. The center inner point of the 3 will be the dot you made that is halfway between V1 and the top of the eyes. When drawing the arcs of the 3, use wide strokes, going out and around, making sure to pass through the dots you placed in step 1.

4. Turn your paper counterclockwise 90 degrees, so it is facing normally.

5. Erase the vertical and horizontal lines and the hash marks you were using for drawing guides.

6. Color, shade and shadow your monkey's face to your liking. Tones of brown, tan, beige, black and pink are good.

Tips & Warnings

• Sketch all of these lines and hashes very lightly, as they will be erased later.

• The eyes can be circles or ovals, but the degree of their roundness should be relative to the face.