How to Draw a Monkey in Cartoon Style

In this guide we will draw a cute monkey. The tutorial is split into 11 simple steps. In each step we sketch simple shapes, which, when finished, will connect and create a surprisingly life-like cartoon monkey.

Draw slowly, but confidently, and soon you will have made a great looking monkey drawing. The secret is to take it slow and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Sketch lightly in pencil. It’s fine to try and draw many lines. Erasing mistakes is easy and you will later trace the final lines with thicker lines.

In the following drawing stages, I’ve highlighted each step with lines of blue color.

You don’t need any special pens or tools. A regular pencil, eraser, and paper are all you need. If you want, you can also color the drawing with colored pencils or pens.

If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Penguin, Polar Bear, and Whale.

Watch 'How to Draw a Monkey' Video Tutorial

Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Monkey

Draw the head as a circle.

Next, face is made of two circles for upper face and one oval for muzzle.

You can remove the overlapping lines from the previous step. The face is starting to take shape.

Draw two circles for eyes and a smaller oval for the nose.

Add the final facial features; the cartoony pac man pupils and mouth.

Outline the round ear-shapes on top of the head.

Draw the inside ears and a larger circle that will be the body of the monkey.

Add upper and lower limbs. Maintain proportions; arms and legs should have similar lengths and thicknesses.

Draw the hands. This may be the most difficult part of drawing a monkey. First, draw the thumb so it points a little to the side, then draw the fingers starting from the opposite side of the thumb, and, finally, connect the fingers to the thumb.

In the last step, we draw the feet and tail. First, sketch the heel, then continue with the sides of a foot, and draw the toes last. When sketching the tail, make a single curvy line first and then draw a parallel line next to it and connect the lines at the tip of the tail.

Color your monkey drawing.