How to Draw Monkey — Free Practice Sheets

Drawing a monkey is easier when you build it in layers: a large torso oval, a smaller head circle, then the features that make the animal recognizable. The practice sheets let you trace a reference outline first, then try the contour independently. Because drawings can succeed in different ways, compare visible features and proportions rather than expecting a pixel-perfect match.

Start With the Body Framework

Begin with two simple shapes rather than the outline. Draw a large oval for the torso and a smaller circle for the head, then connect them with a short neck. Keep the head noticeably smaller than the torso so the body reads as the main mass. Lightly sketch these shapes so you can adjust them before committing to darker lines.

Check the relationship between the two shapes before adding detail. The head should sit above the torso, not beside it, and the neck should be short enough that the head feels attached rather than floating. If the head looks too large, shrink it slightly; if the torso looks narrow, widen the oval. These small corrections early on prevent awkward proportions later.

1. Draw a large oval for the torso.
2. Draw a smaller circle for the head above it.
3. Connect the two shapes with a short neck.
4. Adjust the sizes until the head is clearly smaller than the torso.

Add Ears, Face, and Limbs

Place rounded ears on each side of the head, making them large enough to protrude visibly. Inside the head circle, sketch the eyes, nose, and mouth. Keep the facial features grouped toward the lower half of the head, leaving room above for the forehead. Symmetry helps here: compare the distance from each eye to the nearest ear.

Next, draw the long forelimbs extending downward from the shoulders to the ground. These arms are a defining feature, so give them length rather than stubby proportions. Draw the hind legs bent beneath the body, suggesting a crouched or seated stance. Check that both forelimbs reach roughly the same level so the monkey appears balanced.

1. Add a rounded ear on each side of the head.
2. Sketch eyes, nose, and mouth within the head circle.
3. Draw long forelimbs from the shoulders down to the ground.
4. Draw hind legs bent beneath the body.

Finish With the Tail and Fur Texture

Attach the tail at the rear of the torso, curving it upward and curling the tip. The long curling tail is one of the monkey's most recognizable features, so give it a clear arc rather than a straight line. Add light fur texture lines along the arms, legs, and tail to suggest hair without overworking the surface.

When the drawing is complete, compare it with the separate full reference sheet. Look for the long curling tail arcing up and back, the rounded head with large protruding ears, and the long forelimbs reaching to the ground. Other drawings can be correct; assess the visible features and proportions rather than pixel-perfect matching.

1. Start the tail at the rear of the torso.
2. Curve it upward and curl the tip.
3. Add light fur texture lines along limbs and tail.
4. Compare your drawing with the full reference sheet.

Check your work

• The torso is drawn as a large oval with a smaller head circle connected by a short neck.
• Rounded ears protrude visibly on both sides of the head.
• Eyes, nose, and mouth are grouped within the head circle.
• Forelimbs extend from the shoulders to the ground with comparable length.
• Hind legs are bent beneath the body.
• The tail starts at the rear, arcs upward, and curls at the tip.
• Fur texture lines are light and do not obscure the main contour.

Worked example

monkey: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Making the head as large as the torso. Shrink the head circle so the torso remains the dominant mass.
• Drawing short, stubby forelimbs. Extend the forelimbs from the shoulders all the way to the ground.
• Leaving the tail straight or very short. Curve the tail upward from the rear and curl the tip clearly.

Questions and answers