How to Draw a Simple Monster: Easy 9-Step Guide for Kids

Ready to bring a friendly creature to life? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to start building your own unique monster character.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A friendly, colorful cartoon monster character standing on a white background.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Head Base

Pencil sketch showing the initial oval head shape and eye placement for a cartoon monster.

Draw a soft oval in the center of your paper. Tip: Keep it light! Add a small dash below it for the chin and two hook shapes on top for the eye sockets. Sketch a smaller oval inside each eye area to define the pupils.

Step 2: Defining the Face

Drawing the monster's nose and wide, open mouth shape.

Add two teardrop shapes for nostrils and a wide, curved line for the mouth. Tip: Leave a small gap at the bottom of the mouth line; this is where we will add the tongue later!

Step 3: Adding Teeth and Tongue

Adding rounded teeth and a heart-shaped tongue inside the monster's mouth.

Draw a heart shape inside the mouth for the tongue. Add rounded triangles along the top and bottom for teeth. Tip: Make one tooth overlap the tongue to give your drawing a 3D, layered look.

Step 4: Ears and Head Details

Drawing triangular ears and expressive eyebrows on the monster.

Sketch two triangles on the sides of the head for ears. Add small dashes above the eyes for eyebrows. Tip: Use straight lines to connect the triangles to the head for a clean, sharp look.

Step 5: Horns and Arms

Adding horns to the head and starting the arm shapes on the body.

Draw curved triangles on top of the head for horns. Add hooks inside the ears. For the arms, sketch a small curve followed by a larger one on the side of the body. Tip: Keep your arm curves fluid to make the monster look friendly, not stiff.

Step 6: Fingers and Claws

Drawing fingers and sharp claws on the monster's hands.

Draw small ovals at the end of the arms for fingers. Add tiny triangles to the tips for claws. Tip: Don't worry if the fingers aren't perfectly even; monsters have all sorts of hand shapes!

Step 7: The Body and Feet

Drawing the main body and feet of the monster.

Outline the body with two long, sweeping curves. Add feet at the bottom using overlapping circles and triangles. Tip: Connect the right foot to the body with a backward L-shape to show the leg position.

Step 8: Finishing the Feet

Adding the final toes to the monster's feet.

Add a third toe to each foot using an oval and a triangle. Ensure the toes overlap slightly to create depth. Tip: Check that your monster's feet look balanced so it doesn't look like it's going to tip over!

Step 9: Tail and Final Outline

Adding a tail and tracing the final outline with a marker.

Draw a triangular tail with small spikes. Go over your final lines with a black marker. Tip: Fill in the pupils and nostrils with solid black to make the monster's face pop.

Step 10: Adding Color

The final colored monster drawing with bright red body and yellow accents.

Bring your monster to life! Use bright red for the body, yellow for the horns, and pink for the tongue. Tip: Use lighter shades for the fingers to create contrast against the body.