How to Draw MONSTERS That Are (Actually) Scary!
Learn to Draw a Monster: Step by Step Guide
Most of drawing a monster is a great experience to tap into your creativity and make something that is completely you. Monsters can be scary, silly, cute, or some combination of those! This step-by-step tutorial will teach you how to draw your own monster, whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro.
Step 1: Get Your Tools Ready
Start out by getting these basic materials before diving into the drawing:
A pencil and eraser
Blank paper or a sketchbook
Colored pencils, markers, or digital tools (optional)
Step 2: Imagine Your Monster
Consider what your monster will look like.
Personality: Is it scary, silly, or cute?
Shape: Will it be tall and skinny, short and round, or something totally outrageous?
What Are Its Features: How many eyes, arms or legs? Are there wings, horns, or a tail associated with it?
Animals + Ogres + Anything you can dream up!
Step 3: Sketch Basic Shapes
Sketch simple shapes, begin to layout your monster’s body:
Head: use a circle or oval.
Queen: Draw a bigger oval, rectangle, or other shape for her body.
Draw smaller shapes for appendages, tails or any additional features.
Keep it light and loose — this is just the foundation.
Once your initial sketch is complete, Step 4 is to Add Features and Details
Now, begin to add to yours to make your monster unique:
Eyes and Mouth: Play with size and number. How about wide, bulging eyes or small, beady ones?
Teeth and Tongue: Give it sharp fangs or a long, drooping tongue for personality.
Arms and Legs: Instead of arms, draw claws, webbed hands, or even tentacles.
Texture: Add bits of spikes, fur or scales to give some texture.
Step 5: Refine Your Sketch
Trace over your basic shapes and clean them up into solid line work. Smoothing out curves, sharpening lines, erasing lines that don’t serve a purpose. This is when your beast really starts to take form.
Step 6: Add More Texture and Shadow
Surface: Create fur, scaly hides or wrinkled skin with lines and patterns.
Shadows: Create some depth by adding some shading. Darken sections where light wouldn’t reach, such as beneath the arms or the underside of the feet.
Step 7: Add Color and Bring It to Life
Pick a palette of colors that suits your monster’s personality:
Fluorescent colors turn your monster fun and palatable.
That also makes it scarier in dark or muted tones.
If you like to be a little daring, go for patterns, like stripes or polka dots.
AMazing Wing Step 8: Add a Background (Optional)
Put your monster in a funny location! You might depict it lurking in a forest, peeking out of a cave or slogging through a city.
Step 9: Add Final Touches
Examine your drawing and touch it up with details to finish off the design:
Mark up with scars, warts, glowing eyes.
Emphasize elements with highlights to make the drawing really pop.
Personalize, then you own your own work!
Tips for Inspiration
Slice new forms from a combination of existing animals.
Get inspiration from monsters in movies, books or games.
This is not the final word on how to design a monster—don’t be afraid to play around, as there is no “right” or “wrong” in monster design!
Conclusion
And that is what Drawing Monsters is all about: having fun and being creative. Each line you make gives character to your thing. So pick up your tools, start drawing, and have fun turning your monster into a reality!
Happy drawing!