doodlea.day

Tuesday, September 15

How to draw...

Give one seated monkey a cheeky side-eye, a squint, and a two-tooth grin before placing its banana first and wrapping the body behind that foreground prop. This 20-minute intermediate marker lesson practices expressive face variation, foreground-first overlap, mirrored grips, and directional color while keeping the result playful and attainable.

20 minIntermediate
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Handmade felt-tip marker drawing of one seated warm-brown cartoon monkey holding exactly one golden-yellow banana with orange lower edge, one wide eye with a sideways pupil and white highlight, one crescent squint eye, one raised eyebrow, exactly two nostrils, one off-center grin with exactly two square teeth, exactly two round ears, one three-point hair tuft with small paper gaps, exactly two peach hands, exactly two bent legs with peach feet, one peach belly patch, one long brown tail curled into one open spiral, exactly three banana peel seams, thick imperfect black outlines, visible marker streaks, and one broad broken teal ground shadow
Finished doodle About 20 minutes

Felt-tip marker mode

Let's draw a monkey

Treat this as one playful practice round: sketch the idea loosely, simplify the shapes, then commit with confident marker outlines and bright fills.

  1. 01
    Shape the monkey face stage for how to draw a cartoon monkey with a banana

    Shape the monkey face

    Draw one lopsided round head, then overlap its lower half with one smaller wide muzzle oval. Keep the top, both sides, and all paper below the head open for the ears, hair, body, and banana.

    Marker tip: Pull the head in two relaxed arcs, then make the muzzle wider than it is tall. The off-center overlap leaves room for the side-eye later.

  2. 02
    Build the cheeky expression stage for how to draw a cartoon monkey with a banana

    Build the cheeky expression

    Attach exactly two round ears at slightly different heights and add one three-point tuft above the forehead. Draw one wide oval eye looking sideways, one narrow crescent eye, one raised eyebrow, two nostril dots, and one off-center open grin with exactly two square teeth.

    Marker tip: Ink the wide eye first, aim its pupil toward the squint, then keep the grin low in the muzzle. Mismatched eyes, one brow, and two teeth prevent the default dot-eye smile.

  3. 03
    Place the banana and hands stage for how to draw a cartoon monkey with a banana

    Place the banana and hands

    Below the muzzle, draw one upward-curving banana with a short stem at each end. Attach exactly two arms from beneath the head and close exactly two simple hands around the banana ends, stopping every arm line at the prop edge.

    Marker tip: Ghost the banana swoop twice, then pull both long curves in confident passes. Draw the foreground fruit before the body so no keeper line needs erasing.

  4. 04
    Wrap the torso behind the snack stage for how to draw a cartoon monkey with a banana

    Wrap the torso behind the snack

    From beneath the head, curve the torso sides down around the outside of both arms and join them with a low rear body curve behind the banana. From the lower rear body, sweep one long tail outward and curl its tip into one open spiral.

    Marker tip: Trace the torso around the hands and banana without crossing them. Rotate the page for the tail so its single spiral stays open and easy to read.

  5. 05
    Seat the legs and add finish marks stage for how to draw a cartoon monkey with a banana

    Seat the legs and add finish marks

    Attach exactly two bent seated legs beneath the torso with one simple foot each, letting them overlap the lower body edge. Curve one belly patch behind the banana, add exactly three short peel seams along the fruit, and fill one broad broken ground shadow beneath the feet with teal marker.

    Marker tip: Compare the two foot shapes and keep the belly patch centered between them. Count three peel seams, then leave several paper breaks in the teal shadow.

  6. 06
    Handmade felt-tip marker drawing of one seated warm-brown cartoon monkey holding exactly one golden-yellow banana with orange lower edge, one wide eye with a sideways pupil and white highlight, one crescent squint eye, one raised eyebrow, exactly two nostrils, one off-center grin with exactly two square teeth, exactly two round ears, one three-point hair tuft with small paper gaps, exactly two peach hands, exactly two bent legs with peach feet, one peach belly patch, one long brown tail curled into one open spiral, exactly three banana peel seams, thick imperfect black outlines, visible marker streaks, and one broad broken teal ground shadow

    Color the banana-break finish

    Fill the established monkey warm brown, the muzzle, ear centers, belly patch, hands, and feet peach, and the one banana golden yellow with orange along its lower edge. Keep the same teal shadow and eye highlight, leave a few small paper gaps in the brown tuft and fur, and strengthen existing black contours without adding shapes.

    Marker tip: Pull brown strokes with the round head and along the tail curl, then fill the banana lengthwise. Keep the two teeth, eye glint, and marker grain bright, and feel free to swap the palette on your next monkey.