How to Draw a Mandrill
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Mandrill" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:
Written step-by-step video tutorial:
For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.
Step 1: Draw a circle as a guide for the front part of the mandrill monkey's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle, check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.
Step 2: Draw another circle to the right as a guide for the second half of the mandrill's body. Use the four marks method to draw this circle the same way. The two circles should be about the same size. The edges of the circles should be touching. Sketch lightly so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.
Step 3: Draw another circle on the top, left side as a guide for the monkey's head. Mandrills have big heads compared to their bodies, so this circle should be about two- thirds the size of the first circle. Make sure the edges of these two circles are touching too.
Step 4: Under the head, draw a curved line similar to the letter U as a guide for the lower part of the mandrill's head.
Step 5: Draw a curved line across the head to help you add the mandrill's facial features later. Add a shorter curved line on the top, left side of the head for another construction line.
Step 6: Under the big circle on the left, draw two long lines as guides for the mandrill's arms. Bend the tips of the lines a bit. Pay attention to the spacing between the arms.
Step 7: Under the circle on the right, draw two angled lines as guides for the legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the mandrill's joints and feet will be later on. The rightmost line should slope to the right because the mandrill will be stepping forward.
Step 8: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the neck. Draw two more lines that connect the bigger circles to complete the guide for the body. The guide line at the bottom should dip low for the mandrill's belly.
That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.
Step 9: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small ovals. When you get the size and position of the eyes right, darken the lines. Use the initial lines as guides for size and placement of the mandrill's eyes. As you darken the ovals, make the sides pointier. Add some short lines inside for the eyeballs. Add a curved line above the eyes for the folds of skin. Add a line at the bottom of the eyes too for more detail on the skin. Draw a small dot inside each eye for the pupils.
Step 10: Draw the mandrill's nose inside the head using a series of curved lines. First draw a curved, broken line from the left eye to the bottom of the initial circle for the bridge of the nose. Add a few more broken lines on the right side to make the bridge of the nose thicker. Use the initial lines to guide you in drawing the curve of the bridge of the nose. At the bottom of the monkey's nose, draw a couple of short, curved lines that point down for the nostrils. Add a couple of lines around the nostrils to complete the shape of the nose.
Step 11: Under the nose, draw a horizontal line that curves up on the right for the mouth. Break up the line a bit to represent the hair around the mouth. Add short strokes below the mandrill's mouth for more hair. Follow the basic path of the guide to draw the hair on the chin. The short strokes should dip below the guide to form a sort of goatee around the mouth.
Step 12: Draw a series of curved lines in the space between the eye and the nose for the ridges on the face. Start below the eyes and draw short, curved lines that meet the nose at the bottom. Add a couple of sloping lines that connect the bridge of the nose to the curved lines. The ridges on the right side should be wider because of how the mandrill's head is turned. Add a few sloping lines along the edge of the bridge of the nose for the grooves. Add the short, curved lines along the right side to complete the shape of the ridges on the face.
Step 13: On the top, right side of the head, draw a line similar to an upside-down letter V for the ear. Below the mandrill's ear, draw a series of short strokes for the fur in front of the ear.
Step 14: Draw a curved, horizontal line over the eyes for the heavy brow. Draw a few short, curved vertical lines above to emphasize the thickness of the mandrill's brow. Above the thick brow, draw a series of short strokes for hair.
Add a few short strokes above the brow for a patch of hair on the forehead. This patch of hair should be similar to a small arc that's made up of short strokes.
Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the monkey's head. Follow the basic path of the circle and draw short strokes along the edge for the hair. At the top, draw the short strokes higher than the initial circle to make the head bigger. Draw more short strokes along the guides at the bottom to finish the shape of the head.
Step 15: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the arm on this side of the body. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the arm around it. The top of the mandrill's arm should be inside the body. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. The top part should be thinner than the bottom. Use short strokes along the right edge for hair. Draw a series of short lines along the bend of the guide for the fingers on the hand. Draw a few short lines on the fingers for extra detail on the skin.
Step 16: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the mandrill's second arm the same way. First sketch the shape of the leg lightly around the guide. Then, when you get the shape right, darken the lines. Make the top part wide and then gradually get thinner toward the wrist. At the bottom, where the guide line bends, draw the fingers using a series of short, curved lines.
Step 17: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the leg that's on this side of the body. Follow the path of the guide as you lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Use short strokes for hair. Bend the shape of the leg to indicate a step forward. Make the top part wider than the bottom. Draw the monkey's toes along the bent path of the guide. The toes should be longer than the fingers.
Step 18: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. The top part of the leg will be behind the first leg, so only draw the visible lower half. At the bottom, curve the toes a bit more because of the position of the foot. Pay attention to the bend of the foot and how only the toes are touching the ground while the mandrill is taking a step.
Step 19: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the mandrill's body. Use a series of short strokes along the basic path of the initial guides to create the furry body. As you draw the middle, dip the belly lower than the guide and use longer strokes for the shaggy coat. On the top, right side of the body, draw a triangle- like shape made up of short strokes for the tail. Mandrills actually have short tails, unlike Rafiki in The Lion King!
Step 20: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step: Add some shading to your mandrill drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value around the eyes, a medium value for the nose and a light value for the face ridges. To get different degrees of tonal value, vary the pressure on your pencil. As you shade the head, use dark strokes that radiate backward from the face. Use a very light value for the goatee- like hair around the mouth and for a small patch behind the ear. Use dark strokes for the arm on the other side of the body except for a lighter section on the inside.
Use a medium to dark value for the rest of the mandrill's body. As you shade the rest of the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the hair. Use a very light value for the fur along the bottom of the torso on the chest and belly. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and emphasizes the hair-like texture. Leave a section on the monkey's rump blank for the light-colored fur found there. Use a light value for the hands and feet. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's also a good idea to use reference as you draw.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the mandrill so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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