How to Face Paint a Monkey: Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

Want to learn how to face paint a monkey? In this step-by-step monkey face painting tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a cute, furry monkey design using a flat angled brush, round brushes and a combination of brown, tan and black face paints.

This adorable monkey face paint is a fantastic choice for children’s birthday parties, school fetes, festivals and professional face painters looking to expand their collection of animal face painting designs.

With its big rounded ears, fluffy cheeks, expressive nostrils and furry details, this monkey design is full of character! I’ll guide you through each stage, from creating the basic shape to adding the final black outlines and little fur strokes that bring your monkey to life.

Whether you’re a beginner learning to face paint or an experienced face painter looking for new animal designs, grab your brushes and follow along!

Watch the Monkey Face Painting Tutorial

Follow along with my video tutorial to see how I build this cute monkey face paint design step by step.

Watch the full monkey face painting tutorial here:

You can pause the video as you paint and practise each brushstroke at your own pace. Pay particular attention to the direction of the strokes, the shape of the ears and how the different shades of brown help create the appearance of fur.

What You’ll Need to Face Paint a Monkey

Before you begin, gather your face painting supplies.

For this monkey face painting design, I’m using:

• A half-inch flat angled brush
• A number 6 round brush
• A number 4 round brush
• Dark brown face paint
• Tan face paint
• Black face paint
• Skin-tone colours, if needed
• A sponge for applying base colour to larger areas

You’ll need professional face paints designed for use on the skin, along with clean brushes and sponges.

The flat angled brush is especially useful for creating the monkey’s large rounded head, ears and furry shapes. The round brushes help you add the smaller details, including the nostrils, fur strokes and outlines.

Beginner tip: If you’re new to face painting, practise your teardrop strokes on paper or a practice board before painting on skin. This will help you become familiar with how brush pressure affects the thickness and shape of each stroke.

Step 1: Create the Monkey’s Head Shape

Start by loading your half-inch flat angled brush with dark brown face paint.

Position the brush near the top centre of the forehead, approximately two centimetres above the middle of the face, as demonstrated in the video.

Create a large rounded arch across the top of the forehead. Repeat the movement on the opposite side to form a balanced shape for the monkey’s head.

Think of this first stage as creating the basic outline and silhouette of your monkey.

You don’t need to make the shape perfectly symmetrical straight away, but try to keep the two sides reasonably balanced. This will make it easier to add the ears and facial features later.

Take your time with the curves. A smooth, rounded head shape helps establish the cute, friendly expression of the finished design.

Step 2: Paint the Monkey’s Big Rounded Ears

Next, use the tip of your angled brush to create the monkey’s ears.

Work outwards from each side of the head, curving the brush around to create wide, rounded ear shapes. Keep the strokes broad enough to make the ears stand out.

Repeat the same process on the opposite side, aiming for a similar size and shape.

Large ears are an important feature of this monkey face paint design, so don’t be afraid to make them nice and wide!

Once you’ve established the outer shape, fill in the inner areas of the ears using your chosen brown tones.

The angled brush makes it easier to create those smooth curves while maintaining good coverage.

Step 3: Add the Monkey’s Furry Head Details

Now it’s time to give your monkey some character!

Starting near the top section of the head, use the tip of your angled brush to create flicking strokes that curve upwards and outwards.

Repeat these strokes across the top of the head to suggest little tufts of fur.

Lead with the tip of your brush and allow the stroke to broaden slightly before lifting away. This helps create a natural tapered effect.

These small flicks are a great way to add texture without needing to paint individual hairs.

Remember, you want the design to look like soft, furry monkey hair rather than a solid brown shape.

Step 4: Fill in the Monkey’s Tan Muzzle

Load your half-inch angled brush with tan face paint.

The tan area forms the lighter section of the monkey’s face, including the muzzle and the area around the nose and mouth.

Carefully fill in the central lower section of the design, extending the lighter colour downwards to create the monkey’s muzzle.

Widen the area around the nostrils so there’s enough space to add the nose details later.

If you’re painting a larger face, you can use a clean sponge to help fill in the central area more quickly, then refine the edges with your brush.

The contrast between the dark brown head and the lighter tan muzzle is what helps the facial features stand out.

Try to achieve smooth, even coverage, and allow the layers to dry as needed before adding further details.

Step 5: Paint the Monkey’s Fluffy Cheeks and Whiskers

Using the tan paint and your angled brush, create a series of broad teardrop strokes around the eyes and cheeks.

Start each stroke with a wider section and gradually lift the brush to create a thinner point. Direct the strokes outwards to suggest soft fur.

Repeat the same technique on the opposite side to keep the design balanced.

These furry shapes help frame the monkey’s face and make the lighter muzzle blend more naturally into the darker head.

You can vary the length and direction of your strokes slightly to make the fur look more organic.

This is also an excellent opportunity to practise one of the most useful face painting skills: controlling your brush pressure to create thick-to-thin strokes.

Step 6: Add the Monkey’s Nose and Fur Texture

Now it’s time to add some definition to the muzzle.

Using your tan or brown paint, create two curved shapes where the monkey’s nostrils will sit. These strokes form the base for the nose highlights.

Next, add short flicking strokes along the bridge of the nose and around the cheeks to create more fur texture.

Use your brush to add a few outward flicks along the sides of the face. Keep these strokes loose and playful rather than perfectly uniform.

The idea is to build up layers of colour and texture, allowing the different shades of brown and tan to work together.

Don’t worry if the design looks a little unusual at this stage. The black details will bring the features together and make the monkey’s expression much clearer.

Step 7: Define the Nostrils with Black Face Paint

Load your number 6 round brush with black face paint.

Use controlled teardrop strokes to define the monkey’s nostrils. Press the brush down to create a thicker starting point, then lift gradually to create a fine tip.

Repeat on the other side.

These dark details create contrast against the tan muzzle and help the nose become one of the focal points of the design.

You can also add smaller black fur strokes beneath the brown whiskers to create extra depth and definition.

The key is to use the black sparingly enough that the design retains its soft, cute appearance while still having clear, bold features.

Step 8: Outline the Ears and Monkey’s Face

Now use your black face paint to outline the monkey.

Carefully trace around the outer edges of the head, following the rounded shape you created at the beginning.

Outline the ears, adding definition to both the outer and inner sections.

Next, define the muzzle and the edges of the furry cheek shapes.

Use confident, controlled strokes wherever possible. If you’re still developing your liner technique, practise creating smooth lines on a practice board before attempting them on skin.

The outline helps separate the different areas of the design, making the monkey’s head, ears and muzzle easier to recognise.

Step 9: Add the Final Fur Details and Highlights

You’re nearly finished!

Using your round brush and black paint, add a few final fur strokes around the forehead, inside the ears and along the edges of the cheeks.

You can also add small creases above the nostrils to give the monkey a little extra expression.

Use your brown and tan colours to refine the fur and add dimension where needed.

Take a moment to look at the whole design. Are the ears balanced? Does the muzzle stand out? Are the nostrils clearly defined?

A few small adjustments can make a big difference to the finished result.

And there you have it — a cute monkey face paint design that’s full of furry details and personality!

Tips for Improving Your Monkey Face Painting

If you’re practising this monkey face painting tutorial, here are some useful tips to help you get better results.

1. Practise your angled brush technique. The half-inch flat angled brush helps you create large curved shapes and broad teardrop strokes. Practising with different brush angles will give you more control.

2. Use contrasting colours. The combination of dark brown, tan and black helps define the monkey’s face and makes the muzzle stand out.

3. Build the design in stages. Start with the head shape, then add the ears, muzzle, fur texture and outlines. Working from larger shapes to smaller details makes the process easier to manage.

4. Focus on thick-to-thin strokes. Many of the furry details are created by pressing down and then gradually lifting the brush. Practise this movement until you can produce smooth, tapered strokes.

5. Don’t overdo the details. You don’t need to paint every individual hair. A few well-placed flicks can suggest fur without making the design look too busy.

6. Practise regularly. Repeating the design will help you build muscle memory, improve your brush control and paint more confidently at children’s parties.

Want to Learn More Face Painting Designs?

If you’ve enjoyed learning how to face paint a monkey, imagine what you could achieve by learning face painting step by step!

My Complete Online Face Painting Course is designed to help beginners develop their skills and give aspiring professional face painters the techniques and confidence to create a wide range of designs.

Inside the course, you’ll learn:

• Beginner foundations: Get comfortable with your brushes, paints and essential face painting techniques.
• Brush control: Learn how to create smooth lines, teardrops, flicks and other important strokes.
• Paint consistency: Understand how to load your brush and achieve good coverage.
• One-stroke techniques: Create colourful flowers and multi-coloured designs.
• Sponging and blending: Learn how to build backgrounds and blend colours.
• Speed designs: Develop designs that work well at busy children’s parties.
• Stencils and finishing details: Add variety and detail to your work.
• Professional kit setup and hygiene: Learn about equipment, brush cleaning and safe working practices.
• Pricing and running a business: Explore how to price your services, attract bookings and get paid.

You’ll receive lifetime access, with additional content added regularly.

Whether you’re learning for fun, painting at family events or working towards launching your own face painting business, the course provides a structured way to develop your skills.

Start With My 5 FREE Beginner Face Painting Lessons!

Not quite ready to enrol? Start by trying my five free beginner face painting lessons!

Comment the word LEARN on my relevant social media post to request the lessons, or visit my free lesson sign-up page below.

👉 Get your 5 FREE lessons:
https://facepaintingclasses.tv/op/opt-in-from-external/

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Final Thoughts: Have Fun Learning to Face Paint a Monkey!

This monkey face painting design is a fun way to practise rounded shapes, angled brush strokes, teardrops, fur texture and outlining.

It’s a lovely addition to your collection of animal face painting ideas and can be adapted to suit your own style as you gain confidence.

Remember, you don’t need to master every technique overnight. Start with the basic shapes, practise the brush movements and gradually build up the details.

Keep practising, have fun and enjoy learning to face paint!

Maria Mitchell
Let’s Paint – Learn to Face Paint