The Best “How To Draw Monsters” Books for Creating Spooky, Scary Creatures
Comparing the Top “How To Draw Monsters” Book of 2022
How to Draw Monsters for Kids – Best Overall
In terms of teaching your child the basic concepts, How to Draw Monsters for Kids by Rockridge Press has everything you need. You’d think that artistic concepts such as balance and symmetry might be too advanced for your child, but this book teaches all that while being geared toward kids ages six to nine. These concepts are important to create works of art that look and feel natural, and you’ll likely notice your child improving once they learn them.
Aside from these useful tidbits of knowledge, this How to Draw Monsters book is also great for beginners. Monsters are broken down into simple shapes, which lets your child “build” them step by step, resulting in creatures that look alive and complex. This How to Draw Monsters book is our top choice for parents who want to give their child a solid foundation in art.
Pros
- Teaches basic art concepts
- Breaks down figures into simple shapes
- Very easy to follow
Cons
- Not ideal for kids younger than six
How to Draw 101 Monsters – Great Variety
One of the cool things about monsters is that the only thing that limits them is your imagination. You can draw all sorts of wacky creatures that look scary, cute, or somewhere in between, but the only problem is that creativity isn’t enough — your child has more than enough of that, after all.
What your child lacks is a knowledge of common monster characteristics — sharp fangs, body types, and so on. These are things that your child can only learn by seeing and drawing different kinds of monsters, and that’s exactly what this next book offers. How to Draw 101 Monsters by Dan Green has a whole collection of figures for your child to draw, and once they become familiar with the different shapes that monsters can take, they can start letting their imagination run wild.
Pros
- Over 100 monsters to draw
- Helps children get creative with monster drawing
- Lots of monster variety
Cons
- Not ideal for teaching the basics of drawing
How to Draw Cute Monsters – Cute Monster Book
Just because monsters are portrayed as scary doesn’t mean they always have to be. Many monsters are actually quite funny and cute, and lots of children prefer that kind of creature over your typical creepy crawlies. If you’d rather have your child draw some more light-hearted monsters during their spare time, this How to Draw Monsters book by Jerry Jones is exactly what you’re looking for.
How to Draw Cute Monsters is a whimsical take on the typical How to Draw Monsters book. The creatures in this book are friendly-looking, with rounder features and bubbly dispositions. Even monsters with sharp fangs and claws look relatively harmless, so you should have no problem letting your child draw these cute little critters.
Pros
- Features cute, funny creatures
- Makes monsters appear less scary
- Comes with step-by-step instructions
Cons
- Monsters look very similar to one another
How to Draw Scary Monsters and Other Mythical Creatures – For Older Kids
How to Draw Monsters books aren’t just meant for kids. If your older child shows interest in drawing, you can introduce them to more advanced books such as this one. How to Draw Scary Monsters and Other Mythical Creatures is a more “mature” take on the How to Draw Monsters book — the creatures and monsters in it are more life-like, resembling something you might see in a classic horror movie.
While this means the monsters may appear more aggressive and “evil,” your child will likely be old enough that this isn’t an issue, and this How to Draw Monsters book can serve as a stepping stone to learning more advanced drawing techniques. In particular, the realistic proportions of monsters in this book can help solidify the idea of natural body proportions in both humans and monsters, allowing your child to draw more realistic pictures as they practice and improve.
Pros
- Great for older children
- Features “realistic” monsters
- More accurate body proportions
Cons
- Can be difficult to get into
How to Draw Mythical Monsters and Magical Creatures – For Adults
This book, entitled “How to Draw Mythical Monsters and Magical Creatures,” is the ideal How to Draw Monsters book for those old enough (or skilled enough) to understand its concepts. It’s a book that’s geared toward those with some drawing experience, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t beginner-friendly. This How to Draw Monsters book is written by Samwise Didier, a video game illustrator who is known for bringing out the magical and fantastic aspects of monsters in artistic form.
While this How to Draw Monsters book is definitely something that a mature artist might pick up, your child can certainly understand and benefit from it as well. They’ll need to have enough knowledge and skill to fully emulate what’s shown in the book, but if you’re confident in your child’s ability to draw, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t pick them up a copy of this How to Draw Monsters book.
Pros
- Advanced monster drawing book
- Teaches how to draw realistic monsters
- Author is a renowned video game illustrator
Cons
- Can be challenging for kids to follow
Buying Guide: “How To Draw Monsters” Books
Drawing monsters is a lot easier if you have some sort of reference to work with. Instructional books can be a big help — here’s everything you should know when looking for a “How to Draw Monsters” book in 2022.
What Makes How to Draw Monsters Books So Helpful?
When drawing humans, animals, or nature, you can easily find a real-world example to use as a reference — many artists often explore their local town or even travel across the country to find vistas and sights that will inspire them to create a piece. You can even ask someone to pose for you, but when it comes to monsters, this is basically impossible — monsters don’t exist!
If your child wants to draw monsters, they’ll need to work with an existing reference. That’s where How to Draw Monsters books come in — not only do they contain tons of pictures to use as references, but they also showcase exactly how to draw these monsters from scratch. This lets your child gain an understanding of how to draw monsters without a reference once they’re familiar enough with common shapes and features.
Types of How to Draw Monsters Books
Reference books
Reference books are drawing books that showcase variety as their main selling point. With tons of pictures, angles, and details to reference, you can use a How to Draw Monsters reference book to either copy existing creatures or create new ones with a little bit of imagination. Reference books are also great for children who have just started drawing, as they won’t need to worry too much about theory and concepts.
Study books
Once your child becomes familiar with what monsters look like, you can start introducing them to basic art concepts to step up their drawing game. Concepts such as POV, foreshortening, and vanishing points are great for making realistic poses and angles, and you can also teach them basic color theory and blending techniques so that their sketches really come to life.
While the idea of learning art concepts may seem boring, it can actually be quite interesting if it’s presented in a fun way. To do this, drawing books will typically start by explaining concepts in a simple manner to provide you with a general understanding of the concept. Then, the book lets you draw an image (in this case, a monster) with that concept in use. Once your child sees the difference between their previous work and what they just drew, they will almost certainly feel a sense of accomplishment and progress.
Advanced books
As your child grows older and their interest in drawing increases, they’ll become more familiar with basic concepts and standard drawing techniques. They may even develop an art style of their own after hours and hours of trying out other styles from reference. To ensure that they can continue to improve, you’ll want to teach them more advanced concepts, such as anatomy, gesture drawing, and so on.
Tools and Equipment To Accompany Monster Drawing
How to Draw Monsters books are great, but you can’t draw monsters without a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. What else do you need, though?
Coloring tools
Adding color is one of the most effective ways to bring an image to life, as color showcases what the monster would look like if it was in the real world. Depending on how old your child is, you can give them crayons or colored pencils to liven up their drawings.
Desk lamp
A well-lit work area is essential to ensure your child’s eyes aren’t strained while drawing. By getting them a desk lamp, you can give them ample light to see exactly what they’re working on, even at night.
Ruler
Monsters mostly have organic shapes, with curves all over their bodies. If your child wants to draw a background or create a unique-looking monster, though, they can use a ruler to make consistently straight lines in their artwork.
