Monster Coloring Pages – 65 Monsters Images for Creative Play

Unleash your imagination into a world where monsters roam free with our captivating collection of 65 monster coloring pages! Designed to spark creativity and fun, these pages are a perfect blend of whimsical creatures and artistic expression. Whether you’re a child at heart or a little one eager for a coloring adventure, dive into this monstrous playground and bring these unique monsters to vibrant life!

How to Use Our Monster Coloring Pages

1. Choose Your Monster: Browse our collection and select your favorite monster coloring page.
2. Open and Download: Click on the image to open the PDF file. Then, download it to your computer.
3. Print and Color: Use your home printer to print the downloaded coloring page. Grab your crayons, markers, or colored pencils and start bringing your monster to life with colors!

Our Collection of Unique Monsters to Color

Friendly monster in a world of candy, sweets, and treats

Monster wandering through a spooky, misty forest at night

Monster having fun at a beach party with sandcastles

Playful monster exploring the city streets and tall buildings

Monster playing among magical trees and fairies in an enchanted forest

Monster enjoying the snow, building a snowman in a winter landscape

Friendly monster floating in space with planets and stars

Monster reading books in a large, enchanted library

Friendly monster performing amusing tricks at a circus

Friendly monster setting up a tent in a forest

Monster having fun in a treehouse, playing with toys

Friendly monsters enjoying a picnic together in a park

Monsters playing musical instruments together in a fun band

Monsters celebrating at a birthday party with cake and balloons

Monsters playfully having a snowball fight in a winter setting

Friendly monsters learning and having fun together in a classroom

Mummy monster waits to scare someone

Scary skeleton monster walking in graveyard

Scary monster with a sense

Frightening ghost monster hovering in a haunted house

Scary zombie monster wandering in a desolate graveyard

Alien monster with numerous eyes

Gargoyle waiting on a building

Monster in graveyard

Alien monster with multiple eyes in a spaceship setting

Gargoyle monster perched on a gothic building, looking menacing

A menacing robot monster in a futuristic city environment

A scary alien monster with multiple eyes in a space setting

An eerie phantom monster haunting the halls of a spooky mansion

A cheerful monster holding a bunch of balloons

Monster sitting peacefully in a garden

A cute monster happily holding a large cupcake

Monster playing with a beach ball at the seaside

A happy monster gazing at the stars, sitting on a hill

Cheerful monster flying a kite.

Monster enjoying a ride on a scooter.

A happy monster having fun with toy blocks.

Cute monster delighting in a big ice cream cone.

Monster having a tea party with stuffed animals.

New Monster Coloring Pages for Everyday Scenes

25 new sheets join the collection, and this time the monsters are busy with everyday things: a haircut at the barber shop, storytime in a big armchair, a six-armed monster juggling groceries, a furry visitor in an open doorway, and two monsters sharing a picnic with very curious ants. The scenes keep large open shapes for young colorists and finer details for older ones. Each sheet prints as a PDF in A4.

Two horned monsters in a barber shop: one sits in the salon chair under a cape while the other trims its hair with comb and scissors, next to a trolley with a bottle and shaving brush. Children color in the monsters, the chair and all the barber tools.

A big horned monster sits in an armchair reading an open book aloud while a small spotted monster listens from a round cushion. Children color the two monsters, the chair, the book and the cushion in any colors they like.

A grinning horned monster with six arms tosses an apple, a banana and a pear into the air while holding a carrot, a loaf of bread and broccoli. Children color the food items and the friendly monster in bright shades.

A grinning horned monster with shaggy fur pushes open a door and steps into a room with an armchair, a side table, a stack of books and a potted plant. Children color the fur, the door and the whole cosy room.

Two friendly monsters sit on a checked picnic blanket holding big sandwiches, with a woven basket behind them and three cheerful ants carrying crumbs. Children color the blanket squares, the sandwich layers and each monster in their own shades.

A small round monster with two striped horns tips a watering can over three sunflowers growing in a row of soil mounds. Five water drops fall from the spout. The sunflowers have large round centers and big leaves, which leave plenty of open space for coloring.
A furry one-eyed monster with two small horns grins wide and scrubs its square teeth with a toothbrush. It stands at a bathroom sink with a faucet, a framed mirror and a towel hanging on a rail behind it. The fur is drawn with jagged tufts, so the outlines are a little more detailed along the edges.
A smiling monster with two big eyes and two small horns holds a polka-dot umbrella in one hand and waves with the other while stepping into a puddle. Water drops splash up on both sides of its feet. The umbrella has three large circles, so the open shapes are easy to fill in.
Wavy-haired monster girl with two ball-tipped antennae presses both hands into a big lump of dough on a countertop. A rolling pin lies at the front, with flour patches scattered around. The striped apron has thin vertical lines and a bow at the back, so it takes a little patience.
Tucked into a bed with round-knobbed posts, a drowsy baby monster with a single striped horn hugs a floppy-eared stuffed bunny. The quilt is a patchwork of large squares, with a heart in one and a star in another. The wide, open patches suit small hands well.
A round, grinning monster with two curved horns and big eyes slides down a curved playground slide, both arms thrown up in the air. Three oval spots mark its belly, and a short pointed tail sticks out at the side. The outlines are bold and the shapes large, so this one is easy to fill in.
At a wooden easel, a furry three-eyed monster in a floppy pompom hat paints a sun with rays above a small house. Its belly is shaped like a paint palette with four round color wells. The house has a chimney, a cross-paned window and an arched door.
A curly-haired monster boy with two small horns, pointed ears and a bushy tail sits on a wooden dock, legs dangling, and reels in a smiling fish on a line. Water splashes up below the fish, and the dock posts stand in wavy water. The wood grain on the planks is a good place for two shades of brown.
A small shaggy monster with two long eye stalks crouches on all fours and grins at a snail resting on a big leaf. The snail has a spiral shell and its own stalk eyes, and tufts of grass sit in the corners. Spirals and fur tufts add fine detail, while the large body shapes stay open.
A smiling fuzzy monster with two large curled horns and two fangs pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with three pumpkins and two leafy carrots along a grassy path. A cloud-shaped bush and grass tufts fill the background. The pumpkin ribs and carrot lines suit a darker orange next to a lighter one.
A friendly monster girl with a high ponytail and two ringed horns walks along a winding path with a backpack and a walking stick, waving. A squirrel with a big curled tail waves back from a tree stump, with grass tufts and a puffy bush behind. The stump’s bark lines and the squirrel’s tail are good places for fine shading.
Seated front view of a shy, shaggy monster with two long floppy ears and big round eyes, peeking over the head of a smiling teddy bear it holds tight. The bear has round ears, a snout and a tiny smile, and the monster’s furry paws and oval foot soles sit at the bottom. Fur edges are jagged, so the outlines take a steady hand.
A grinning monster with two striped horns, two fangs and a short tail sits on a wooden swing, gripping the twisted ropes. The swing hangs from a tree branch with two cloud-shaped leaf clusters, and the trunk curves along the right edge. The rope twists are small, narrow shapes that need a careful hand.
A grinning monster boy in a horned helmet rides a bicycle along a curving path and waves with one hand. He wears a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and puffy clouds sit behind him. The wheels are large double rings, so they leave wide, easy areas to fill.
A round, two-horned monster sits in a clawfoot bathtub with a foam cap on its head and holds up a rubber duck. About ten bubbles of different sizes float around it, and the tub stands on four paw-shaped feet. The big open areas of the tub and body are easy to fill.
A perfectly round monster stands front-facing and holds a five-petal flower with a leaf in one hand. It has two striped horns, two round cheeks, a small smile and two clawed feet. The huge, plain body is one big open area, so it works well for a first coloring page.
A tall one-eyed monster with a striped horn and a single fang holds hands with a medium furry monster with pointed ears and a tuft of hair. A small antennae monster with a spiky tail stands at the end of the row. Large smooth bodies leave plenty of open space for filling in.
A grinning furry monster with two striped horns and a curl of hair on top holds a big round pizza tray in both hands. The pizza is topped with ring-shaped slices and curly swirls, and the monster shows two fangs and has three-toed feet. The toppings are small, so they need a fine pencil.
Ten different monsters stand in three rows: furry ones with horns, one-eyed and three-eyed ones, and a winged monster with an arrow-tipped tail. A spotted monster has three stalk eyes. Clean outlines and several larger shapes make it easy to mix and match colors.
A three-by-three grid of square tiles, each framing one smiling monster head: fluffy one-eyed, three-eyed, antennae and stalk-eyed types, some with horns. The spotted blob in the middle left has a buck tooth and ringed dots on its cheeks. Every tile is a separate small project, so one face can be finished at a time.

Tips and Tricks for Coloring These Sheets

Experiment with Colors: Don’t limit yourself to traditional colors. Monsters can be any color you imagine – vibrant purples, electric blues, or even multicolored!

Textures and Shading: Add depth to your monster by experimenting with shading and textures. Use light and dark shades to create a 3D effect, especially around the edges and in creases.

Mixing Media: Combine different mediums like crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Markers can provide a solid base color, while colored pencils are great for shading and adding details.

Embrace Imperfections: Monsters are unique and often imperfect creatures. Don’t worry about going outside the lines or making mistakes – it adds character!

Background Magic: Don’t forget the background. A spooky or whimsical background can set the scene for your monster.

Use Highlights: Add highlights to areas like the eyes, teeth, or scales to make your monster pop. A white gel pen or a light-colored pencil can be great for this.

Get Inspired: Look at pictures of mythical creatures or other artwork for inspiration, but remember to make your monster uniquely yours.

Take Your Time: Enjoy the process and don’t rush. Spend time on small details which can make a big difference in the overall look.

Create a Story: While coloring, think of a story about your monster. What’s its name? Where does it live? This can inspire unique color choices.

Have Fun!: Most importantly, have fun with it. Let your imagination run wild, and enjoy the creative process.

Monster Facts for Curious Colorists

Monsters have a long history, and knowing a little about it makes the coloring more rewarding. Whether you are helping a child choose a crayon or planning a classroom activity, the facts below connect the sheets in this collection to the myths, books, and movies that inspired them.

Where Monsters Come From

The word itself is very old. “Monster” comes from the Latin monstrum, which is linked to the verb monere, meaning “to warn.” In ancient Rome a monstrum was an unusual sign or omen, often read as a warning from the gods, long before the word came to mean a frightening creature.

Ancient Greece produced many of the classics. The Hydra was a many-headed water serpent that Heracles faced as the second of his twelve labors. The Minotaur, half man and half bull, lived in the Labyrinth on the island of Crete until the hero Theseus defeated it. In Homer’s Odyssey, the giant Polyphemus is a Cyclops, a creature with a single eye, who traps Odysseus and his crew in a cave.

Almost every region has its own monsters. Scandinavian sailors told of the Kraken, a sea creature said to be so large it could be mistaken for an island. Japanese folklore has a huge group of spirits and creatures called yokai, including the horned oni. The Yeti is said to roam the Himalayas, Sasquatch (also called Bigfoot) is a legend of the Pacific Northwest of North America, and the Loch Ness Monster belongs to Scotland.

Real animals sometimes helped inspire the legends. A common theory is that sightings of the giant squid fed the Kraken stories. This deep-sea animal is so hard to find that it was photographed alive in its natural habitat only in 2004.

Famous Monsters in Books and Movies

Frankenstein’s monster has no name. Mary Shelley published Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus in 1818. Frankenstein is actually the name of the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and his creature is never given a name. In the novel the creature has yellow skin, and the green skin most people picture today became popular through the 1931 Universal movie with makeup by Jack Pierce.

Dracula set the pattern for vampires. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula appeared in 1897 and shaped how books and films still show vampires. The mummy became a movie monster too, in the 1932 film The Mummy, which starred Boris Karloff, the same actor who played the creature in the 1931 Frankenstein.

Giant monsters came to the screen in 1954. The Japanese film Gojira, made by the studio Toho and known in English as Godzilla, was released that year and began a long series of giant monster movies.

Monsters are not always scary. Maurice Sendak’s picture book Where the Wild Things Are (1963) shows monsters as playful, shaggy companions for a boy named Max. The Pixar film Monsters, Inc. (2001) turns the idea around by making the monsters afraid of children. Stories like these are why so many friendly monsters appear on the pages above, from the picnic and the birthday party to the storytime sheet.

The Kinds of Monsters in This Collection

Mummies. Ancient Egyptians preserved the dead by drying the body and wrapping it in linen strips, a process often described as taking about 70 days. The bandages on the mummy page are a nod to that real practice.

Skeletons. An adult human skeleton has 206 bones. That makes the skeleton in the graveyard scene a fun way to count ribs, fingers, and the long bones of the legs while you color.

Zombies. The word comes from the Haitian folklore term zombi, and the shuffling zombie of modern movies grew out of that tradition. It is usually drawn with torn clothes and uneven, patchy skin.

Gargoyles. A true gargoyle is a carved waterspout that throws rainwater away from the wall of a building, so it does not run down the stonework. The word comes from the Old French gargouille, which is related to the word for “throat.” Carvings that do not carry water are called grotesques, and many of the famous creatures on Notre-Dame de Paris are grotesques added during the 19th-century restoration.

Robots. The word “robot” comes from the Czech word robota, meaning forced labor. It reached the world through Karel Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R., so the robot monster in the futuristic city has a literary history of its own.

Ghosts, phantoms, and aliens. Ghosts and phantoms are traditionally spirits of the dead, which is why they are drawn as see-through or floating figures in haunted houses and mansions. Aliens are imagined creatures from other planets, and they are often given extra eyes, antennae, or tentacles so that they look unlike anything on Earth.

Best Colors for Monsters and Why They Work

There is no wrong color for a monster, but some choices make a page look richer, and each has a reason behind it. Here are the colors that work especially well on these sheets.

• Green (lime, forest, and olive): The classic monster color, linked to Frankenstein’s creature and to zombies. Lime and yellow green look slimy and sickly, while forest and olive green suit the swamp, forest, and graveyard scenes.
• Purple (violet, plum, and lavender): Purple feels magical and a little mysterious. Use deep violet or plum for scary monsters and lavender for gentle ones. Purple sits opposite yellow on the color wheel, so yellow eyes, horns, and teeth stand out sharply against a purple body.
• Orange and red: Warm colors add energy. They work well for horns, tongues, fur, and cheeks on cheerful monsters, and red spots look striking on a green body because red and green are complementary colors.
• Blue (sky blue, teal, and navy): Sky blue and teal give a monster a calm, friendly look. Navy and indigo are ideal for night skies, spooky forests, and haunted houses, and a touch of orange nearby makes the blue look even deeper.
• Gray, charcoal, and brown: These are the right colors for gargoyles and stone buildings. Mix light gray, blue gray, and a little brown so the stone does not look flat. Brown also works well for shaggy fur like the visitor in the doorway.
• Cream, tan, and off-white: Cream and tan suit mummy bandages and skeleton bones, and a light gray pencil in the folds makes the wrapping look layered. For ghosts, try pale blue with gray shading, or leave the paper white.
• Pink, yellow, and mint: Soft pastel shades fit the candy world, the cupcake, the ice cream cone, and the tea party.

A simple method is to pick one main color for the monster, two accent colors for horns, eyes, and spots, and then match the background to the scene. For robots, try silver or gray with a bright electric blue accent, and for aliens, neon shades such as bright green, hot pink, or yellow make them look as if they come from somewhere far away.

More Monsters from Myth, Folklore, and Film

The facts above cover the vampires, mummies, gargoyles, and robots on these sheets. Below are more monsters from myths, folk tales, and the screen. Each one gives you new ideas for horns, scales, fur, extra heads, and other features to add when you draw and color your own monster.

Monsters of Ancient Myth

• Medusa: In Greek myth, Medusa was one of three sisters called the Gorgons, and she was the only one who could die. She had living snakes for hair, and anyone who looked straight at her turned to stone. The hero Perseus watched her reflection in his polished shield and cut off her head. The winged horse Pegasus then sprang from her neck.
• Cerberus: Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld. Capturing him and bringing him up to the land of the living was the last of the twelve labors of Heracles.
• The Chimera: The Chimera breathed fire and was built from three animals: a lion in front, a goat’s head rising from its back, and a serpent for a tail. The hero Bellerophon defeated it while riding Pegasus.
• The first werewolf: The Roman poet Ovid tells the story of King Lycaon in the first book of his Metamorphoses. Zeus turned Lycaon into a wolf as punishment. The word “lycanthropy,” meaning a person changing into a wolf, comes from the Greek lykos (wolf) and anthropos (human).
• Grendel: Grendel is the monster in the Old English poem Beowulf, and the only surviving manuscript of the poem is kept at the British Library. Grendel attacks the mead hall Heorot every night until Beowulf fights him with his bare hands and tears off his arm.

Folklore Creatures Around the World

• Chinese dragons: Unlike the fire-breathing dragons of European stories, the Chinese dragon usually has no wings. It is linked to water, rain, and rivers rather than fire. In the later dynasties, dragons with five claws were set aside as a symbol of the emperor.
• The kappa: This Japanese water creature lives in rivers and ponds. It has a shell like a turtle and a dip on top of its head that holds water. Stories say that if the water spills, the kappa loses its strength. Kappa are said to love cucumbers, which is why the cucumber sushi roll is called kappa maki.
• The bunyip: In Aboriginal Australian folklore, the bunyip lives in swamps, creeks, billabongs, and waterholes. Descriptions of it differ a great deal from one region to the next, so no two drawings of a bunyip have to look the same.
• The golem: In Jewish folklore, a golem is a figure shaped from clay and brought to life. One version is set in 16th-century Prague and features Rabbi Judah Loew. In some versions the word emet (“truth”) is written on the golem’s forehead. Erasing the first letter leaves met (“dead”), and the golem stops moving.
• Krampus: In Alpine folklore, Krampus is a horned, hairy figure who travels with Saint Nicholas and frightens children who have misbehaved. In Austria and nearby regions, people dressed as Krampus parade through the streets on Krampusnacht, the evening of December 5.

Monsters on Screen and on the Page

• King Kong (1933): RKO’s giant ape climbs the Empire State Building in the film’s final scenes. Most of the effects were done with stop-motion models that animator Willis O’Brien moved one frame at a time.
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): This Universal film about a scaly, gilled creature from the Amazon was first shown in 3D.
• Cookie Monster: This blue Muppet appeared on Sesame Street from its first season in 1969. His googly eyes and shaggy fur are easy to copy onto a monster drawing of your own.
• The Gruffalo (1999): In Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s picture book, a mouse makes up a monster to scare off predators, and then it turns out to be real. The rhyming text gives the Gruffalo terrible tusks, orange eyes, a black tongue, a poisonous wart on the end of its nose, and purple prickles all over its back.
• The Loch Ness “surgeon’s photograph”: This 1934 photo of a long neck rising from the water became a widely reproduced image of Nessie. In the 1990s, people involved in the hoax admitted that it showed a toy submarine fitted with a model head.

Colors Taken from Famous Monsters

If you are not sure where to start, borrow a color scheme from one of the monsters above. Each one comes from the creature’s story or from how it is usually shown.

• Bronze, olive, and emerald for Medusa: Paintings and mosaics often show her snakes in greens and bronzes. Give each snake a different green and add pale yellow bellies so the coils separate from one another.
• Red and gold for a Chinese dragon: In Chinese tradition red stands for luck and gold for wealth, and both appear on the dragons used in New Year parades. Edge the scales with gold and use jade green for the whiskers and mane.
• Yellow-green for a kappa: Kappa are usually painted green or yellow-green, and the shell is often a duller brown-green. Leave the water dish on the head pale blue.
• Charcoal and red for Krampus: Krampus is shown with black or dark brown fur, a long red tongue, and rusty chains. Light gray strokes over black fur keep the texture visible.
• The Gruffalo’s own colors: The book already names them: orange eyes, a black tongue, purple prickles, and a green wart. Add brown fur and cream tusks.
• Bright blue for a Cookie Monster style monster: Use a single strong blue and white eyes with black pupils. With so few colors, you can spend your effort on the fur strokes.
• Grayish green and tan for a swamp creature: The Gill-man from the Black Lagoon was filmed in black and white, so you can choose his colors yourself. Murky greens and tans make him look like he belongs in a lagoon, and a touch of red on the gills shows where he breathes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the word monster come from?

The word comes from the Latin monstrum, which is linked to the verb monere, “to warn.” In ancient Rome it meant an unusual sign or omen, often understood as a message from the gods. Over time it came to mean any frightening or strange creature.

Are monsters real?

Monsters such as dragons, vampires, and the Kraken belong to myths, legends, and stories, not to science. Some legends may have been inspired by real animals, though. A common theory is that giant squid sightings helped create the Kraken, and the giant squid itself is a real animal that lives in the deep sea.

What is the difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque?

A gargoyle is a carved figure that works as a waterspout, sending rainwater away from the wall of a building. A grotesque is a similar carving that does not carry water and is there only for decoration. Many famous figures on cathedrals such as Notre-Dame de Paris are grotesques, though people often call all of them gargoyles.

Is Frankenstein the name of the monster?

No. In Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein is the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates the creature, and the creature is never given a name. Over the years the name has been used for the monster itself, which is why many people make the mistake. In the book the creature has yellow skin, and the green color is a movie tradition.

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Matthew Matthysen( Drawing and Painting Artist )

Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.

Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.

Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.

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