Two friends with very big eyes

Cute Horned Monster and Bird Coloring Page

This cute horned monster and bird coloring page features enormous eyes, two tiny fangs and a long curling tail. A little bird looks up at its much taller friend. Download the grayscale illustration and see how patro_espigares has combined purple, green and pink in her hand-colored version.

  • A4 and US Letter PDFs
  • Original JPG
  • Colored by patro_espigares

The download is the uncolored illustration, with its original shading and signature.

Grayscale coloring illustration of a large-eyed monster with curved horns and a long tail standing beside a small bird
The horns, tail, bird and signature are all included in the complete illustration.

Choose your format

Your monster is ready to print

The A4 PDF measures 210 × 297 mm; the US Letter PDF measures 8.5 × 11 inches. Each contains one portrait illustration with margins and no cropped character. Select the matching paper size and check the print preview. For the JPG, choose “fit to page”.

Cute Horned Monster and Bird Coloring PageDownload A4 PDFDownload US Letter PDFDownload original JPG

patro_espigares’ interpretation

A purple monster and a little bird full of light

Purple monster with green and pink horns beside a yellow and orange bird, hand-colored by patro_espigares
Hand-colored by patro_espigares. Select the image to view it at a larger size.

In this example, purple and blue run through the face, body and tail. Pink brightens the middle of the face and chest, while green appears again on the horns and legs. The orange edges of the eyes stand out beside the dark pupils.

The little bird changes the mood

The smaller friend’s yellow and orange contrast with the monster’s cool body colors. Its green and blue details echo part of the larger character’s palette. You can observe that relationship in the example and adapt it to your own colors.

Confirmed materials used in the example

Faber-Castell Polychromos

  • 199
  • 121
  • 140
  • 162
  • 247
  • 111
  • 131
  • 107
  • 119
  • 154

Paper: Canson XL Bristol.

These are the pencils used by patro_espigares. For your own version, look for similar colors among the pencils you already have.

Ideas for your own version

Bright eyes, rounded horns and a light, feathery tail

These suggestions are exercises for your own illustration; they do not describe Patro’s coloring process. The printed shading can guide you as you build your first layers.

  1. 1

    Keep the highlights in the eyes

    Locate the white reflections before coloring. Work carefully around them and build the iris color in light layers. Strengthen the edge of the pupil at the end, keeping the highlights clear.

  2. 2

    Follow the curve of the horns

    Choose a light shade for the side facing the light and a darker one for the opposite side. Let each stripe follow the horn’s curve so it keeps its shape instead of becoming equally dark all over.

  3. 3

    Separate the tufts on the tail

    Use short strokes towards the tips. Darken a few joins and leave other edges light. Repeat one of the body colors so the tail still feels like part of the same character.

Does everything look too dark?

Start in a light area and add only a little pigment. The illustration already contains gray shading, so you do not need to deepen every shadow. Try a spare print first if you want a very pale palette.

Help the little bird stand out

Compare both characters before finishing. A warmer or brighter color on the bird can separate it from the monster, even when they share some colors.

A creative palette from the Atlas

Moss Troll Hide: a woodland monster

Moss Troll Hide · Faber-Castell Polychromos

For a green version of this little creature, try the Atlas creative palette “Moss Troll Hide”. Keep the light chrome yellow for selected highlights, build the body with the light and earth greens, and deepen a few joins with chrome oxide green. Raw umber can bring warmth to the horns. Test warm gray sparingly where you want extra depth.

This is an alternative color idea for your own version. The ten pencils actually used by patro_espigares are listed separately in the colored example section.

  • Light Chrome YellowFace highlightsPolychromos · 106
  • Light GreenBody basePolychromos · 171
  • Earth GreenSoft transitionsPolychromos · 172
  • Chrome Oxide GreenShadows between tuftsPolychromos · 278
  • Raw UmberHorn accentsPolychromos · 180
  • Warm Grey VISelected deep shadowsPolychromos · 275
Open Moss Troll Hide in the Atlas creative workspace

Find it under Creative workspace → Faber-Castell Polychromos → Fantasy folk → Skin. Screen swatches are approximate; test the pencils on your paper.

Take a moment to choose your pencils

Test your colors first

Test the monster’s purple, green and pink beside the bird’s yellow first. Save your favorite mixtures and write down the pencils you used.

Javier Origin practice sheet with spaces for pencil pressure, layers and color mixtures

Practice sheet

Practice light and strong pressure, then blend two colors. Note which pencils and paper you used.

Download practice sheetAlso available as PNG
Javier Origin blank color chart with 36 swatches and space for pencil names and codes

Blank color chart

Fill the 36 swatches and write each pencil’s name and code. Use it with any brand.

Download blank color chartAlso available as PNG

Both practice sheets are separate from the drawing and retain Javier Origin’s logo and QR code.

Share your two friends with Lapiceros Unidos

Take inspiration from patro_espigares’ example or invent a completely different pair. Visit Javier Origin on Instagram to find the community, coloring challenges and live sessions, and keep coloring together.

Lapiceros Unidos on Instagram

Credits and terms of use

Base illustrationJavier OriginCreator of the monster and bird illustration.

Hand coloringpatro_espigaresArtist of the example colored with Polychromos on Canson XL Bristol.

The JPG and PDFs contain the uncolored illustration. The example by patro_espigares is shown as a reference and retains her credit. Check the applicable terms before reusing or sharing the images.

Read the terms of use →