How to draw classic 2D Super Mario

Flat bold outlines and a paper-like silhouette define the art style behind this classic 2D Super Mario drawing, pulling directly from the Paper Mario aesthetic that keeps the character readable at any size. This tutorial walks through how to draw classic 2D Super Mario in 12 steps, finishing with a fully colored result you can follow along with from the Super Mario guides on the site.

What Makes This Version of Mario Worth Drawing

The Paper Mario flat style strips away the 3D shading you see in modern Mario artwork and replaces it with clean, confident linework and solid color fills. All 12 steps build toward a fully colored, jumping pose, so the tutorial covers both structural sketching and color application in one go. The asymmetry in the raised fist and lifted legs is where most of the line control work happens.

Mario’s Key Visual Features in This Style

• Red cap with white M emblem
• Large brown mustache, open smiling mouth
• Blue overalls with yellow button detail
• Red shirt, white gloves, brown shoes
• Dynamic jumping pose, one fist raised

If you want to draw more from this corner of the franchise, Spiny and this 13-step Mario variation are solid follow-ups that practice similar linework. There is also a separate Mario drawing guide on the site that takes a slightly different approach to the same character.

Reading the Step Colors in This Guide

Each step image uses a three-color system to show what is happening at each stage:

• Red Color: lines added in the current step.
• Black Color: lines completed earlier.
• Gray Color: base sketch for structure.

How to Draw Classic 2D Super Mario: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 01

Step 02

Step 03

Step 04

Step 05

Step 06

Step 07

Step 08

Step 09

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Finished Your Mario? Show It Off

Post your finished drawing in the comments below. Seeing how different people handle the flat Paper Mario style is always useful, and it helps others figure out where to focus their own practice. All new tutorials get posted to Facebook and Telegram as soon as they go live, a new YouTube video goes up every day based on existing guides, and Pinterest stays updated regularly too. If you want to dig into more of the roster, Fire Piranha Plant and Shy Guy are both worth trying next. Supporting the project on Patreon keeps new tutorials coming and gives you access to unique hand-drawn coloring pages you will not find anywhere else.