Building a cartoon dinosaur from rounded shapes and clean color blocks is exactly what this how to draw Yoshi tutorial works through, covering one of the most recognizable companions from the Super Mario game series. The 11-step walkthrough takes the character from a basic structural sketch all the way to a fully colored result.
What to Expect From This 11-Step Walkthrough
The tutorial runs 11 steps and ends on a colored version, so line work and color both get attention. Yoshi is shown mid-run with arms and legs lifted, which introduces a bit of asymmetry to manage as the pose develops. Most of the complexity is front-loaded in the body proportions and the boot shapes, while the head and snout come together relatively quickly once the base sketch is in place.
Yoshi’s Key Visual Features
- Round green head with large expressive eyes
- White snout, open smiling mouth
- Green body with white belly patch
- Orange boot-like shoes, yellow soles
- Running pose, arms and legs raised
If you want to keep drawing characters from the same roster, classic Luigi in 2D is a solid next step, and Princess Rosalina offers a different set of proportion challenges. For something with a bit more costume detail, cat Princess Peach is worth checking out too.
How the Step Colors Work in This Guide
Each step image uses a three-color system to keep the drawing stages clear:
- Red Color: lines added in the current step.
- Black Color: lines completed earlier.
- Gray Color: base sketch for structure.
How to Draw Yoshi: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Finished Your Yoshi? Share It With the Community
Once the drawing is done, drop it in the comments below. Seeing how different people handle the boot shapes and the running pose is always worth a look. New tutorials get posted to Facebook and Telegram the moment they go live, a new YouTube video based on existing guides goes up every single day, and Pinterest stays updated regularly too. If you want more Super Mario characters to practice with, Blooper is a fun shift in shape language, and Toadette brings a different set of proportion considerations. Supporting the project on Patreon helps keep new guides coming and gives you access to unique hand-drawn coloring pages as well.