The Mario franchise continues to grow, exploring familiar topics and themes but giving them a fresh twist in every new game. The Paper Mario series, one of the many verticals of the franchise, combines elements from the RPG and action-adventure genres with puzzle game elements.
Featuring a paper cutout version of Mario, Paper Mario is a popular subject for fanart. Its trademark and unique visuals make it ideal for fans to adapt to their own styles. And with the recent release of Paper Mario: The Origami King, the internet is full of creative, impressive, and above all, cute fanart that every fan needs to see.
A Classic Take On A Classic Character
The artist briguyarts has a playful and distinctive style. His art is fresh and dynamic, as evidenced by his Reddit page. He does his own takes on everything, from Mario Bros. to The Good Place, delivering something unique each time.
In his fanart for Paper Mario, briguyarts offers a classic take on the character. Standing next to Olivia, Mario looks up to his new friend, sharing an unspoken moment. It’s a charming interpretation of Mario and his ally, and a great example of faithful fan art.
Step By Step
James Art Ville offers another standard version of Paper Mario. What’s better, he even describes his drawing process, welcoming his audience into his own artistic world.
James starts by talking about his love for Paper Mario. He then goes into his process, starting with the framing and sketching, before going into the line art and the coloring. The result is a faithful and desaturated representation of the character, coming from a passionate and talented fan.
A Darker Shade Of Mario
Fawfulthegreat64 is a big fan of the Mario franchise, particularly Paper Mario. Just a quick look at his artist page in DeviantArt is enough to see the extent of his passion. He has numerous illustrations about Paper characters, including Mario, Luigi, and Bowser.
In this Paper Mario fanart, the artist focuses on Mario and two lesser-known characters, Thoreau and Bald Cleft. The result is an illustration that’s as sweet as it is funny. The vibrant coloring in the rainbow against the plain background creates a lovely juxtaposition that makes the whole thing instantly memorable.
Those Pesky Goombas
The Goombas are icons of the Mario franchise. These angry-looking mushroom-like creatures are some of Mario’s most enduring enemies. No Mario game is complete without them.
Per the artist’s own words, her account started with a focus on Pokémon. She moved on from DeviantArt in 2016 to get a fresh start, but her page is still active. She did this Paper Mario illustration as a gift for her relatives’ son and recounts how her favorite part about the image is the Goombas’ expressions.
Star Haven
In the first Paper Mario, Star Haven is an area in the sky where Star residents live. It becomes accessible once Mario and his allies defeat the Crystal King and provides transportation to the final location in the game, Bowser’s Castle.
Sean Hicks is a concept artist, illustrator, and 3D game artist. His personal page has numerous displays of his vision and talent, evidenced in each of his creations. Among them is Sean’s take of Paper Mario at Star Haven. He describes how the location is one of his favorites and how impressed he was by it as a kid.
The Origami King
King Olly is the main antagonist of the latest Paper Mario game, Paper Mario: The Origami King. He brainwashes and turns Princess Peach into origami before doing the same with Bowser’s minions. Vanished from Toad Town, Mario and Olivia must make their way back and stop Olly from turning all Toads into blank paper.
Artist TheBestCheese likes drawing, animating, video games, and per his own words, “being a nerd.” He offers his interpretation of Paper Mario. Above him, hovering, is a menacing King Olly, while a Bob-omb and an origami Bowser lie next to him. The colorful background instantly catches the eye.
Mario & Friends
The Mario franchise has a wide assortment of characters. Both friends and foes, this merry band of colorful figures give each game their own style and essence.
Shaylyn Alia Hamm is a self-employed artist who worked as a character artist for two start-up studios, among her many other endeavors. Her page displays many of her incredibly detailed and creative designs, all imbued with her unique artistic style. In this illustration, she focuses on the characters of the 2007 RPG Super Paper Mario. Particularly noteworthy are Count Bleck, Lady Timpani, and of course, Mario himself.
Super Paper Art
And continuing with Super Paper Mario, artist and voice actor Arbok-X does his own take on the game’s characters. Unlike other illustrations, this one has an interesting duality. On the top, it features the obscure villains, while the bottom focuses on the more well-known characters.
Arbok-X even finds time to inject some comedy into his illustration. Princess Peach and Bowser’s faces are truly amusing, as is Luigi’s hapless expression. Lady Timpani once again finds time to shine, even in such a crowded space.
A Paper Star
Many fans consider Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door to be the best game in the Paper Mario franchise. The plot follows Mario as he attempts to rescue Princess Peach from an alien group called the X-Nauts.
Artist Hollulu decides to honor the game with her own illustration of the main players. She showcases Peach, Luigi, and Mario, of course, but she also focuses on memorable characters Vivian, Goombella the Goomba, and Koops the Koopa. Set against a vibrant background, the image is truly a showcase for the characters.
Origami Kings
Origami Bowser made quite the splash with his appearance. Fans loved this new side to the traditionally evil Koopa King. As Paper Mario’s companion, they still can’t get enough of him.
DeezNutterButtersz posted this fan art into the papermario sub-Reddit. It depicts Paper Mario, Olivia, and Bowser Jr. at their happiest. Origami Bowser is in the corner, surprisingly enjoying his new form. It’s a happy, charming, and lovely illustration that captures the playful essence of the game.