Sports Day: A Collection of Poster Design and Motif Ideas

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
A Vocaloid producer who is also a music writerAraki Jakkan
I’ve worked in a variety of roles—regardless of pro or amateur settings—including live event PA, cameraman for video and photography, restaurant staff, and logistics center staff. I now spend my days as a part-time writer. I’ve contributed to music and manga websites with feature/review articles, and wrote the liner notes included as a bonus for 1st PLACE Inc.’s “IA SUPER BEST.” As for my music background, I started playing guitar in junior high and focused on band activities during my school years. For over 15 years since then, up to the present, I’ve continued releasing original tracks as a Vocaloid producer. My areas of expertise are Japanese rock, Vocaloid, and manga.

Once the practice for the sports day starts, you can’t help wondering, “How many people will come to watch on the actual day?” For some, the more spectators and the more attention they get, the more motivated they become.

In this article, we’re introducing ideas for poster motifs—an essential item to promote your sports day to different audiences! We’ve gathered ideas that will help when you’re asked by your school to design a poster or when you want to submit a design for a contest.

Be sure to read to the end!

Sports Day: A Collection of Poster Design and Motif Ideas (41–50)

Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan, which originated as a manga and later expanded into novels and an anime.

This dark fantasy follows humanity’s desperate search for survival while being chased by man-eating Titans, and its striking art style is widely recognized, especially among younger audiences.

How about using a parody of it for your sports festival panel idea? The font of the Attack on Titan title is also distinctive, so just mimicking that can easily create an authentic feel.

Give it a try!

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Yuuki

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Pokémon card-style

If you want to create a pop and catchy poster, I recommend this “Pokémon card-style” poster.

It’s especially great for elementary school posters, since many kids like Pokémon.

If you search online, you’ll find images of the Pokémon you want to draw from various angles, so feel free to use them as references if you’re not confident in your drawing skills.

Since Pokémon often have bold color schemes, try keeping the background subtle.

That will help maintain balance.

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Ryo

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White Snake

Many of you have probably seen sports day posters that use a “white snake” as a motif.

It’s a fairly standard choice and is used nationwide.

Since ancient times, the white snake has been said to be a messenger of Benzaiten and is known as a good-luck charm for improving financial fortune.

It’s unrelated to sports day, but for some reason it’s become a staple, so if you don’t want to draw something as intricate as a dragon, trying a white snake might be a good idea.

Like dragons, it’s a streamlined subject, which makes it easy to create a sense of depth and perspective, so it’s recommended.

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Ryo

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Opening Door

If you’re not confident in your drawing skills, this “Open Door” theme is recommended.

Whenever you draw objects, perspective always comes into play.

Linear objects like doors let you make full use of accurate perspective techniques such as linear perspective, so even those who struggle with drawing can create solid, professional-looking compositions.

You can draw various sports day–related illustrations like the ones at the link, or, instead of cramming in lots of elements, you can go all-in on a single image of a relay runner sprinting toward the viewer.

Please use it as a reference.

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Ryo

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dragon

“Dragons” are also a popular motif for posters that brighten up school sports days.

As you can see from the linked example, the classic, traditional style works well, but an anime-style dragon also stands out, making this the kind of poster where the artist’s individuality really shines through.

Adding a sense of depth dramatically increases the impact.

However, those who aren’t confident in their drawing skills may feel uneasy about attempting such images.

It’s true that creating depth with the human body and similar subjects is difficult, but subjects like dragons or snakes can be drawn with flowing lines, which actually makes it surprisingly easy to convey depth.

Once you give it a try, you’ll find it’s simple—so please use this as a reference.

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Ryo

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In conclusion

We introduced a variety of poster ideas, from classic motifs to parodies of famous movies! Did any of them click with you? Use the ideas we introduced as a reference, expand on them with your own “what if I tried this?” twists, and create a one-of-a-kind poster that exists nowhere else in the world!