A collection of moving graduation illustrations that will bring tears to your eyes. Memorable ideas.
Graduation ceremonies are special moments where feelings of gratitude, farewell, and a new beginning all intersect, aren’t they? Many people are surely looking for moving illustrations that can add color to such important scenes.
Hand-drawn graduation illustrations, with a warm touch that can bring tears to your eyes, come in a variety of expressive styles.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of illustration ideas that deepen the emotion of graduation.
You’re sure to find ideas that help convey your feelings in graduation albums, group messages, message cards, and more!
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A collection of moving graduation illustrations that bring tears to your eyes. Unforgettable ideas (11–20)
Classroom scene
It’s an ordinary classroom scene that you don’t usually think much about, but when graduation approaches, doesn’t something well up inside you? There are so many classroom memories—like the view of a good friend’s back, or notes you secretly passed while the teacher wasn’t looking.
A classroom where you were in the same class as your friends, learning the same things.
After you graduate, there may come a day when even those moments feel precious.
Why not preserve those nostalgic days in a graduation illustration? When you hold the illustration after graduation, you might even hear the familiar voices of your friends echoing from the classroom.
cherry blossom
In Japan, graduation ceremonies are generally held in March, when there’s still a chill in the air.
Around that time, cherry blossoms are the first to herald the arrival of spring.
Whether they’re just starting to bloom, in full bloom, or beginning to fall, cherry blossoms are a uniquely picturesque flower.
Around the graduation season, you can probably see the blossoms just starting to open.
Cherry blossoms at the beginning of their bloom evoke a future full of possibilities.
Plus, there are many graduation songs that feature sakura, making them the perfect flower to grace a graduation ceremony!
Diploma
When it comes to what remains after graduation, there are memories of student life, the yearbook, the graduation anthology, and—let’s not forget—the diploma! If you want to include graduation-themed illustrations, drawing a diploma is a great idea.
You could depict it opened up, or show it in a tube, or rolled up with a ribbon tied around it.
The diploma motif has a clean, sophisticated look to begin with, so it should make for a cool cover even in black and white printing.
If you draw it while looking at the actual diploma you’ll be receiving, it’ll likely result in a cover that feels even more heartfelt.
growth
By the time you graduate, you’ve grown a great deal, both mentally and physically, compared to when you first entered school.
So how about expressing that growth—and your gratitude for it—through an illustration in your graduation yearbook? If you line up versions of yourself from admission to graduation like an evolution chart, it will make a piece that’s perfect for a memory-filled yearbook or album.
It’s also a good idea to add illustrations that hint at the future you’re growing toward, along with words of thanks.
Be sure to create a heartwarming illustration!
Students taking off
As graduation approaches, friends are leaping into a new world.
While there’s a sadness in no longer sharing the same time with your companions, there’s surely excitement for what lies ahead.
Let’s try illustrating the moment they take flight, chest swelling with anticipation and a faint smile on their faces.
If you draw portraits or illustrations of each person—classmates, club mates, and more—it could become a deeply memorable piece.
It may take time to create, but even the hard parts might turn into cherished memories.
A graduate waving
When drawing a student, it can be hard to decide on a pose.
If you’re drawing multiple people, you can imagine them laughing together, but when it’s just one person, it becomes even more difficult.
That’s why I recommend illustrating a student waving.
By drawing a smiling student with their arm raised, waving broadly, you can convey a story—saying goodbye to school and moving on—from a single illustration.
You can also have them hold a diploma if you like.
A collection of moving graduation illustrations that bring tears to your eyes. Memorable ideas (21–30)
a student shedding tears
This idea beautifully reflects the unique atmosphere that only hand-drawn work can express and the process of letting colors bleed into one another.
First, make a rough sketch, then outline the person with a pen, and try painting the background in soft, gentle colors.
This will make the person’s presence stand out, and from the mood and facial expression, you can tell they had a fulfilling school life.
It’s a good idea to incorporate your own touches by arranging elements like hairstyle, uniform, and background!