Illustration ideas to brighten the graduation yearbook: a collection of memorable designs
Have you ever found yourself unsure about what kind of illustration to draw on the cover when making a graduation anthology? Not only the writing inside, but the cover illustration is also an important element of a graduation book.
There are plenty of motifs you might want to draw—classroom scenes, memories with friends, and more—but when it’s time to actually draw, many people end up wondering how to go about it.
In this article, we’ll introduce illustration ideas that are perfect for graduation anthologies.
We’ve gathered ideas that work well not only for the cover but also for interior spot illustrations.
Whether you’re confident in your drawing skills or not, you’re sure to find helpful tips.
Let’s decorate your graduation anthology—something you’ll treasure for a lifetime—with wonderful illustrations!
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Illustration ideas to brighten up your graduation yearbook: A collection of memorable designs (41–50)
one-stroke illustration
A one-stroke drawing is, literally, drawing a line without ever lifting your pen from the paper and without tracing the same line twice.
Illustrations that cleverly incorporate one-stroke drawing make a wonderful idea to brighten up a graduation yearbook.
It’s great to include motifs that reflect your school, such as tourist spots or local specialties from your school’s prefecture or city, the school emblem, or the school building.
Every time you look through the yearbook, it will likely bring back events from school life and memories with friends.
Although it looks simple, one-stroke drawing is actually quite challenging, so we recommend making a solid rough sketch first and then tracing it with a pen!
Illustration ideas to brighten up the graduation yearbook: A memorable design collection (51–60)
Unknown world
Graduation is a timely chance to set out for a new place, and you could say an unknown world awaits beyond it.
Focusing on that element of the unknown, this illustration depicts diving into an imagined, mysterious world.
The key is how to convey that it’s an unknown world—skillfully incorporate scenes that couldn’t happen in reality.
Even though it’s an unknown world, it’s important to portray it brightly; the point is to communicate that you’re heading toward a bright future.
deep sea
The deep sea is the dark, hard-to-reach part of the ocean where sunlight barely penetrates.
Some people find it eerie, while others feel a sense of romance—impressions vary from person to person.
How about incorporating the deep sea as an illustration theme for your graduation anthology to create a mysterious atmosphere? The deep sea is also captivating for its strangely shaped creatures and unique ecologies, so including them will further emphasize the deep-sea mood.
Since it’s a place strongly associated with being inaccessible to humans, deliberately adding human figures can heighten the sense of mystery—highly recommended.
Flowers and birds
If you’re looking for a striking motif for your yearbook, I recommend illustrations of flowers and birds.
Flowers bring a sense of brilliance, while birds evoke the image of spreading one’s wings toward the future—perfect for a graduation theme.
Since illustrations can look cute when overly stylized, a realistic approach is best.
Pay attention to details and shading, and try working together to create the artwork.
Cherry blossoms are the classic flower for yearbooks, but there are other great choices with graduation-appropriate meanings, such as gerberas and phalaenopsis (moth orchids).
Imagination in my head
What goes on in our minds differs from person to person, and there may be a world in there that’s hard for others to predict.
This idea turns those inner imaginings into illustrations so many people can experience that fun world.
Focusing on what’s inside the artist’s head is great, but if everyone lines up the things they cherish, it also expresses a sense of unity among the members.
We recommend including plenty of motifs to create a colorful, cheerful worldview.
clover
Clover is something everyone’s been familiar with since childhood, and they say finding a four-leaf clover brings happiness.
I’m sure you’ve looked for one at least once.
Clover is also a perfect motif for a graduation yearbook! You can draw a big one and write messages inside it, or use it as a border or a small accent on the page.
Try drawing clovers of various sizes to bring a fresh, breezy feel to your yearbook.
They’re easy to draw, so even if you’re not confident in your drawing skills, give it a try!
Student holding a diploma
How about drawing a student holding a diploma as a clear illustration that it’s a graduation album? If you have photos from past graduation ceremonies, try using them as references.
You’ll probably depict a fictional person, but it could also be fun to accurately recreate your school’s uniform and diploma.
When you’re putting the album together, graduation might still feel a little far off… As you talk about who you want to take photos with while you draw, that process itself could become an unforgettable memory.