Hand-drawn illustrations to brighten graduation: an idea collection you'll want to copy
As graduation season approaches, many of us start working on yearbooks, message boards, and cards.
That’s when warm, hand-drawn illustrations can add a special touch.
Even if you think, “I’m not good at drawing,” don’t worry! With a few simple tips, anyone can create heartfelt illustrations.
In this article, we’ll share a wide range of hand-drawn illustration ideas with a graduation theme—from classic motifs like cherry blossoms, school uniforms, and diplomas to unique designs that are sure to bring a smile.
Why not add a personal, heartfelt illustration to your message for someone special?
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Hand-drawn illustrations to color your graduation: An inspiring collection of ideas (11–20)
smile
At graduation, many people feel lonely or bittersweet.
That’s why, for illustrations in a graduation yearbook or collection, how about drawing smiling faces that make you feel happy just by looking at them? To bring out the graduation vibe, it’s also nice to have the characters holding flower petals or a diploma.
Drawing multiple people—or even the whole class—smiling would be wonderful, too.
There are many kinds of smiles, so that’s where you can really show your skills.
Pegasus
How about drawing a Pegasus to convey the message, “Let’s take off toward a bright future”? A Pegasus is a mythical creature—a horse with wings.
It’s strongly associated with beauty, so depicting one will give your illustration a refined feel.
There are many illustrations of Pegasi, but for a graduation ceremony, I think the moment of taking flight would be most fitting.
It’s a bit challenging since it’s an imaginary creature, but try to picture it with its forelegs raised and its wings spread wide.
waving hand illustration
Graduated students say goodbye to their school and dive into new environments, don’t they? An illustration idea that captures this sense of storytelling is a waving scene.
By the way, when drawing a student waving, pay special attention to the hands.
It’s not as noticeable with a stylized touch, but the more realistic the style, the more skill it requires.
Try drawing with awareness of details like the slight bend of the palm and the fact that each finger has a different angle.
Handshake
To express unchanging friendship and bonds, depicting a handshake can be very effective.
However, drawing a handshake is surprisingly difficult and you might struggle with it.
So here are some tips for drawing one.
First, try drawing only the palms of the two people on the left and right.
Look at photos of actual handshakes to check the subtle angles.
You may also need to adjust to fit your image—for example, make the palm slightly smaller for a woman.
Once that’s done, draw the fingers one by one, and again, carefully refer to photos as you go.
Spring-themed illustration
When you think of graduation ceremonies, many people picture spring.
So here are some ideas that evoke a springtime feel.
First up are flowers.
Cherry blossoms—the classic for graduations—are a great choice, and tulips or anemones are lovely as well.
Next are insects.
How about choosing creatures that signal the arrival of spring, like butterflies and honeybees? Lastly, clovers.
Four-leaf clovers can also add a touch of good luck.
the figure walking away
If you want to add a sense of dynamism to an illustration, drawing someone walking is a good idea.
For example, if a student is walking while holding a diploma, it conveys that the graduation ceremony has just ended.
Or, if you draw someone walking toward the horizon, it can create the feeling that they’re heading into an unknown future.
Also, depicting multiple friends walking together is lovely too.
Try adjusting the angles of the arms and legs and the posture as you draw.
Handwritten illustrations to color your graduation: an inspiring collection of ideas (21–30)
sky
If you want to improve the quality of your illustration, paying attention to the sky is very effective.
For example, you can show the height of the sky with a gradient or give the clouds a three-dimensional feel.
Just that can dramatically change the overall mood of your piece.
By the way, when painting with watercolors, adding color little by little tends to create blotches.
If you apply color in a single stroke all the way to the edge and then layer it, you’ll get a beautiful gradient.
As an extra touch, you could also add drifting cherry blossom petals, for example.