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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Handwritten illustrations to color your graduation: an inspiring collection of ideas (21–30)
A student wiping away tearsNEW!
Leaving the places we’ve grown attached to and saying goodbye to the friends we’ve spent time with.
Life in a new place is exciting, but it’s natural to feel lonely too.
This illustration highlights that sense of loneliness.
A school building and cherry blossoms in the background, and a schoolgirl with tears in her eyes… It’s a heart-wrenching scene, but don’t you also feel a sense of resolve to move forward, as she wipes away her tears? It’s a moving illustration, perfectly suited to the departure that is graduation.
School lunch sceneNEW!
Just like classes, there’s a school lunch period every day.
When you look back, lots of memories come to mind: popular lunch menu items, rock-paper-scissors contests to win the leftover desserts, and the time spent chatting with friends.
Try drawing that memorable scene as a graduation illustration.
It could be a scene of you eating side by side with friends, or even the whole class to capture classic school-lunch moments—it sounds fun either way.
Delicious, enjoyable mealtimes are an essential part of school life.
Be sure to turn it into an illustration full of fond memories.
Hand-drawn illustrations to brighten graduation: an idea collection you'll want to copy (31–40)
A road that continues into the distanceNEW!
A road stretching into the distance is both an illustration that connects to the future and, when you look back, invites you to imagine the path behind you.
The road you’ve walked so far, and the road you’ll walk from here on… Isn’t it the perfect motif for a graduation scene? As an illustration, a road alone can feel a bit lonely, so it’s a good idea to draw striking buildings at the end or along the sides, or cherry blossoms that evoke spring.
If you have time, you can get particular and make the road itself brick, too! Express a road that’s uniquely yours.
Handwritten POP!
Why not try incorporating handwritten POP displays during elementary school graduation season? With the warmth and playfulness unique to hand lettering, classrooms and hallways instantly take on a brighter, more joyful atmosphere.
Simply drawing easy motifs like school backpacks, cherry blossoms, or graduation caps adds a special touch perfect for the memories.
Even just varying letter size and color can turn a notice board into a real eye-catcher.
The “feeling of graduation” that only handwriting can convey reaches both adults and children with warmth.
It’s a perfect motif for graduation season that lets you enjoy the fun of making it, too.
My Hero Academia
By incorporating My Hero Academia as a motif in a graduation illustration, you can brightly depict the feeling of setting off, layered with the courage to move forward and the bonds with friends.
Drawing characters in a school-uniform style, or arranging their costumes like capes and posing them as if taking flight, creates an upbeat mood that aligns with the concept of growing into heroes from this point on.
Giving them smiles that mix a bit of anxiety and expectation will heighten the realism by matching the emotions of graduation day.
It’s a gentle idea that conveys the message of each person moving forward on their own path.
balloon
When you draw balloons in a graduation anthology or on a message board, the entire page instantly becomes brighter and more festive.
Layering several balloons with ribbons naturally conveys a celebratory excitement and a sense of anticipation for the future.
Choosing pastel colors gives a gentle impression and makes the message text stand out.
Varying the balloon shapes slightly and staggering their heights will create a lively, hand-drawn feel.
You can also put names and dates inside the balloons to subtly preserve memories, which is another appealing touch.
It’s an idea that lifts the spirit and encourages a positive outlook.
The way home
@manatsunoshuyaku The Last Walk Home With YouTranslation#illustration#IllustrationTime-lapse#IWantToBeOnTheRecommendationsGraduationSpring#CherryBlossom
♬ Spring Melancholy by Harucha – Grip
It’s a wonderful idea to depict a scene that feels like a snapshot of the usual, everyday view.
Using school events or club activities as motifs is nice, but how about focusing on the walk home this time, with particular attention to students seen from behind and the background? Setting the scene against places everyone has passed through—like the school building or the nearby route to and from school—could create a work that evokes empathy and emotion.
Including items that suggest graduation, such as diploma tubes or cherry blossoms, would further enhance the atmosphere.