Hand-drawn illustrations to brighten graduation: an idea collection you'll want to copy

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.

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?

Hand-drawn illustrations to brighten graduation: an idea collection you’ll want to copy (51–60)

shoe rack

@chiko303
Graduation is coming up soon. Did your shoe lockers have doors?hand-drawn illustration Translation Graduation Graduation Ceremony Congratulations on your graduation!shoe rack Senior
We, Once Again – SG

When we think back on scenes from our school days, many of us first picture the shoe lockers.

That unassuming spot where we switched shoes every morning feels a little special on the very last day.

If you draw a row of shelves with slightly worn indoor shoes, it gently reflects all the everyday moments that piled up over time.

Adding a name label lets you turn it into a message for that person.

Scattering cherry blossom petals at their feet also leaves a strong impression, and when you include the illustration in a group message album, it creates a gentle mood that makes you feel, “From here, we’re moving on to the next place.”

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graduation ceremony

@chiko303
A fresh start on a new path 🌸Graduation hand-drawn illustration Translation Message Card #Graduation Illustration Congratulations on your graduation!On the Day of Departure
Seikai (18Fes ver.) – RADWIMPS

Illustrations of graduation ceremonies are appealing because they can capture the atmosphere of a special day—like a pose holding a diploma in front of the chest or a slightly nervous expression.

Choosing attire that reflects the school, such as hakama or uniforms, adds realism.

Including a small school building or the gym stage in the background, or letting cherry blossom petals flutter overhead, enhances the sense of departure.

The expression can be a smile or slightly tearful—either works.

It will become a scene that quietly lingers in the viewer’s heart.

When added to a message board or an album page, it becomes a striking motif that preserves the feelings of that moment as well.

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Nintama Rantarō

Incorporating the energetic “Nintama Rantarō” into your illustration overlaps with the time spent growing together with friends, creating a positive and fun atmosphere.

Draw it in a character-like style with rounded contours, and give it a big, bold smile to energize anyone who looks at it.

Scattering shuriken and scrolls in the background will greatly enhance the feel of the series.

Subtly combining cherry blossoms or a graduation certificate makes it perfect for milestone days, too.

Even adding a small touch next to a message board or photo album becomes a bright accent that seems to cheer you on with a “Let’s keep doing our best.”

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stationery

@drawwithnat
มาวาดเครื่องเขียนกัน #สอนวาดรูป #วาดรูป #tiktokสายอาร์ต #tiktokวาดรูป #วาดรูปง่ายๆ #ศิลปะเด็ก #สอนวาดรูปง่ายๆ #วาดรูปกัน #ตกแต่งใบงาน #วาดการ์ตูน #สุ่มวาด #วาดอะไรได้อะไร #วาดรูปเล่น #สอนวาด
♬ Fun, cute, YouTube, CM(1070783) – Darian

Using everyday stationery that was always by your side—like pens, rulers, and erasers—as motifs can even bring back memories of the time you spent at your desk.

If you draw mechanical pencils or ballpoint pens placed at a slight angle, you can express a natural, lived-in feel.

Adding a crease to the edge of a notebook or rounding the corners of an eraser a bit gives it a well-used realism.

Coloring in soft tones will create a calm atmosphere that fits well in albums or message books.

It becomes an illustration that subtly preserves memories, letting you look back and think, “I used this stationery a lot.”

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Hand-drawn illustrations to color your graduation. A collection of ideas you'll want to copy (61–70)

school lunch

@usaginomuu.illust
[Art Video ~ School Lunch Edition] Thank you for all your hard work with your job and housework 🍺 What was your favorite school lunch menu item? For me, it has to be fried bread 🥖 I really used to look forward to lunchtime on the days we had fried bread 😊#fyp #jk amateur #couple Handmade rabbit #cute Interesting #Illustration Work Miscellaneous goods Illustrator Good job.Hand-drawn Watercolor painting #JobChange #Healing School lunch Fried bread
♬ Future – Official Sound Studio

Trays and small plates lined up on the serving cart, milk cartons.

Illustrations of school lunches even bring back the lively times gathered in the classroom.

If you slightly exaggerate the shapes of the bread rolls, soup, and side dishes, it creates a cute, friendly feel.

Adding small items like milk straws or triangular headscarves instantly makes it more school-like.

If you draw while imagining the scene of pushing desks together to eat with friends, it will become a warm, heartfelt piece.

Used as a small accent in an album or a message board, it will make people smile and say, “That taste brings back memories.”

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hakama

Drawing a figure in a hakama is a lovely idea for an illustration that captures the festivity of a graduation ceremony.

If you make the kimono sleeves a bit larger and render the hakama pleats with soft lines, it will create an elegant look.

Choose calm colors like purple or navy, and add small floral patterns to instantly enhance the celebratory feel.

Including the zori sandals at the feet helps convey the ceremony’s tension and sense of occasion.

Combine it with cherry blossom petals or a diploma to create a piece filled with memories.

Add it to a message board or an album as a subtle touch to quietly celebrate the day of departure.

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club activities

@happymoji_ayuayu
I came up with a second set of club icons! 😍 Lining up the illustrations to make original cards would be super cute, too 🩷Translation Hand-drawn #Illustration Simple illustration Translation Notebook Translation club activities
♬ Gameboy Color – Drax Project

As a graduation illustration, depicting a “club activity” is appealing because it lets you preserve the time spent with your teammates.

Just including items unique to the club—uniforms, balls, rackets, instruments—can bring the memories right back.

It’s also great to draw a silhouette of everyone laughing in a circle or walking shoulder to shoulder.

Layering a sunset or cherry blossom petals in the background creates a gently bittersweet yet warm atmosphere that recalls retirement from the club or the last tournament.

Even when it’s embarrassing to put into words how you feel—like “We worked hard together”—an illustration can convey it subtly.

It becomes a graduation-appropriate motif that warms your heart each time you turn the page.

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