[For Elementary Schools] Practical! A Collection of Graduation Illustration Ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Composition nerdmutō
Started performing in bands in junior high school. Influenced by Japanese rock and UK rock, spent over 10 years continuing band activities while creating original songs. Later began producing Vocaloid tracks using Hatsune Miku, with total plays of released songs surpassing 10,000. Has five years of experience writing for music magazines. Currently works as a music writer, director, and composer, keeping a ground-level perspective on the scene by attending live shows across Japan. Now performs at live houses in Tokyo, showcasing guitar playing centered on acoustic guitar and informed by knowledge of chord analysis and guitar scales. Also writes leveraging a broad knowledge of music genres.

Are you looking for illustration ideas that can be used in an elementary school graduation yearbook or anthology? Reflecting on six years of memories and expressing days spent with friends and school events through drawings is a perfect activity for such a special milestone like graduation.

In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of illustration ideas to brighten up your graduation anthology.

From themes like sports day and the school trip to scenes depicting everyday moments with classmates, we’ve gathered a variety of motifs.

Whether you’re confident in your drawing skills or feel a bit unsure, we hope you’ll find an idea that suits you!

[For Elementary Schools] Useful! Collection of Graduation Illustration Ideas (21–30)

Graduation ceremony signboard and studentsNEW!

At graduation ceremonies, there’s usually a signboard in front of the main gate that says “Graduation Ceremony,” right? I think many people take photos in front of that sign as a keepsake.

How about turning that scene into an illustration? Smiling students standing before the signboard, families, friends wiping away tears… any combination will vividly color the moment of graduation.

It’s a versatile motif that works well for a class anthology cover, page illustrations, autograph boards, and many other contexts.

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sasashina

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A film that captured memoriesNEW!

@root3_1100
#Graduation Anthology #sakura Memories Translation #Recommended to rideDid I do a good job drawing the cover for the graduation yearbook? If you think it looks good, press the heart!
Sakura – Naotaro Moriyama

These days, everyone has a smartphone that can easily take photos and videos, so we use standalone cameras less often.

But as a nostalgic, “emo” item, film cameras are surprisingly popular among young people.

So how about incorporating an illustration of film capturing memories as a graduation artwork? Try sealing scenes that evoke youth—school events like sports festivals and cultural festivals, club activities, romance, and more—inside the film frames.

Rendering them only as black-and-white silhouettes will give it a great atmosphere.

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sasashina

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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.

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sasashina

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A student looking up at cherry blossoms

@_nun_02_
Farewell, spring 🌸#Nina77 #Illustration #Illustration making Making-of video #CherryBlossom #PR
♬ Original song – Nina77 – Nina77

The combination of uniforms and cherry blossoms makes for a wonderful design that evokes graduation, doesn’t it? By paying special attention to the main character’s expression, you can convey emotions like the loneliness and sadness of graduating, as well as hopes and expectations for the future.

If you adapt the uniform to match a specific school’s design, it’s sure to be a hit! Putting thought into creating consistency in tones and saturation will likely result in an even better finish.

Even if you’ve never drawn an illustration before, please take this opportunity to give it a try.

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garland

@happymoji_ayuayu
The 6 best garlandsTranslation translation #Doodle
♬ CHILDAYS – BLOOM VASE

Garlands are characterized by their ability to convey both words and decoration at the same time.

By drawing words of gratitude or celebration—like “Thank you” or “Congratulations”—on the flags and combining them with star-shaped or round motifs, it becomes easier to express a celebratory feeling.

Drawing the lines a bit roughly adds the warmth unique to hand lettering, giving the entire card a soft atmosphere.

Arranging the garland in a gentle curve up and down adds rhythm to the space and naturally guides the viewer’s gaze.

By making good use of white space as you finish, you can also maintain readability.

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mutō

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school bag

@chiko303
Let's give a message card to a special friend! You can use it for graduation, too!Illustration video Cute Friend Best friend Graduation
I won’t forget the days with you – my hands are like cream bread.

A familiar motif that brings back memories of everyday school commutes and time with friends.

By drawing not only the bag itself but also the keychains attached to it, you can express the artist’s individuality and the trends of the time.

Adding characters, club motifs, or initials will make it even more closely tied to your memories.

Tilting the subject slightly adds a sense of motion and enhances the hand-drawn feel.

Matching the colors closely to the real thing is also recommended.

It’s an idea that turns memories into something tangible, letting you cherish and preserve the ordinary moments of school life.

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mutō

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uniform

Here’s an idea for uniforms that strongly evoke the bonds formed through club activities and friendships.

By designing them to reflect the distinct features of each sport—like baseball or soccer—you can bring back the atmosphere of that time.

Adding jersey numbers and team names allows you to preserve both individual and group memories at once.

Slightly exaggerating wrinkles and movement in the drawing helps convey the intensity of the hours spent in games and practice.

With thoughtful posing, you can also heighten the sense of teamwork and immediacy.

It’s an illustration that encapsulates memories of effort and mutual support in a single image, filled with appreciation for your teammates.

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mutō

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