This graduation cap illustration was inspired by a dear friend who’s receiving her doctorate—how amazing is that? I’m so proud of her, and this felt like a fun way to celebrate.
🎨 Supplies:
As for supplies, I’m using a variety of mixed media. But if you only have watercolors, that’s okay! Anything extra I’m using can easily be substituted with watercolor.
- Paint: Holbein Acrylic Gouache
- Brush: Creative Mark’s Mimik Synthetic, round size 6
- Paper: Reflexions Watercolor Journal
- Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Water Soluble Pastels
- General’s Draughting pencil
- Jars of water
- Paper towel or cotton rag
- All of my favorite supplies here
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Painting the Background
I kicked things off by painting the background with acrylic gouache. I chose a misty green tone that felt soft and celebratory.
✨ Tip: I swatched the Holbein acrylic gouache on my livestream—check that out if you're curious how it behaves!
Acrylic gouache is perfect for backgrounds because it dries matte and won’t budge when you add water-based media on top. I watered it down just enough for a smooth application but kept the pigment rich to avoid too much transparency. The background doesn’t have to be perfect—mine was streaky and loose, and I liked the organic feel of it. After that, I let it dry completely before moving on (or used a hair dryer to speed things up).
Sketching the Caps 🎓
While waiting for the background to dry, I practiced sketching different graduation cap angles.
You could use a ruler for precision, but I personally like to freehand things and embrace a little wonkiness—it adds charm! In my sketchbook (from the brand Bee Creative), I played around with top-down and bottom-up views of caps, experimenting with colors and shapes. You can definitely customize your caps to reflect school colors or keep them classic black for a universal look.
When sketching the top-down view, I made sure the first angles were nice and acute—those sharp slants give it perspective. For the bottom-up view, I went with more obtuse angles, starting from the opposite corner. Don’t stress too much about perfection; the goal is to have fun and keep it recognizable.
Adding Color and Texture
Once the sketches were done, I jumped in with my Neocolor II pastels. These are so satisfying to use—the color activates beautifully with just a wet brush. I love how they interact with the texture of cold-pressed paper, leaving behind that slightly scratchy, textured look.
If you don’t have these pastels, no worries! You can use watercolor, gouache, or even colored pencils. I’m just in a phase where I love experimenting with mixed media and allowing myself to play without pressure.
🎨 No pastels? You can totally use regular watercolor, gouache, or even colored pencils here. Just play with what you’ve got!
Finishing Touches with Gold
Now for the best part—tassels! I used Finetec gold paint with a round size 3 brush.
I made sure not to over-dilute the gold so that it really shined. I let the brush activate the paint with a little water, then blotted the excess off to keep the color rich and saturated. Placing the tassels was all about intuition—I went with what felt right and let the composition guide me.
Final Thoughts
I’m honestly so happy with how this piece turned out. The contrast between the textured black caps and the gold tassels gave it so much personality. Plus, it was a joy to make something in honor of a friend’s incredible milestone.
If you try a graduation-themed piece, I’d love to see it! Tag me or send it my way.
🖌️ Reminder: Don’t overthink it. Make it playful, make it personal, and have fun with the process.
Graduation Cap Illustration Tutorial Video
Also, if you try these designs, tag me @AudreyRaDesign and use #PaintwithAudrey—I’d love to see your creations!
Wishing everyone the best as you move on from one chapter to the next! 🎓
