Get an estimate in 60 seconds. No email required.
Get an estimate in 60 seconds. No email required.
A hand-drawn explainer video looks and moves like it was made by hand, because it largely was. These 17 hand-drawn explainer video examples use whiteboard styles for businesses, nonprofits and public organizations.
Larry Mutenda
| What are the best hand-drawn explainer video examples? Strong hand-drawn explainer video examples include 21st Century Law for legal services, Manitoba Nurses Union for a member message, Métis Nation for a community organization, Somos Associates for industrial engineering, Coast Mental Health for a recovery story, City of Abbotsford for volunteer programs, Haakon for building air systems, City of Coquitlam for a sustainability plan, Squamish Nation for a consultation process, JHR for misinformation, North Surrey Soccer for a community club, Northwood Mortgage for a mortgage offer, Seattle Chamber of Commerce for a vaccination rule, History of Social Injustice for a history lesson, FA Davis Advantage for nursing education, Yukon Employees Union for member support and Oregon Department of Education for school assessment. |
A hand-drawn explainer video uses drawings made by an artist, animated either frame by frame or drawn on screen as the story unfolds. Most run 1 to 3 minutes. The style feels warmer and more personal than flat vector graphics.
Hand-drawn covers several techniques. Frame-by-frame, or cel, animation draws every frame for fluid motion. Illustrated explainers use hand-made artwork with digital movement. Whiteboard videos draw each idea on screen as it is explained.
This article looks at 17 hand-drawn explainer videos in a whiteboard style. For each one, I describe what the video shows and why the hand-drawn look suits it. After the examples, I cover what a hand-drawn explainer video costs and how to plan one.
Here is a quick overview of the 17 videos in this article. The table links to each example below.
Every entry had to pass four checks. The video uses hand-drawn artwork or frame-by-frame animation as its main style. The message is clear: it states what the organization does or believes and why it matters, without burying that under detail. The video is still live and embeddable today.
No organization here has published performance data for its video, so each entry says so rather than guessing. Every entry was last verified in September 2026.
All 17 examples come from the Creamy Animation video library.
| # | Company | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21st Century Law | Hand-drawn whiteboard explainer for a law firm |
| 2 | Manitoba Nurses Union | Whiteboard explainer for a union |
| 3 | Métis Nation | Longer hand-drawn explainer for a community organization |
| 4 | Somos Associates | Whiteboard explainer for industrial electrical engineering |
| 5 | Coast Mental Health | Story-led whiteboard explainer for a nonprofit |
| 6 | City of Abbotsford | Whiteboard explainer for a city volunteer program |
| 7 | Haakon | Whiteboard explainer for building air systems |
| 8 | City of Coquitlam | Whiteboard explainer for an environmental sustainability plan |
| 9 | Squamish Nation | Whiteboard explainer for a rights and title process |
| 10 | JHR | Whiteboard explainer on misinformation |
| 11 | North Surrey Soccer | 45-second whiteboard explainer for a community soccer club |
| 12 | Northwood Mortgage | 30-second whiteboard explainer for a mortgage company |
| 13 | Seattle Chamber of Commerce | Whiteboard explainer for a vaccination verification rule |
| 14 | History of Social Injustice | Whiteboard explainer on the history of social injustice |
| 15 | FA Davis Advantage | Whiteboard explainer for nursing education software |
| 16 | Yukon Employees Union | Whiteboard explainer on how a union works |
| 17 | Oregon Department of Education | Long-form whiteboard explainer for public education |
Runtime: 2:36
A hand-drawn whiteboard explainer for a law firm. Legal services are hard to film, and drawing each idea as it is explained keeps the viewer following along.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Hand-drawn styles make professional services feel approachable.
The 21st Century Law video is drawn from the video library of Creamy Animation.
Runtime: 2:01
A hand-drawn whiteboard explainer for the union representing nurses in Manitoba. The drawn style suits a member audience and an information-heavy message.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard works well for member and employee communications.
case study
See How We Make Union Explainer Videos and Why They Work
Brief, script, storyboards and final frames
See The Case StudyRuntime: 3:18
A hand-drawn whiteboard explainer for a Métis Nation organization. At over three minutes, it uses the drawing process to hold attention through a longer message.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Hand-drawn reveals can carry a longer message than flat graphics.
Runtime: 1:22
Somos Associates explains how it delivers electrical design for heavy industrial sites, where outage windows are tight and systems are aging. The video covers constructability, power system studies, early estimates and support through commissioning.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Open with the problem your buyer already worries about.
Runtime: 3:05
Coast Mental Health follows a young person through recovery from early psychosis, told in the second person. The story moves from the first voices through hospital care to supported housing at Watson House and peer support training.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
A nonprofit can explain its services through one person and their recovery.
Runtime: 2:08
The City of Abbotsford explains its volunteer services division. The video covers parks, recreation, special events and citywide programs such as storm drain painting. It then shows how to sign up online.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
End a program explainer with the exact steps to join.
Runtime: 2:52
This whiteboard video for Haakon draws the parts of a building air system. Labelled sketches show heat exchangers, fans, coils, chilled water and heat recovery. They also show exhaust and supply airflow.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Labelled drawings suit equipment that is hard to picture.
Runtime: 1:47
The City of Coquitlam explains its Environmental Sustainability Plan. A branch diagram shows the plan as a clear and flexible framework and a single cohesive strategy. Drawings of wildlife, water, energy and recycling follow.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Draw a policy as one image people can remember.
Runtime: 3:00
Squamish Nation explains how its rights and title department handles consultation requests. Applicants submit through the Squamish Connect portal and a lead officer reviews the file. Referrals are evaluated from archaeological, cultural, legal and environmental perspectives.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard can turn a formal process into steps people can follow.
Runtime: 1:15
This JHR video explains misinformation. Drawn scenes show COVID-19 headlines, people comparing what they read on their phones and a hooded figure at a laptop. The closing text notes that telling true from misleading information online can be challenging.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard suits public education on a topic people meet every day.
Runtime: 0:45
North Surrey Soccer explains why the club supports marginalized communities and low-income families in Surrey. In 45 seconds it links local need to a place where people from all walks of life feel welcome.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
A short explainer can state why an organization exists.
Runtime: 0:30
Northwood Mortgage covers home buying obstacles in 30 seconds. Points are written out by hand on screen, including a 20% down payment, no stress test on switching mortgages and amortization of up to 30 years.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard text can work for a short financial message.
Runtime: 1:19
The Seattle Chamber of Commerce explains vaccination verification for public events and establishments. The video lists acceptable proofs, including a vaccination card, a printed record, a verification app and an FDA-approved PCR test taken within 72 hours.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard can explain a new rule quickly.
Runtime: 2:51
This video traces social injustice in the United States. Drawn scenes move from slavery and its abolition in 1865 to the American eugenics movement and police encounters. It ends with Black Lives Matter protests.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
A timeline can organize a long history into a short video.
Runtime: 1:57
FA Davis explains how Davis Advantage prepares nursing students for the Next Generation NCLEX. It starts with why clinical judgment matters. It then shows how case studies with evolving patient charts build those skills.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Explain what changed for your buyer before showing the product.
Runtime: 2:03
The Yukon Employees Union explains how the union supports its members. Shop stewards appear as trained union representatives who help workers understand their collective agreement. Elected officers are then shown addressing a room of members.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
Whiteboard works well for explaining who does what.
Runtime: 3:55
The Oregon Department of Education explains what assessment means in schools. The video covers formative, interim and summative assessment. It compares each one to a soccer coach working with a team.
Performance data: none published.
Why it works:
Takeaway:
An analogy can carry a technical topic through a longer video.
Price depends on runtime, visual treatment and production scope. Most projects fall into one of three tiers.
| Tier | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AI-Assisted | $2,500 to $4,000 | Simple drawn visuals or short whiteboard pieces |
| Standard | $3,000 to $10,000 | Custom illustration or whiteboard with voiceover and sound design |
| Premium | $10,000 to $25,000 | Full frame-by-frame or cel animation |
Frame-by-frame animation takes longer than other styles because every frame is drawn. For a full breakdown by style and length, see the explainer video cost guide.
Choose between whiteboard, illustrated and frame-by-frame. Whiteboard suits an information-heavy message, like Manitoba Nurses Union.
In a whiteboard video, each idea is drawn as it is explained. 21st Century Law keeps the viewer following along that way. Write short lines that each match one drawing.
Choose an illustration style that already feels like your brand.
Métis Nation runs over three minutes. It uses the drawing process to hold attention through a longer message.
Frame-by-frame takes longer because every frame is drawn. Plan the schedule and budget for that before you commit to it.
Yes. FA Davis Advantage uses a hand-drawn style to explain its nursing education software.
Hand-drawn explainer videos stand out because they look human. The examples here range from 30-second spots to lessons of nearly four minutes, but each one uses the hand-made look for a reason: warmth, craft or trust.
If your message depends on feeling personal, a hand-drawn style is worth considering.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. 15+ years in video strategy and production, specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.Â
