On my one-week trip through northern Spain, I discovered something I didn’t expect: I started looking for illustrations everywhere. What began as a small observation quickly turned into a little personal mission. In every city, every village, every tiny street, I kept my eyes open for art.
Our first stop was Barcelona (where we visited the Llum festival as well). It’s such a vibrant, creative city, and you can feel an artsy energy. I thought it would be really nice to search for random illustrations in the city and write about them here. I think it’s pretty cool to get inspirations from different countries. What really caught my attention were the illustrated posters and advertisements. Many of them used illustration instead of photography and I wanted to search for inspirations. The style was often very bold and graphic: strong colors, clear shapes, very eye-catching.
Another thing I loved: so many garage doors were painted or covered in graffiti. Even when the shops were closed, the streets still felt alive because the metal shutters became huge canvases. Some were wild and chaotic, others were detailed and carefully designed. It made simple streets feel like open-air galleries.
I found a few book covers, I also found really cute.
After Barcelona, we went hiking along the Costa Brava. Along the way, we passed through small coastal towns like Cadaqués. The Costa Brava is strongly connected to Salavador Dali, who was born in Figueres and spent a lot of time in Cadaqués. There’s even a famous painting where he captured the harbor of Cadaqués. You can really feel that artistic history in the town. Cadaqués is small, white, and full of charm and art is everywhere.
Many illustrations are inspired by the sea like fish, boats, waves, sunsets. Even small utility boxes and electrical cabinets are painted. Instead of being ugly grey objects, they become tiny artworks. I loved that so much. It shows how art can transform even the most ordinary things.
What I love most about these small street artworks is how they bring life into everyday spaces. They make you slow down and searching for them was really fun. It made me more aware of my surroundings. This kind of art make a simple walk or usually ugly street more interesting and inspired me.
Here are a few more artworks and illustrations I found randomly on my journey through Spain:
