Coastal Life and Travel, Illustrated

Raül Casado was born on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. As a child, he filled his school notebooks with doodles and attended drawing classes after school. He later made illustration and graphic design his profession. The island’s beaches, mountains and light continue to shape how he sees the world and approaches his work.

Surfing and travel as subjects

Raül’s relationship with the sea also began in childhood. He learned to swim, spent summers swimming in the sea and became increasingly drawn to the waves. At twelve, he bought his first surfboard. Drawing and surfing began separately, then gradually came together in his life.

His search for waves has taken him to northern Spain, the Canary Islands, Indonesia and the Maldives. Surfing also gave him opportunities to meet people and discover different cultures and ways of life.

The sea and travel became his main subjects when he began sharing his illustrations on social media. After surfing, he would sometimes return home and draw the colours he had seen at sunset. His everyday experiences became starting points for his pictures.

Turning ideas into pencil lines

An image that comes to mind while training or surfing, a phrase heard on the radio: Raül has found ideas in these small, everyday moments. A gesture, a colour or a composition has also prompted him to start drawing, using pencil lines to give form to his thoughts.

He likes to work in the soft light of mornings and evenings, always with a cup of coffee nearby. His practice combines drawing, ink, watercolour, acrylic paint and collage with digital techniques.

A scene in a few chosen elements

Birds perched on a vehicle’s roof, a wetsuit hung out to dry, a guitar or a portable cassette player: alongside the cars in Raül’s illustrations are objects associated with the beach and travel. He also introduces unlikely details, such as a dog behind the wheel.

He chooses each element carefully, using a small number of lines and shapes to establish a scene. By keeping the composition simple, he aims to leave room for viewers to bring their own memories and feelings to it. Graphic design, vintage illustration, Mediterranean culture and surf culture all inform this approach.

Illustration across different fields

Raül also leads drawing workshops, sharing the process of observing, collecting ideas, developing a composition and turning it into a personal image. Participants explore lines, colours and different materials, with an emphasis on experimentation rather than achieving a perfect result.

He has exhibited at a surf film festival in Portugal and in local galleries, and has worked with companies and individuals across Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan. His illustrations appear on posters, clothing, surfboards, packaging, murals and ceramics.