Spanish Artist Transforms Travel Experiences Into Breathtaking Illustrated Journals.

José Naranja had a successful career as an aeronautical engineer, but it wasn’t until he left his job to travel the world that he found his true calling!

The Spanish artist has spent the last 15 years filling Moleskine notebooks with beautiful illustrations of his ideas and observations. He first discovered his passion for turning his travel experiences into visual diaries in 2005 and has since published two volumes of his sketches, “The Nautilus Manuscript” and “The Orange Manuscript.”

Prepare to be incredibly satisfied as you check out 15 of his stunning masterpieces below!

1. If aliens visited earth.

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

2. “Collection of new beings.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

3. “Drawing of my second ‘home’ in Bangkok.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

4. A route map of José’s trip through the Americas.

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

5. “This artwork itself is a love letter to notebooks, a flight of fancy, and also a part of me,” José wrote. “A holder to keep ideas and experiences with full passion and dedication.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

6. To call these pages pleasing to the eye would be an understatement.

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

7. In fact, it’s hard to believe they’re drawn by hand!

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

8. Jos̩ clearly has an eye for beauty Рnot to mention a gift for capturing details!

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

9. “The smell of Thailand. I’m always surprised how small details define our life stages.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

10. The O-KOKO, an imaginary life-form that explores new worlds.

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

11. José’s memories of Thailand…

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

12. And Vietnam.

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

13. “Bye bye old world.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

14. “The Hypnotizing Planet.”

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

15. A dragon’s eye in brilliant detail!

jose naranja drawings
Instagram

Happy travels, José! We’d happily flip through your mesmerizing notebooks any day. You can find more of his imaginative sketches on Instagram and his blog.

Share this story so your loved ones can appreciate his artwork.

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.