Illustrations sometimes include drawings or paintings within their scenes. Seeing a picture depicted inside a picture feels like opening up a matryoshka doll. Don’t stare for too long or you might fall down the rabbit hole!

Go a layer deeper with this collection of illustrations featuring illustrations.

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Childhood memories, a group photo with friends, or perhaps a mysterious message… Illustrations featuring photographs provide an intimate and dramatic glimpse into a moment of a character’s life.

Say "cheese" for this collection of illustrations featuring photographs.

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Graffiti has an incredibly long history, and one of the best-known early examples can be found in the cave of Lascaux, France. Nowadays, modern graffiti can be found everywhere, common locations being streets, bridges, and vending machines. While a lot of it might be mere scribbles, some graffiti artists take their craft seriously, producing gorgeous murals you can’t help but stop to admire. These colorful brushstrokes and splatters of paint often contain hidden messages or powerful statements as well, and decoding them is all part of the experience.

What’s the most memorable graffiti you’ve ever encountered, and did you ever find out who painted it?

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, does that mean a picture within a picture is worth two thousand? Here on pixiv, you’ll sometimes come across illustrations with the tag #絵中絵 (#enakae, lit. “drawing inside a drawing”). By featuring another illustration within their drawing, artists can add another dimension or extra level of mystery to their art. Sometimes, the scene can be as straightforward as a character working on a painting, while other times, the characters within the drawing might be looking at the main subject of the drawing (drawingception much?) or directly at the viewer.

Take a look at these illustrations, and you may just find yourself drawn into these works.

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Thanks to smartphones and cloud storage, storing hundreds of thousands of photos has never been easier. Still, there’s something special about flipping through a physical photo album or hanging up a polaroid on your wall, which, in a way, makes the moment it captures all the more tangible. Sometimes, photos may make you smile or shed a tear, but nevertheless, it can be a fun or cathartic experience to look back on them.

Do any of these illustrations make you want to take a trip down memory lane?

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Vandalism or a legitimate form of art—whichever camp you belong to, there’s no denying that the creativity of graffiti artists knows no bounds! You might even have stumbled upon an especially exquisite mural or secretly wished to paint one yourself at some point in your life. Indeed, the dynamic brushstrokes, colorful splatters of paint, and powerful messaging are all part of the appeal, and the anonymity of the artist can also add an extra layer of intrigue.

Feast your eyes on today’s graffiti illustrations and admire the explosion of colors! You might even be tempted to pick up a spray can yourself, but make sure to get permission beforehand!

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