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Incredibly Intricate Sculptures Carved from the Tips of Pencils

Ever since he was a child, Jasenko ordevic (aka @TOLDart) has been drawn to miniatures. As an adult, this fascination grew, leading him to develop an incredible craft carving intricate sculptures from an unconventional material–graphite. Now, ordevic transforms the tips of pencils into small works of art, depicting subjects like flowers, animals, and portraits, all of which have to be magnified to fully appreciate the minute details.

To craft these awe-inspiring works, the Bosnian artist uses an X-acto knife and tiny chisel. With these simple sculpting tools he creates their overall form, implies texture, and even carves tiny words into the thin stick of graphite. This expert handling creates the illusion that these artworks were made from another material. The graphite resembles a dark, hard stone, and from up close, you might never know they're composed of something quite as simple as an ordinary pencil.

TOLDart: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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