Artist Spends Hours Recreating the Beauty of Nature With Millions of Hand-Drawn Dots

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Many great artists will tell you that it takes time to perfect a craft, and this definitely rings true for pointillism artist Nicholas Baker. Based in Salt Lake City, the talented illustrator creates incredible, nature-inspired stippling art composed of millions of tiny hand-drawn dots. From tree-studded forests to crashing ocean waves, Baker completes each piece using black ink pens, dot by dot.

With an impressive portfolio, Baker’s work highlights his amazing skill and dedication. Each monochrome drawing features an amazing amount of detail, complete with perfect tones of shadow and light. He admits, “It’s crazy to look back at old art and see how much your technique and skills have improved.”

While smaller pieces are often framed within geometric shapes, larger pieces sprawl across large sheets of paper. In one particular piece, Baker spent a tedious 160 hours stippling a portrait of an elephant. Featuring wrinkled skin, a broken tusk, and encrusted crystal formations, the entire piece was made during an 8 month recovery period, after a serious motorcycle accident. The artist reveals on Instagram: “This piece has massive sentimental value to me and acts as a highlight for overcoming the most challenging months of my life.” Adding to the artwork day by day gave the then-bedridden Baker “something to look forward to.” He continues, “This experience has taught me a lot about myself and what I find important in life. I hope that my work can inspire others to pursue their passions.”

Pointillism artist Nicholas Baker creates incredible, nature-inspired stippling art composed with millions of tiny, hand-drawn dots.

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Rendered using black ink pens, each monochrome drawing features an amazing amount of detail, complete with perfect tones of shadow and light.

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Baker spent a tedious 160 hours stippling this incredible elephant portrait.

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Stippling Art by Nicholas Baker

Nicholas Baker: Instagram | Vimeo

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Nicholas Baker.

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Spellbinding “Double Exposure” Illustrations of the Animal Kingdom in Thousands of Tiny Dots

Artist Patiently Creates Complex Floral Drawing with 8 Million Stippled Dots

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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