Pencils have been used to make a lot of amazing art. But it's a rare day when the pencils themselves are the main attraction.
That's exactly what sets the work of Russian artist Salavat Fidai apart.
Fidai uses a very precise blade, a steady hand, and a whole lot of skill to create pencil lead sculptures unlike anything you've ever seen.
"It takes six to 12 hours of work for an average statue. Complicated models take two to three days," Fidai told Upworthy. "In some cases [I even use] a microscope for the tiniest details."
I remember once being amazed at those vendors at the mall who write your name on a grain of rice. But those guys have nothing on Fidai.
As soon as you see his work, you'll see why.
1. These incredible interlocking hearts
All photos by Salavat Fidai, used with permission
2. This meticulously detailed child
3. "Thumbs up" to this one
4. The tiniest and coolest horse you've ever seen
5. Lock and key
6. This rockin' guitar
7. The Dark Knight
8. A moonwalker and the moon
9. A terrifyingly intricate reptile
10. Wall-E! (Fidai said this one is his favorite.)
11. This talented elephant
12. The highly under-appreciated Rango
13. And these spooky stacked skulls
Fidai says he made his first "micro-sculpture" when he was still in school by taking a blade to a piece of chalk.
These days, he spends 10 hours a day in his home studio dreaming up new works of art and painstakingly bringing them to life. Frankly, I didn't know art like this was even possible, and it's absolutely blowing my mind.
Kudos to Fidai for making the world a more beautiful place, one brilliantly reimagined pencil at a time.