Almost every artists starts by sketching with a pencil, using the writing tool to draw lines and shapes that will eventually become a work of art. For Bosnian sculptor Jasenko Đorđević, though, his work never even sees the nib of his pencil touching a page. Instead, he carves into the graphite incredibly detailed and minute sculptures.

Pencil nibs have become ĐorÄ‘ević’s medium, because, he says, “it is hard and fragile at the same time. One has to be very careful when working with black lead, as the smallest lack of attention can lead to its cracking.”

Check out some of his incredible sculptures below: