25 astonishingly realistic pencil drawings that will blow your mind

Hyper realistic pencil drawings of a nut and bolt and a spoon and fork
(Image credit: Kohei Ohmori)

The most realistic pencil drawings, or hyperrealistic pencil drawings, can sometimes be hard to believe. But a skillful use of shading and the representation of extremely fine details in pencil really can look like a photograph.

Hyperrealistic pencil drawings are often realised in black and white. And while some resemble photos, others have a surreal or atmospheric quality that's quite unique. We've picked out some of the most notable examples from around the world, from celebrity portraits to animals, natural scenes, everyday objects and famous landmarks.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

TOPICS
Joe Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.

Read more
Kateryna Hrytsyshyna 3D art
The best 3D art: incredible examples for inspiration
An illustration of an owl beside some of the best Procreate brushes
35 of the best Procreate brushes
Jakob Eirich art
Digital art to inspire: 21 digital artists you need to know about
Hip-Hop infographic by Dorothy
29 inspiring infographics
Best Procreate tutorials; a person draws on an iPad
24 Procreate tutorials to improve your digital art and design
Three of the best laptops for drawing on a yellow background
The best laptops for drawing and digital art: Find beautiful screens, perfect for artists
Latest in Illustration
Images from Lisa Alter-Ego album and comic
K-pop and comic art collide as Lisa from Blackpink launches a graphic novel
Avowed key art; a skull with plants and coral growing from it
Dissecting Avowed's beautifully abstract artwork, and how it was made
Walmart illustration showing an outdoor scene with people on bikes and a Walmart van
Why Walmart's illustrations are my favourite part of its new brand
Sonic the Hedgehog
How to draw Sonic the Hedgehog in under 60 seconds
Angie Hoffmeister interview for the The Folio Society; a woman stares forwards
Why less is more when crafting horror art
James Jean lunar New Year art; a colourful snake
James Jean on his stunning Lunar New Year artwork - "it's a bridge between past and future"
Latest in Inspiration
Best anime; a black-haired character wrapped in a red and black cloak from the anime movie Redline
Best anime: the films and series every animator should watch
main
Why Krita is the new Photoshop
Black Magic
I finally switched from Adobe to DaVinci Resolve – here's how it went
The best fonts for books
The best fonts for books
Header image displaying examples of the logos mentioned in the article with the title, 'The best Christmas logos' in a sans serif font in the middle of the image.
The best Christmas logos: What happened when brands got festive
Nicolas Damiens Pop City art project
Hiroshi Nagai's Art Pop style inspired these sunny nostalgic visions of Singapore