Who is the world’s best micro artist?

David A Lindon works on the very frontier of what is humanly possible. The art is so minuscule it's beyond the powers of the eye to detect and almost beyond the powers of the brain to comprehend! He works on the outer limits of what is humanly possible using creative skills and levels of concentration beyond reason! 

Who is David A Lindon?

My name is David A Lindon, the micro artist from Bournemouth. “I took two months to create this sculpture using microscopic hand tools, so small they cannot be seen with the human eye! Using a micro sized toolbox of chisels, tweezers, paintbrushes and drills. I worked like a zombie slowing down my heart so much that it will take months to recover. I now have to force my heart to speed up when I'm walking about in the day otherwise I fall over! Each evening I sat all through the night like an owl perched in front of my Nikon microscope. One thing I have noticed, is that I've now developed extraordinary night vision and such an acute level of hearing that I can hear insects moving about outside my window at night! Using my hands I hold the points of needles together for hours without a tremble, point to point! Just to hone my skills and increase my levels of focus.” 

What is David A Lindon known for?

My name is David A Lindon, I am the creator of the smallest handmade sculptures in history! I now hold an incredible 12 Guinness World Record titles. On the 9^th of September 2025, Bournemouth University confirmed I had broken my own record and created the smallest hand-made sculpture ever! Measuring an astonishingly small 11.037 X 12.330 microns! The Yellow Smiley Face is invisible to the human eye! The artwork is the same size as a human blood cell, mould spores, bacteria, talcum powder and fog! (1mm contains 1000 microns)

The artwork is a yellow smiley face located on a Royal Mail first class stamp, located on the eye of the Late Queen Elizabeth the Second. The stamp is mounted on a glass tower and housed inside a sealed glass box. 

My Yellow Smiley Face was completed on 19^th August 2025 and is half the size of my Red Lego Brick! Which in turn was already four times smaller than the previous record!

As a big thank you to Bournemouth University, I have created a micro sculpture of a graduation certificate, being grasped by the hand of a newly qualified student! The hand is less than a millimetre wide and set on a solid gold plinth. The artwork is gifted to the university to inspire future generations and to thank Dr Sarah Elliott and Jack Rose for confirming the new world record. The sculpture will be supplied in a sealed glass box. 

Thank you also to Natalia Alexander at Nikon Europe B.V. for the loan of the specialised equipment necessary to break the world record again! 

David A Lindon’s early years,

Born in Poole, Dorset, the youngest of four children. My father was a skilled aircraft fitter and together my parents ran their own shop for over thirty five years called ‘The Square Deal’ in Mansfield Road, Parkstone.

I left school at the tender age of sixteen and I started a specialised career in engineering with the MoD. I was trained to work on complex miniature devices as an instrument mechanic at 18 Base Workshops, Bovington. I signed the Official Secrets Act so I’m still not allowed to talk about everything I learned but I can say it was one of the best apprenticeships in the UK!

Then I worked in the aircraft industry as an avionics technician, working on anything from Spitfires to passenger airliners. Eventually I helped coordinate work on the Eurofighter at Flight Refuelling in Wimborne.

Unfortunately I lost my Dad at this time and I decided to stop my career at Flight Refuelling to look after my mum, who had sadly developed vascular dementia. Time moved on.

After writing and self-publishing a book, I wanted to be the next J K Rowling, well that didn’t happen! We then had five years at fostering young offenders with Action for Children. I was the main carer for two young people at a time, living with them in our own home was difficult but also full of reward. At that point we were the only family in the UK to work with two young offenders at the same time! After years of speaking up for children in court, I then discovered micro art!

I love challenge of creating microscopic paintings and sculptures. With my friend and professional manager, Edward Hammond. I became a professional artist in February 2021. I made my first tiny sculpture in 2018 when I was around 50 years old.           

Today I live in Bournemouth with my wife, Jackie and my son. We have been married for over 28 years.

How does David A Lindon create his art?

I create microscopic artworks that fit comfortably inside the eye of a needle! I use a variety of materials from micro sized pigments, dust, minerals, Kevlar strands, carbon, carpet fibres, pieces of ceramic, precious metals such as gold, platinum, gem stones such as diamonds, emeralds.

I also use tools from nature, hairs from a dragonfly’s leg as precision paint brushes, where I use the micro size point to create the colourful iris or black pupil of an eye. The antenna from a stag beetle can be useful with its comb-like end to create the texture of realistic hair by literally brushing along the material to create different hair styles from curly bobs to Hollywood waves. I sometimes use pollen grains as thickeners for my paint as each grain can act like a micro size sponge. One of the most useful discoveries I have made from nature are the white pappus on dandelion seeds. I have found these filaments clustered together can make ideal paint brushes when recreating classic paintings.

What tools does David A Lindon use?

I use my own special micro precision tools and techniques that I’ve been crafting over the years. I mount microblading needles onto the ends of instrument screwdrivers. Then I mount microscopic attachments to the tip of the microblading needles. Some of the tools are made from silicon carbide, also known as carborundum which is only second in hardness to diamond.

These tools I use for cutting, carving, gouging and shaping. Other tools have ultra fine hairs for painting, holding and manipulating the art. With a huge variety of attachments from drills, saws, forks, tweezers to paint brushes and lifting and holding tools I have a micro toolbox at my disposal. Unfortunately because of the nature of these delicate tools they are constantly breaking and I’m forced to stop what I’m doing and remake them.

I meticulously carve and shape my creations, slowly adding painstaking layers of detail and complexity.

I paint each creation with carefully chosen pigments using microscopic sized paint brushes. To begin I sketch out my designs and I usually have to make several prototypes before I begin the final version. Each piece I create can take months of painstaking work before I am happy with the result. 

What is David A Lindon’s microscope?

My most important piece of kit is my microscope. I use a Nikon SMZ25. This is a high resolution, high magnification flagship stereo microscope. It has a top of the range optical system with a foot pedal controlled zoom and focusing control. This particular feature enables me to hold my micro precision tools by hand under the microscope without the need to remove my hands to refocus or zoom in or out.

I have developed technical and artistic skills to become a master micro artist. Mixing the colour palette is a craft all on its own. Some colours appear to change under the gaze of a powerful microscope, it takes dedication and experience to select the right tones and textures for each piece of art.

It’s taken years of dedication using a unique skills, microscopic techniques, unlimited amounts of patience and super human effort to make every single piece of art. Once completed I love seeing the look on people’s faces and their astonished reactions when they see my art, it makes it all worth while.

What are David A Lindon’s challenges?

Making microscopic art is hard and complex and you are always moments away from disaster. I must slow my breathing down to steady my hands. I keep my heart rate as low as possible as a single twitch from my fingers can wreck months of work in an instant. It’s a real challenge to maintain concentration, to control my hands and my breathing, let alone create something almost literally out of nothing. Only when you look into the microscope for yourself can you really appreciate the magic, the intricate details and the depth of colour that photos simply fail to capture.

I modify all of my equipment to help me refine my creations, from my tools to the microscope itself, everything is customised to help me create my art.

Unfortunately, in 2023 I ripped Picasso’s ‘Weeping Woman’ into pieces when I was painting her for the micro masterpiece series of classic paintings! Suddenly I had the world’s smallest and most expensive jigsaw in front of me.

My heart filled with despair but very slowly and carefully I stitched her back together like a surgeon working on an operating table. Eventually she was repaired and turned out to be one of my best paintings I had ever created! My hands still jump a little as my heart beats, so I work in a rhythm between each pulse. If I don’t concentrate all the time my fingers can accidentally flick weeks of work off from under the microscope and when it disappears from my sight, it will probably never be seen again!

My first Amy Winehouse is still somewhere in our bedroom carpet or stuck on the sole of my shoe, we never found her!! Luckily my concentration has improved which enables me to sit still for long periods of time. Each piece may take several months to get right. There are certain “hazards” I try to avoid. Too often, I’ve lost a piece by accidentally squishing it while moving it around, they are very delicate.

There is a danger that static electricity can unexpectedly snap the art away as if by magic. I can accidentally blow it away, with a sneeze or a cough. Even a breath of wind from an open window can make it fly away and disappear forever. Once a piece is lost, you can spend hours hunting around for it with a magnifying glass in your hand and still never find it!

What inspires David A Lindon?

I was first inspired by watching a TV program about Dr Willard Wigan MBE and the challenges he faced, that changed my life! I was trained to work on small complex  devices with the Mod and I had steady hands and a good deal of patience. So I knew then that I wanted to test my skills and challenge myself. I wanted to create smaller and smaller things. I spent years discovering just how difficult micro art is to do! After what feels like a lifetime of experimenting, I then managed to fit my work proudly into the eye of a needle and I never looked back!

I still think I’m mad to sit still for hours staring into a microscope day after day. I like to say ‘The work is microscopic, but the challenges are monumental!’ I often have to force myself to work at the microscope, as the work is extremely tough and tiring. It is physically and mentally draining with frustrations and unexpected challenges around every corner. One mistake and I can destroy the art with a moment’s distraction.

I have to enter an almost emotionless trance which enables me to remain calm even if I’m facing a disaster or painting the smile on Mona Lisa’s face. If I am making a sculpture or a famous painting I like to become the artist and try to get into their way of thinking and use my tools in the same way. 

I recently underwent a medical procedure in hospital. When I was in the recovery ward and hooked up to monitoring equipment, I was constantly setting off the alarms. My pulse was way below what a normal persons should be! I had to reassure the nurse that for me, a low pulse rate of 30 beats per minute was quite normal for me. 

To remove distractions and the vibrations from passing traffic I have to work at night. I avoid alcohol as it affects my concentration along with coffee and high energy drinks!

A gold wedding ring is smooth and shiny but under a microscope it looks like chopped wood! Something that appears hard, under a microscope has the consistency of porridge. The laws of nature often appear to work differently in the microscopic world! 

What are David A Lindon’s world firsts?

My world firsts include a large number of unique achievements. My first creation for my daughter was a Dalmatian dog that was set inside the eye of a needle. He astonished me as he went viral on social media back in 2019. July 2021 all six of my micro masterpiece paintings sold prior to my first public exhibition. I was featured in over 15 countries in 24 hours including on BBC News, BBC South Today, The Times, Daily Mail, CGTN China, Brazil, Cape town, Local radio, The Telegraph.

I even got a mention on BBC One’s television programme ‘Have I Got News for You!’ From Exhibitions in London to New York, I now have a solo exhibition touring the globe.

What is David A Lindon most proud of?

I am most proud of Arguably one of the world’s most famous paintings - Rembrandt’s 1642 The Night Watch, I have recreated this painting in every detail with the full 34 characters, in a painting smaller than the head of a match! No one has done anything like this before! The microscopic painting has then been carefully mounted onto the centre of Captain Frans Banning hat, in Chris Long’s unique pixelated version of the same painting! This took me six months to do!

‘The Smallest Zoo in the World’ A wondrous collection of 24 microscopic marvels. Next stop is my home town of Poole in

Dorset. The first two weeks of the summer holidays this year. It's going to be at the Dolphin Shopping Centre from Monday 28th July to Monday 11th August. 

Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth the Second once owned one of my early pieces of art. It was the bust of the Queen on a platinum pin to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. Delivering it to Buckingham Palace was a thrill and a great honour. I wanted to park in the grounds of Buckingham Palace but access was closed because of the changing of the guard. I didn't want to be late so I left my van on double yellow lines and hot footed it to the palace. Thankfully I still arrived on time and I did not get a parking ticket!

Other firsts include, the first portable microscopic Snoopy, set inside an authentic Snoopy money box with its own built in magnifier and light.

I made three classic Vincent van Gogh microscopic size paintings and fitted them onto the revolving mechanism inside a watch, the first truly portable art gallery on your wrist! Appearing live on WGN TV American News and being interviewed by Neil Oliver on GB News.

The first microscopic tryptic. The Flower Thrower is painted in three needles and was commissioned by an avid Banksy collector in 2022. This now sits proudly in a private collection of Banksy original artworks.

The smallest rotating Stonehenge or the first rotating microscopic Vincent van Gogh bedroom sculpture. Oh and The Smallest Hand-made Sculpture in the world! The Guinness World Record!

David A Lindon, Why does he do it? 

What keeps me going through the long hours is seeing the look of wonder and astonishment on people’s faces, especially when they see my art in person for the first time. I get a huge sense of achievement having created something so special despite the many challenges working under a microscope. I am always looking to improve and I'm always looking to see just how small I can go! 

Lots of things need to come together to create micro art. The correct microscope with great optics. The correct microscopic tools. The numerous techniques and the ability to select the appropriate materials and paints. The human factor such as patience, artistic skill, the ability to control every nerve and micro tremor including slowing my down heart rate and still being able to work!   

Everything is for sale from my early pieces to the more expensive masterpieces. I can also undertake a small number of private commissions.

I hope you enjoy my creations and take a moment to appreciate how they are made.

Thank you for reading this short biography.

In a world so vast with visions grand,

Lives David A Lindon, with a steady hand.

While others paint with strokes so wide,

He crafts his art where atoms hide.

On a grain of sand or the eye of a pin,

He sculpts small worlds that pull you in.

A lion, a dancer, a ship at sea—

All smaller than what the eye can see.

David A Lindon 11th November 2025