Artist Creates Stunning Portraits Using Salt, Dust, and Other Interesting Materials

Most artists make use of traditional materials like pens, pencils, and paint, but when an unconventional portraitist makes use of a food item, the result is stunning!

One particular artist, who goes by the name Rob the Original, uses table salt to render realistic faces of celebrities like actors, singers, athletes, and even iconic sculptures.

A salty Norman Reedus

For an artist who pushes the boundaries of his art, Rob Ferrel (no relation to Will) is actually a barber based in San Antonio, Texas.

After moving to the lone star state from his hometown in Los Angeles, Rob, with his drawing background, wanted to pursue a career in art, never imagining he would find himself cutting hair. But as one needs to make a living to eat, Rob plied his shears and scissors at a barber shop on Military Drive.

Still, the soul of an artist will always find a way to be set free, and Rob started gaining a following from his hair art, fashioning stars, shapes, and other complex designs at the backs of heads. He eventually progressed to shaping actual faces of celebrities and famous people out of the hair on his clients’ scalps.

Today, the Hair Artist owns the highly-rated Rob the Original’s Barber Shop in San Antonio where he and his staff use organic products, and satisfy the most of finicky clients. Be warned though. Due to the high demand of his service, his barber shop no longer accepts walk-ins, and potential clients always need to set an appointment.

But Rob hasn’t confined his artistry to hair alone. Seeing images and forms all around him, he has created portraits out of pizza, wood stains, and even the dust or snow on the windshields of people’s cars.

A dusty Drake

The most amazing are his salt portraits. He uses table salt, and sometimes, even the little packets of the condiments found at restaurants. Just sitting at a table waiting for his order to arrive will result in highly detailed and realistic portraits.

Michael Jackson emerging from a packet of salt

A table salt vision of Mount Rushmore

John Lennon salting away in a breeze

Rather than text, play games on his phone, or work on a laptop, Rob the Original makes one of the most productive and creative use of free time the world has ever seen.

Stephen Curry and and an ad for Spalding

You keep doing you, Rob.

Sources: Aplus, RobTheOriginal, Facebook, Yelp, thesportsquotient