To the level of living tissue.
Very deeply; at one's most sensitive level of feeling.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgDrawing with scissors: To cut to the quick in color reminds me of the direct cutting of sculptors. Henri Matisse
You have no idea how it feels to know that you've cut someone to the quick. I'll never do it again, never, never. Irene Dunne
To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me - not success. Hugh Jackman
Fashion is so close in revealing a person's inner feelings and everybody seems to hate to lay claim to vanity so people tend to push it away. It's really too close to the quick of the soul. Stella Blum
I'm reading Kristin Lavransdatter again - it's one of the greatest poetic books, and the most powerful portrayal of medieval Christendom I know....I must admit that it makes me cry every time - because it's so real, so true, reaching to the depths of human nature, touching one to the quick. Ida Friederike Görres
When I'm called unkind... that really cuts to the quick. You can say anything else that you like about me. Rachel Johnson