{"id":152473,"date":"2025-06-29T16:49:51","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T16:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/often-art-is-difficult-to-explain-and-a-retiree-from-malaga-uses-the-most-unconventional-tool-to-create-it-excel\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T16:49:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T16:49:53","slug":"often-art-is-difficult-to-explain-and-a-retiree-from-malaga-uses-the-most-unconventional-tool-to-create-it-excel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/often-art-is-difficult-to-explain-and-a-retiree-from-malaga-uses-the-most-unconventional-tool-to-create-it-excel\/","title":{"rendered":"Often, art is difficult to explain, and a retiree from Malaga uses the most unconventional tool to create it: Excel."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Unexpected Artistry of Microsoft Excel<\/h2>\n

Explaining what \u00a0art\u00a0 is can be as complicated as making an accurate \u00a0weather forecast\u00a0; its very essence is steeped in subjectivity. While some may view a \u00a0banana\u00a0 as a mere fruit, others may see it as a \u00a0$6.2 million masterpiece\u00a0. Amidst this sea of opinions, one of the more “accepted” forms of art is \u00a0realism\u00a0\u2014the representation of reality in art forms. But what if this realism is realized not through \u00a0Photoshop\u00a0, but through \u00a0Microsoft Excel\u00a0?<\/p>\n

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This is the unmistakable journey of Jesus Villanueva.<\/p>\n

No tutorials<\/strong>. At first glance, you might wonder why anyone would choose such a mundane tool for artistic expression. But let me assure you, this isn’t as bizarre as it seems. Throughout this \u00a0visual odyssey\u00a0, we will explore the creative prowess of a program that many consider purely utilitarian. Since its inception in 1985 as an exclusive spreadsheet system for \u00a0Mac\u00a0, Microsoft Excel has evolved significantly but remains fundamentally a \u00a0calculation tool\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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In a recent feature on the Microsoft blog<\/a>, we delve into the life of Jes\u00fas Villanueva, aged 78, who finds joy not in playing ‘Skyrim’, streaming ‘League of Legends’, or chasing \u00a0Pok\u00e9mon\u00a0. Instead, Jesus channels his creativity into drawing with Excel. Having studied a construction course, he spent his career in that field. However, during \u00a0retirement\u00a0 and in the wake of the \u00a0COVID-19\u00a0 pandemic, his life took an unexpected turn.<\/p>\n

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Jesus has earned the moniker “The Miguel \u00c1ngel of Excel”<\/strong>. With ample time available for creativity, he began using Excel as a canvas. \u201cI never found a tutorial to explain how to do it. It has been trial after trial, drawing after drawing,\u201d he shares. He began by recreating buildings in a format devoid of perspective, but as he honed his skills, he progressed to more intricate and layered compositions.<\/p>\n

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What’s remarkable is that Jesus doesn\u2019t utilize external resources or simply layer images; he primarily draws \u00a0using colors straight from the grid\u00a0, combining both complex and simple shapes to breathe life into his artistic vision. Although his work is inspired by photographs, each form is crafted manually within the application.<\/p>\n

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His secret? \u201c\u00a0Patience\u00a0 is key.\u201d Jesus comments that some pieces may take up to three months to complete, such as his intricate representation of the \u00a0Siena Cathedral\u00a0. His portfolio consists of numerous religious buildings, including the \u00a0Mosque of C\u00f3rdoba\u00a0 and the \u00a0Cathedral of Florence\u00a0. For these larger forms, he constructs small characters and then scales them down to fit the image.<\/p>\n

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The “Insert Shapes” brush<\/strong> is fundamental for Villanueva. He selects a shape, calculates the proportions based on a reference image, and then adapts, colors, and combines various elements to create the final scene. He also explores vector strokes and manipulates element scales to achieve his desired results.<\/p>\n

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In addition to Villanueva, \u00a0Japanese artist\u00a0 Tatsuo Horiuchi, aged 84, has also utilized Excel to express his artistic vision following his retirement. He candidly shares that he spent \u00a0ten years\u00a0 refining his craft before being confident enough to showcase his work. Interestingly, he notes that people have often questioned his focus on such seemingly trivial pursuits.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy invest so much effort into something that serves no purpose? Are you mad?\u201d he responds with a chuckle in a featured video showcasing parts of his collection. He believes, \u201c\u00a0Excel can unlock artistic potential\u00a0, even for those who claim to lack talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Excel has untapped potential<\/strong>. Horiuchi\u2019s sentiment resonates deeply, especially for those who may feel constrained by conventional art tools. The fine grid that Excel offers can, in fact, serve as a stepping-stone to artistic exploration.<\/p>\n

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Ultimately, it\u2019s fascinating to witness that Excel is not merely a tool that drives the global economy; it has also forged a niche in the realm of sports, all while transforming a perception of what many deem a mundane program. To reimagine such an unassuming tool into a canvas of artistic expression is a feat that commands respect. In a world where creativity knows no boundaries, even a spreadsheet can become a \u00a0work of art\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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In Xataka, we explore that thousands of artists have thrived over the past few years, with countries like \u00a0Ireland\u00a0 supporting them with \u00a0\u20ac1,300 a month\u00a0 to fulfill their dreams. The creative journey continues to unfold, reminding us that art can emerge from the most unexpected places.<\/p>\n

This article dives deep into the unexpected artistic potential of Microsoft Excel through the lens of Jes\u00fas Villanueva and other artists, highlighting a unique blend of creativity and technology.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Unexpected Artistry of Microsoft Excel Explaining what \u00a0art\u00a0 is can be as complicated as making an accurate \u00a0weather forecast\u00a0; its very essence is steeped in subjectivity. While some may view a \u00a0banana\u00a0 as a mere fruit, others may see it as a \u00a0$6.2 million masterpiece\u00a0. Amidst this sea of opinions, one of the more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[1649,1861,1912,26149,1087,4587,37843,2887,13903],"class_list":["post-152473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-art","tag-create","tag-difficult","tag-excel","tag-explain","tag-malaga","tag-retiree","tag-tool","tag-unconventional"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}