82-year-old man makes the most amazing artwork using just Microsoft Excel

Tatsuo Horiuchi's secret to subtle paintings that highlight the rural life of Japan is done by using simple tools on Microsoft Excel.

By Aditi Bora

February 28, 2023

Posted February 28, 2023

82-year-old man makes the most amazing artwork using just Microsoft Excel

Cover Image Source: YouTube / Great Big Story

Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi has been making incredible drawings for the past decades. However, the secret to his subtle details of mountains, cherry blossoms and forests is not from your usual painting pallet. Horiuchi's secret to making remarkable paintings is Microsoft Excel. The 82-year-old artist did not wish to pay for painting supplies or complicated software but chose Microsoft Paint because it has “more functions and is easier to use.” According to Colossal, with simple drawing tools available on Microsoft, Horiuchi utilizes them to draw scenes of life in rural Japan. After retiring in 2000, he was involved in supplying medical equipment as an engineer.

After his retirement, he started to think of ways that could keep him busy. After visiting many companies for work, he was told that "there is no job for a grandfather." He remembered a colorful document he saw in a meeting that made him want to try his luck in art. But he had no prior experience so it was a challenge for him. "I didn't think I would improve so quickly, so I made a 10-year plan," Horiuchi told AFP. He devoted the next three years to improving his skills by drawings simple things in Excel, like carrots and radishes as well as wild grasses. Eventually, he incorporated motifs and figures and composed them as paintings.

"Even if you think you're drawing a picture in the world of your senses, the contours are actually drawn with mathematical formulas," says Mr. Horiuchi. As an engineer himself, he adds that making and combining parts has always been a part of his job. "Even if it's just a 1mm screw, it won't be a product if one screw comes off. If you don't do it carefully one by one, you won't be able to make a good product in the end, just like in the world of technology." If you're curious about what he can draw, check out some of his masterpieces below, and feel free to pick out your favorite one. You can also look at his website and on Pasokonga for more paintings!