Excel Art: How ordinary spreadsheets become breathtaking masterpieces

Most people see Microsoft Excel as a tool for financial spreadsheets and data analysis, not as a canvas for impressive works of art. But Excel art can also become a fascinating medium where creatives transform ordinary cells and functions into visual masterpieces.

The world of Excel art has produced some remarkable artists. Tatsuo Horiuchi , an 80-year-old Japanese artist, continues to amaze people with his Excel masterpieces. His journey began after his retirement in 2000, when he started creating intricate Excel paintings of traditional Japanese landscapes. His talent earned him first prize in the Excel Autoshape Art Contest .

Emma Stevens brings a different approach to Excel art. She creates detailed skyline images using only text within spreadsheets. Excel may seem like a purely business tool that leaves no room for creativity, but these artists have discovered that its grid structure is perfectly suited for pixel art . The program's detailed color palette gives artists unexpected scope for creativity.

This article will guide you through the magic of transforming ordinary spreadsheets into visual wonders. You'll learn about Excel pixel art techniques and meet the pioneering artists who have excelled in using this digital canvas.

Why Excel is more than just a spreadsheet program

Some songs grow like potatoes from the ground. Others you have to make from things you've found, like your mother's pool cue, your father's army buddies, your sister's wristwatch… that sort of thing. You'd be surprised what you can find if you're imaginative.”

— Tom Waits, singer and songwriter, renowned musician and artist, known for his inventiveness.

The original design of MS Excel focused on data analysis and formula calculation. Now it has evolved into something more versatile for users who want to look beyond its basic functions.

The hidden creative potential of Excel

Excel isn't just a digital graph paper for financial models. Its rich color palette, shape tools, and formatting options form the basis of artistic expression. Most people don't realize that grid structure creates opportunities for creative minds. Artists who need structure in their creative process find this blend of precision and flexibility perfect.

Emma Stevens explains:

The Excel spreadsheet became a labor of love. I was able to redesign elements that didn't quite work or change the hue or color of certain buildings to improve the composition and depth.”

How the grid structure imitates pixel art

Excel's grid-based layout looks just like the basic structure of pixel art . Each cell functions like a pixel—a building block that connects with others to create a larger image. This natural arrangement makes Excel great for detailed pixel art. The spreadsheet's grid system corresponds to the pixel-editing environment used in popular digital art programs.

Artists can transform spreadsheets into pixel canvases by adjusting the colors and sizes of the cells. Detailed images emerge cell by cell.

Examples of the use of Excel in design and architecture

Excel has practical applications in design and architecture that extend beyond mere art. Architects and designers use Excel's grid structure to create everything from rough sketches to complete construction plans. Building inspectors accept Excel designs as official plans for simple projects such as patios, porches, and small outbuildings. Landscape architects also use Excel for planning, as its format is well-suited for precise measurements and spatial relationships.

Graphic designers have found that Excel is well-suited for creating website layouts, dashboard prototypes, and furniture arrangements. The program is adept at maintaining precise proportions and dimensions, making it a great tool for visualizing spaces and structures.

Sometimes the most creative tools turn up in unexpected places

Techniques used by Excel artists

Creative minds have discovered clever techniques that transform ordinary spreadsheets into beautiful visual representations. Their methods go far beyond Excel's original purpose and demonstrate how versatile this program can be as an artistic medium.

Color cells to create images

We use the Fill Color tool to "paint" . Artists can apply colors from Excel's extensive palette by selecting one or more cells at a time to create detailed images. The process works similarly to pixel art, where each cell acts as a single pixel. Artists create depth and realism using different shades from the same color palette. Darker colors emphasize shadows, while lighter tones add highlights.

It is also possible to select templates as PDFs and then work with them in Excel. For this, you can use the Smallpdf PDF to Excel conversion tool .

Use of shapes and layering

shape editing capabilities go beyond simple colored cells. Related shapes can be organized on different layers, simplifying the management of complex designs. This layered approach allows artists to view, modify, and lock different shape categories. The "Bring to Front" and "Send to Back" provide precise control over object placement, creating visual depth. Multiple objects can be grouped, enabling artists to move, scale, or format them as a single unit.

Conditional formatting for effects

Conditional formatting transforms Excel into a dynamic canvas with automated visual effects. Color scales mix two or more colors to create gradients that show data distribution. Data bars generate visual representations based on length.

Artists can create impressive guides that automatically change based on values. This feature helps create interactive pixel art where changing a cell value affects the entire image.

Macro commands and overlays

Excel artists create interactive art by macro buttons that respond to clicks. These buttons can look much better than the standard gray ones, featuring custom graphics. Artists develop clickable elements that perform specific tasks by linking macros to shapes or images. Chart areas become more engaging when images or graphics overlay the otherwise simple charts.

Artists who turn Excel into art

Beyond traditional career paths, artists worldwide have turned Excel into their creative canvas, demonstrating how this spreadsheet program can do much more than just process numbers.

Tatsuo Horiuchi's nature-inspired works

Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi began creating breathtaking landscapes in 2000 at the age of 77, after retiring. He chose Excel because "graphics software is expensive, but Excel comes pre-installed on most computers ." During his artistic development, he discovered that Excel is "easier to use than Microsoft Paint"—a surprising view for many digital artists.

His work earned him first prize in the 2006 Excel Autoshape Art Contest , and the Gunma Museum of Art later acquired his works. His detailed depictions of rural Japan and traditional landscapes have earned him the nickname "The Michelangelo of Excel .

Emma Stevens and her skyline text art

Australian landscape architect Emma Stevens takes a unique approach to creating cityscapes. Instead of drawing, she creates skylines by repeatedly typing city names into Excel cells. She uses column breaks and letter shading to create depth.

From a distance, her works appear to be cityscapes, but up close they reveal themselves to be arrangements of text. Stevens appreciates the structured nature of Excel, noting that "the use of technology has been another way to create precision in art.".

Fan art and other up-and-coming Excel artists

Many artists create Excel artworks ranging from Nintendo characters to architectural designs. The pixel-based style of early video games makes them ideal subjects for cell-based artwork.

There's a sizable fan community that uses Excel to create artwork of their favorite Nintendo characters. The pixelated visual style of 8-bit games makes these characters ideal subjects for Excel art. While these images will never grace an art gallery, it must be enjoyable for NES enthusiasts to recreate realistic versions of Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and other iconic characters.

In the Reddit thread /r/casualnintendo you can see numerous illustrative examples of Nintendo fan art created with Excel. If you'd like to become a pixel art Picasso yourself, check out this tutorial on creating similar 8-bit masterpieces to .

Furthermore, if you need a copy of Microsoft Excel (whether for its original use or for creating artwork), you should know that many university students can obtain it for free from their institution. Alternatively, OpenOffice offers a free, open-source alternative that is perfectly adequate for such purposes.

How to create your own Excel masterpiece

Excel art might be easier than you think. The initial experience of creating a beautiful pixelated image from a blank spreadsheet is pleasantly straightforward.

01 Select a motif and reference image

Simple, blocky images work best with Excel's grid structure. Pixel art from classic video games serves as perfect practice material. To give just one example, a Mario mushroom, with its clean outline and simple color palette, provides an ideal starting point. Your reference image should remain open on the screen for easy comparison.

03 Planning your layout in the grid

Select all the columns you need for your design. Right-click, select "Column Width," and set a value of around 4.50 to create square cells that act as pixels. Some artists use 4 cells to represent 1 square foot in their designs for precise scaling. Details require close work, so zoom in and out frequently to check your overall progress.

4 tips for shading and color mixing

Three shades of each color create depth: a base tone with lighter and darker variations. Darker shades belong where shadows fall, while lighter shades highlight certain areas.

The dialog for fill effects via the "Format Cells" menu (Ctrl+1) allows you to select two colors and a shading style for gradients.

Common mistakes to avoid

Your design shouldn't have too many details initially. The final result will look better if you hide the gridlines (View tab → Disable Gridlines). Note that the F4 key repeats your previous action, saving time when filling in similar cells.