Anime fan creates stunning character artwork using nothing but Microsoft Excel

You can skip buying that expensive graphic drawing tablet as long as you’ve got the ubiquitous spreadsheet program and some serious skill.

Even as someone who has the utmost respect for the discipline of accounting, I have to admit that spreadsheet programs are usually some of the dullest bits of software you’ll find in your PC. Whereas other programs and applications can help you compose sonnets, create symphonies, or paint the images from your mind’s eye, when you sit down and open Excel, all you’re going to be doing is crunching numbers, right?

Not if you’re Japanese Twitter user @Maruraba_2, because to him Excel isn’t a spreadsheet program, but the ultimate art creation tool.

素人「絵描きソフト、いっぱい種類あるから分からない…どれがオススメですか？」 ｷﾁｶﾞｲ「Excel」 #Excelアート https://t.co/KdgaAuZKHb

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まるらば (@Maruraba_2) January 21, 2018

@Maruraba_2 recently shared his latest creation, a determined-looking portrait of tank-loving Miho Nishino, star of anime TV series Girls und Panzer. While the series’ character designs are a bit more angular than the current middle-of-bell-curve for anime schoolgirls, it’s still shocking to think that all of those confident, bold lines were produced with a program intended to be used to manipulate numerical data.

Girls und Panzer is known as having one of the most loyal fanbases in anime these days, but @Maruraba_2 still has room in his heart for other anime heroines, such as Eromanga Sensei’s Sagiri…

Excelでエロマンガ先生の和泉紗霧を描いてみた。 #Excelアート #Eマンガ先生 #eromanga_sensei https://t.co/aDKecfr07m

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) June 13, 2017

…and Rize, from Is the Order A Rabbit?”, whose showing off a particularly intense example of anime hair shine.

修正版です。ほっぺつけ忘れてました() #Excelアート #天々座理世生誕祭2017 #リゼ生誕祭2017 #gochiusa https://t.co/Vrn9X6z8rQ

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) February 13, 2017

Actually, @Maruraba_2 looks to be building himself his own personal Excel harem, as his other muses have been Kemono Friends snake-girl Tsuchinoko…

Excelでけものフレンズのツチノコを描いてみた。 「ﾅ､ﾅ､ﾅﾝﾀﾞｺﾉﾔﾛｳ!!!」 #Excelアート #けものフレンズ #kemono_friends #けもフレ https://t.co/De6u7ynai5

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) May 04, 2017

…High School Fleet’s Mashimo…

宗谷真霜生誕祭ということで 真霜たんをExcelで描いてみた 真霜たぁぁぁぁぁぁぁぁんお誕生日おめでとおおおおおおおおお！！！！！！ #Excelアート #宗谷真霜生誕祭2017 #haifuri #はいふり https://t.co/1peVyEv5RG

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) April 30, 2017

…YuriYuri’s Kyoko…

Excelでゆるゆりの歳納京子を描いてみた(再掲) 京子ちゃんおめでとう！！ #歳納京子生誕祭2017 #yuruyuri #Excelアート https://t.co/CMvuii72dp

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) March 28, 2017

…and, in his only instance so far of taking inspiration from the same series twice, Maika and Mafuyu, from Blend S.

Excelでブレンド・Ｓの桜ノ宮苺香を描いてみた。 #Excelアート #ブレンドS #ブレンド・S #桜ノ宮苺香 https://t.co/lB8W2jSfAe

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) November 19, 2017

Excelでブレンド・Sの星川麻冬を描いてみた。 年末年始忙しすぎてダラダラと時間をかけてしまいましたすみません() 今回も可愛く可愛く、そして低オブジェクト数で描くことに専念しました♪ #Excelアート #Excel… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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まるらば@Excelアート (@Maruraba_2) January 25, 2018

@Maruraba_2 jokes that when people ask “There are so many kinds of art software. Which do you recommend?” he likes to give them the “insane” answer of “Excel.” With results like these, thought, it seems like there’s definitely a method to his madness, as he’s proving that if Excel can be used to create such Japanese art as nengajo New Year’s cards, there’s no reason it can’t be used for anime characters too.

Source: Twitter/@Maruraba_2 via IT Media
Images: Twitter/@Maruraba_2

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