👀 Exercise: Sharpen Your Visual Intelligence

This week we look at the wonderful Japanese woodblock painting "Snow at Akabane Bridge in Shiba" by Utagawa Hiroshige

Oct 02, 2023

As we move fast throughout the day, hurrying from one task to the next, it is a good idea to slow down to observe what is right in front of us, to notice with intention, and not gloss over important details.

Each time I do this exercise, I surprise myself and realize how much information I overlook when I look quickly instead of slowing down to notice the beautiful details.

I think this exercise will surprise you, and over time, you will strengthen your visual perception so you don’t miss important details that are right in front of you and see what others easily overlook.

Your future self will thank you!

Instructions

Look at the image below. Notice all the details. Zoom in to notice the fine details and zoom out to notice the next detail in the artwork.
Challenge yourself to identify as many details as you can. Look for objects, people, shapes, colors, patterns, objects, etc.
Be as specific in your observations as possible. For example, instead of noticing boats in a river, look at each individual boat to observe the details you see in each boat.
Share your observations in the comments. What do you observe? How do you know what you observe to be true?

Artwork Details:

Title: Snow at Akabane Bridge in Shiba (Shiba Akabane no yuki), from the series “Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto meisho)”
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige
Medium: Color woodblock print
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago

A moment of reflection

How was this exercise for you? Share a detail you found interesting.

Woodblock Printing Process

The print above is created using a woodblock printing process, and being curious to learn what the process is; I found this great video showing a step-by-step process.

That’s it! How did it go? How many details were you able to notice? Share your thoughts or observations in the comments.