Visual memory, Go and Painting

[tapir]

I remember to have read somewhere that professional players rely very much on visual aspects when reading sequences etc. I now wondered whether there is any relation to visual arts (painting). I guess that the best way to improve in Go is probably training Go and not something else, but has anyone thoughts or experiences to offer on how training in visual arts relates to Go? Thank you.

[judicata]

I know nothing about this, but I think many professional go players have also been good at calligraphy. But I don't know if there tends to be more calligraphers among go pros than the general population.

[daal]

Depending on the type of visual arts, different skill sets can be involved. When drawing from a model for example, an artist might draw what she sees while at the same time applying theoretical or instinctual knowledge of perspective, color, material, design etc. Despite having a relatively concise objective (perhaps to make an aesthetically interesting or pleasing two-dimensional rendering of a three-dimensional subject), a huge number of decisions need to be made in the process. I do see quite a few similarities between making such an image and playing a game of go. In both cases, the choices one makes and the skill with which these choices are applied determines the outcome.

There is another type of image-making, in which the artist does not have a model, but instead creates a work from scratch. There are a number of different ways that artists can go about this. One, which is perhaps akin to tsumego, is to visualize an image in one's mind's eye, and then re-create it on paper or canvas. As with tsumego, there are some images that are harder to create than others, (I recall my daughter once pointing out a picture in a museum in which a soldier had a left leg where his right leg should have been). It is however possible to specialize (for example a comic artist) and thus limit the range of difficulty.

In many cases however, artists do not have an exact image in mind, but rather choose a few starting points and see what develops. This too is similar to playing a game of go, because whether the developments are expected (as a result of familiar patterns or materials or whatever - joseki) or unexpected (tesuji) the artist must react to what he sees.