The experience of looking at a work of art to improve observation and communication is part of a national professional development program called The Art of Perception. You can read more about how people in different professions—from medicine to law enforcement to education—learn to reconsider how they see the world and their jobs by learning to analyze works of art.
Want to see an academic exercise in dissecting a painting? Watch this TED-Ed Lesson: The scene of the three wise men offering gifts to a newborn Jesus was widely painted during the Renaissance era, so how did painter Sandro Botticelli create a version that's still well known today? James Earle describes who and what set Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi apart in the annals of art history.
Another interesting kind of art is gyotaku. This TED-Ed Lesson will explain exactly what it is, including its historical significance -- something that's also important when forming your perceptions.
Another good reason to study art is that it's just wonderful. It's a great way to spark your imagination. Janet Echelman found her true voice as an artist when her paints went missing -- which forced her to look to an unorthodox new art material. Now she makes billowing, flowing, building-sized sculpture with a surprisingly geeky edge.