ASCII art is a text-based visual art form that uses ASCII characters to produce images.
It is often used in online communication, such as email, forums, and chat rooms, where images cannot be displayed. can be used to create a wide variety of images, from simple emoticons to complex works of art.
To view ASCII art correctly, it is important to use a monospace font, such as Courier New. This ensures that all of the characters are displayed correctly and that the image is not distorted.
How to create ASCII Art
Creating ASCII art can be a fun and creative process. Here are some steps to help you get started:
- Find a text editor to use to make your own art (for example: Notepad).
- Set the font to one with a fixed width. In Notepad, the only font that you can use is fixed width. This means that you can use spaces; in fonts without fixed width, spaces will be smaller, which can mess up text formatting.
- Think of an object to draw. Start with something easy, such as a flower.
- Use characters that take up more space for darker parts of the picture**, like “M” or “W”.
- Use characters that take up less space for lighter parts of the picture**, like “I” or “T”.
- Use various slants and slashes to make lines**. You will be forced to only use large angles.
- Save it and show your friends and family, or publish it on a website.
Remember, this art is a hard thing to master, and it will take time. Don’t be too hard on yourself and start small, then work your way up. There are also online tools available that can help you.
Watch the video about creating ASCII Art
Here is a simple example:
/\ /\
( o.o )
^ < This ASCII art depicts a cat. The body of the cat is made up of the characters (, o, ., and ), and the head is made up of the characters >, ^, and <.
Here is a more complex example:
(__)
(oo) /------\//——\/ / | ||
- / | || * ||===||
||===||
This art depicts a robot. The body of the robot is made up of the characters (__), (oo), and \/, and the head is made up of the characters /——\/, |, and ||.
ASCII art can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
Adding humor or personality to text-based communication
Creating simple graphics for websites and online forums
Creating more complex works of art
If you are interested in learning more about this art, there are many resources available online. There are also ASCII art generators that can help you to create your own ASCII art images.
Image credit
柊木, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons