So you want to draw some of this archaic textmode madness? Download PabloDraw here -> [link]

Important note: ANSI has been streamlined for modern systems, so you will not be creating art as it would appear in DOS. One might ask - does this matter? In fact, this matters a whole lot more than anyone may realize. ANSI is a very difficult medium to master precisely because of its inherent limitations. But some of these limitations have quirks that can be taken advantage of to create particular visual effects, what I would call "texture". See, the original ANSI look calls for character blocks with a width of 9. Streamlined, in Windows systems, and within Pablodraw itself, the new width is simply 8. This takes out the "odd" bit, which might make sense for the sake of cleanliness, but this is in fact a devious way to deprive ANSI artists of an important technique. Is this long-winded enough yet? Well I never said it would be easy to understand...

Anyway, the technique is quite simple (once you have grasped the basics). From here-on in I will speak "technically" as if you are familiar with the medium. Say you put two F1's next to each other, with the colour 07 (light grey).

*gronk* the browser went and ate the rest of my post. Continuing: under DOS, you flip the foreground/background colours and slam down the inverse of the F1 (which is the F3) on the right-hand side and you'll achieve this very useful look with the sparse bits all snug against each other with a thin grey line to the very right. The same effect can be achieved with the F2 blocks though you won't need to use any other. And beyond this, of course, you can flip colours to give certain areas of your piece more texture or even some other effect. I'd call it an essential technique every ANSI artist must gain proficiency in - but you CANNOT utilise it in Windows-based editors! Nor will you in fact see the difference if you are viewing raw .ANS files in most Windows-based viewers! If you are lost, don't worry... it ain't easy to conceptualize without getting right into it.

While I'm dispensing technique, let me introduce any errant readers to Pnakotic shading. Oh, what is that you ask? Another type of texturing which is very useful (and named after the artist who first made great use of it)... in short, this is the technique by which you use the partially shaded blocks (F1, F2, F3) with a highlighting colour on black (or, in more advanced uses, other background colours) to blend with an area of solid background colour. For example, if you drop an F2 with the colour 11 (light cyan) into a region of solid blocks (F4s) with the colour 03 (dark cyan) the block will be nearly indistinguishable. But there is a difference... and when you play around with F3s to obtain a slightly heavier effect, you will begin to see the usefulness of this approach.

ANSI is a very limited medium that relies on your ability to convey all the important aspects of visual artistry in very little space. Every technique helps you gain expressive power in the archaic medium. Consider, if you will, that ANSI may be to visual art what haiku is to poetry. Every little trick counts!

Peace.

Pablo Draw is by far the awesomest of the awesome. I've been using it for a while for random things. It also doubles as one of the best .NFO viewing programs too.

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[Missing DA Features] [Myspace] [Facebook]

A couple more artists to add to your list...

~skypager
`diamondie (has a few ascii related pieces)

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[Missing DA Features] [Myspace] [Facebook]

*gasp* everyone forgot me. i mean my avatar is even ansi.

Hell, I never even hinted that I was making a definitive list...

Now you're on

Thanks for the list.

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"Art is the only thing you cannot punch a button for. You must do it the old-fashioned way. Stay up and really burn the midnight oil. There are no compromises." Leonytne Price

Well. Just for the records, I do a bit ANSI art myself too .

I am accustomed to THE DRAW as Editor (DOS, but works okay under XP). After over 12 years is there not much hope left to get me to "switch" to something else. You can also put me on the "to be voided" list when it comes to decision making about what the best editor is. Being objective is simply impossible for me.

The only thing that caught my attention with PabloDraw is the Feature to allow "Shared and Simultaneous" work of multiple people on the same piece of Art at the same time. Sounds like fun.

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Roy[SAC] .oOo. My ASCII & ANSI Text Art Site .oOo. My Blog

Working with pablo on group projects is fantastic... it's also a great way to learn, because you can see how a person lays down their blocks. You might be able to scare up some drawing partners on one of the scene IRC channels (EFnet #ans is the only one I know of, but I think there may be more)... try it, it's fun!