Keyboard Art, also known as ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), is a fun and creative form of art that you can create by using the keys on your keyboard to form an image. Sounds easy, huh? It can actually be very easy or extremely difficult depending on the design you want. A simple design can be quite an enjoyable task, while a difficult and complicated design that you complete can be very satisfying and could even be called a “piece of art”. But before you can get started on this, you need to know a couple of things. Here are some keyboard art instructions you need to know before you begin.
First of all, you can’t use just any font for your keyboard art. The type of font you use should be a fixed width, which means that your letters and characters take up the same amount of space, no matter how thick or thin they are. One of the most used fonts in keyboard art is Courier. Having a fixed width keeps the keys on the keyboard in proportion to each other and makes imaging much easier.
Now that you’ve chosen your fixed-width font, the next thing on your keyboard art instructions is: think of a layout you want to make. A beginner should probably start with simple, small, concrete images such as shapes and cartoons. Once you get the hang of it, you can move on to bigger, more complicated designs like people and even landscapes. A drawing of the image can help you better visualize this art. Black and white images work best for this. You can also view samples online to help you with the best keys to use in building your own image. Just use an online search engine and type “keyboard art” or “ASCII art” and lots of samples will come up.
Now that you’re ready to write your keyboard layout, start with a small corner of the entire image. Think of that small part divided into lines and curves. Visualize which keys would fit the part best and experiment with different characters and letters. Then continue filling in the edges of your image. Be careful with your proportions; you don’t want the image to look lopsided, and you need to have enough room inside your image’s shell for the inner part. If you’re making a cartoon animal face, for example, you want to make sure you have enough room for its eyes, nose, and mouth. A useful instruction is to zoom out frequently to see the image you are forming on a smaller scale. This would help you to see if the image you are making is correct or not.
Once you’ve completed the corners of your image, you can continue to fill in the inside of your keyboard layout. Again, experiment with various keys to fill in the details. The letter ‘o’ for the eyes, for example, is an easy choice, so why not try an ‘a’ or even an ‘e’? There really is no right or wrong choice of keys when doing this art, it all depends on the vision you have for your image. Refine and work at it until you’re happy with the results.
And tada! Now you have your own keyboard layout. Now you can post it online, share it with friends, and even include it in your email signature. But it can’t stop there, which is why the most important keyboard art instruction is: practice, practice, practice! There are so many creative designs that you can do. You can even incorporate words, quotes, and even poems into your art, although this is a more advanced form of keyboard art; You’ll probably need more keyboard art instructions before you can create these complicated images.
There are actually sites online where you can generate keyboard art by simply uploading the image you want and then voila! You have your keyboard art. But of course, this particular way is not nearly as fun or as satisfying compared to following the instructions here. Isn’t it much more satisfying to know that you have created an art for yourself? Like a painter who creates his own unique works instead of just copying someone else’s style and form. And it’s definitely a lot more fun this way.
Alright, one last keyboard art instruction: have fun while you’re at it! The possibilities are endless. There may be days when you can’t seem to form anything at all, and there may be days when you are so inspired that you create amazing pieces; well, that’s the nature of art. You can even print your keyboard layout and frame it to hang in a favorite spot. Develop your own unique style and be proud that now you can create your own “work of art”.