https://www.ludd.ltu.se/~vk/pics/ascii/junkyard/techstuff/tutorials/Joris_Bellenger.html To follow this tutorial you will need to download and install JavE. http://www.jave.de/ JavE is a free Ascii Editor and I could save a few hours work by using it. 1/ I first made a gif-to-ascii conversion with JavE. The quality didn't really matter because I was about to change every single character later anyway. Have a look at the original picture. The idea behind this was to set the overall shape of the drawing. This is the raw conversion. _aOs_.__. _f~.yJ'`._an. _a__t.`.._____/u/3D_. ._J:_..__dMgmQ/7GZMmS, J~(:`:%z_7A{`7`.(JQ;` /u_P___.`:``0. /` .Ml (JZ%.___. .` ._>_/Q; _JNm`.._./, /%u_``Rq, _]\q,_^d: ( =`(!> Q4: ((u! _(| kP .j_,.. ` .J2% `(_. _._Jzz_._..r. _. _[, .x{..J: _%~ ..7x. (% `qu. .7=>`_J=` ([:no((. _. `d `_...__+r` .. (/vD6~;.+r .r `(:((() .{ /~(` j/G=:(4DJ, `` __% ```J` /(__%: . `~.`>:__?&.. .__/'` ]7>__. _:` ((:r>(~` `~. ^_: `_:` _` `:=_ .:{._>/J(=: : .; _: ` ` . ._``` %`._%`=~...>(` . ; r .._` _~J~((^`../^` _ (.) _(C``._^` ~ (/ ., . __|` { .` _, ( .` .: _J``() _ % /` `` ._} .] (; : _ (:`/~_ ~:~/:`J (; . .~ /(. `:` ``_:_: | ~ _ ` .S,``` _. ... .._: ; | . .%.` _;`:``` .`^^:(3~ : > ~ _| _; J`v.: > {_/` : .] .=| .: ( J % / _. . .% %_`/ .` ~ _~ ` .: .} _> .: .c .: .` /. ` : .` _, / ( ~ ~ _` .` . ; `. _(_` _^ ., .: `_J[{_(^ .: .. (.`_` _` : ` ; , . ~` .` .. J ~ ( _ _` : _ ` _. . .` ( . .` : ~` .. _ .` ; / _` ( ( ( _~ r ` ) .x. ; ; _3. .; ~ . . 2 % ~..`. : .~ :``(:_% .} `..` . _ ~((: c ( `. .~ ; /} : ( .` o ; ( _ ( .: _` ( ( .` _` ` ; _~ ( . .` .;` .; : ; v _` ~ .` _; r _ . v` .: .. .` (. _` , ( .: ( .: .] ) ; /. .; .: > /` 8 : r .` )` ( ( _` .; .: ._ .` ) _ ( _=/__` ) { ...__ .(c?!3/ (:(>`~w. `` `:``(: 2/ I saved the document and opened it in a text editor for hand made diddling where I worked on the top-half of the girl, keeping the legs for later. The diddling could have been made in JavE but I'm just used to my text editor. .-- .&dkl`,ivne._ | sRfkgvc+rsnmGBND. | aHBNLbni+.irumLGNMms | NRIr`'+dLKNMFb`'iNQr | `ANWM7 `+lM0. `'^Kl | iNWL*_;=e. Y._,_ ON | aRNm _.l, j^ _` Bq, | eNL:,l=N0`. ls`N0> ibK | XHZu! _(c kPBN | 'CD . ` tK7KX | 'f _&zrc_. .Y | , v, `ta.=" ,V | 7q. 6% ^l = .r | f'noib. + `d+ .._a7 t | k+RD6 L.dr h' `*+iPb .f adI` | dj+Ggr 4NJb .,dT `'KJc _ir+4b . | `cl^ ._ tk. .,&;:rf"t&; 'yIKbr;. dp` luhrZti | `~. ^_T `ysf' " n, 7 *lkr,. i7k._m.JKiV" | J .H dY `"- ._`` "VK,4= . Kdj` | K K B -s&. eJ+ .ys7^` | T lLj (C' .4 | P 'y ., . +j 7 | ,y b, l .` ,t Y` Y | 4` i J` g, ti .l k | Y G p" - - "i`J p | L .~ 74. `W` '`W 9+y b. | N .Y 6s, _. .. ;T; gl | A y *Yf+:'` `^*:pfjVK+i tb | Y. j" K .J`X.f ly | Tj V T. il .Vj .j' | +' fi J` L. y | 'y - .Y Yz,V | .7 . 'A + | .V ,i Tj | xY fG ki | tl K. | K Jb | ,I zH | T I | K N | iU .` P. | V `. _7_` _^ Rg | .B `dJNMHb^ dl | rG 'YKB` d' | ls `T; f '-- r '` il .. J ~ ( _ _` : _ ` _. . .` ( . .` : ~` .. _ .` ; / _` ( ( ( _~ r ` ) .x. ; ; _3. .; ~ . . 2 % ~..`. : .~ :``(:_% .} `..` . _ ~((: c ( `. .~ ; /} : ( .` o ; ( _ ( .: _` ( ( .` _` ` ; _~ ( . .` .;` .; : ; v _` ~ .` _; r _ . v` .: .. .` (. _` , ( .: ( .: .] ) ; /. .; .: > /` 8 : r .` )` ( ( _` .; .: ._ .` ) _ ( _=/__` ) { ...__ .(c?!3/ (:(>`~w. `` `:``(: 3/ I made a copy of the legs and pasted them in JavE .. J ~ ( _ _` : _ ` _. . .` ( . .` : ~` .. _ .` ; / _` ( ( ( _~ r ` ) .x. ; ; _3. .; ~ . . 2 % ~..`. : .~ :``(:_% .} `..` . _ ~((: c ( `. .~ ; /} : ( .` o ; ( _ ( .: _` ( ( .` _` ` ; _~ ( . .` .;` .; : ; v _` ~ .` _; r _ . v` .: .. .` (. _` , ( .: ( .: .] ) ; /. .; .: > /` 8 : r .` )` ( ( _` .; .: ._ .` ) _ ( _=/__` ) { ...__ .(c?!3/ (:(>`~w. `` `:``(: The idea was to use the gradient tool to fill the legs. To obtain a nice shading effect I had to fill them separately. So I erased one leg, closed the gaps and erased the shadows around the knees and toes. ..:'''''''''': ( ' : ' _. . ( . : : .. : ; : ( ( _~ r ) .x. ; _3 ~ 2 .~ _% _ c ; } .` o _ ( ( ( ` ; . .` : ; ~ .` _ . .. .` , ( .: .] /. .; /` 8 .` )` _` .; .` ) _ ) .(c?!3/ `` The next step was to make a custom gradient in the Fill Options panel. MNBtir+iB I entered the following settings in the Fill Options panel: - Linear - dither: enabeld - Any character + diagonal ... and filled the edges of the legs MMMMMMMMMMMMMM M N M M MN N M N N B NN N B t N B BB t B tBt B ti t t it it t t i i it i i r i i i r r rr + r r r+ + + r+ ++ + + +i +i i+ ii +i i iB Bi ii Bi iB B B B BBBBBBB BB Then I changed the last setting to: - Equal character ... ans filled the inside of the leg. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMNNBBttiirrN MMNNBBtBitiirM MNNBBtBitrirrN MNNBBttiirr+N NBBttiirr++B NNtBttiirr+N BBitiirr++t Nttiirr+riB BBiirr++i+t Btiirr++tBt Biirr++iti tiri+r++t itrr+ri+it tiirr++it iirr++iii itrirr++ii iri+r++iir iirr++iiBi irr++iiBBr rirr++iirr +r++iiBr r++i+Br+ ++iiBi+ r++ii++ +iiB+ +i+i+i i+Biii +iiBi iBiBBBi ii+iiBi iB+iiBBB B+iiBBBB BBBBBBB BB The left leg was made the same way. 4/ I opened the diddled drawing (step 2) in JavE and carefuly pasted the two legs in place. The setting I used in the Selection Options panel was: - Foreground 5/ I saved and closed the document, and opened again it in my text editor where the legs shading and edges were hand diddled. Tadaaaa... .&dkl`,ivne._ sRfkgvc+rsnmGBND. aHBNLbni+.irumLGNMms NRIr`'+dLKNMFb`'iNQr `ANWM7 `+lM0. `'^Kl iNWL*_;=e. Y._,_ ON aRNm _.l, j^ _` Bq, eNL:,l=N0`. ls`N0> ibK XHZu! _(c kPBN 'CD . ` tK7KX 'f _&zrc_. .Y , v, `ta.=" ,V 7q. 6% ^l = .r f'noib. + `d+ .._a7 t k+RD6 L.dr h' `*+iPb .f adI` dj+Ggr 4NJb .,dT `'KJc _ir+4b . `cl^ ._ tk. .,&;:rf"t&; 'yIKbr;. dp` luhrZti `~. ^_T `ysf' " n, 7 *lkr,. i7k._m.JKiV" J .H dY `"- ._`` "VK,4= . Kdj` K K B -s&. eJ+ .ys7^` T lLj (C' .4 P 'y ., . +j 7 ,y b, l .` ,t Y` Y 4` i J` g, ti .l k Y G p" - - "i`J p L .~ 74. `W` '`W 9+y b. N .Y 6s, _. .. ;T; gl A y *Yf+:'` `^*:pfjVK+i tb Y. j" K .J`X.f ly Tj V T. il .Vj .j' +' fi J` L. y 'y - .Y Yz,V .7 . 'A + .V ,i Tj xY fG ki tl K. K Jb ,I zH T I K N iU .` P. V `. _7_` _^ Rg .B `dJNMHb^ dl rG 'YKB` d' ls `T; f 'MWMNBKbri++ Y il VMWNRKtirdJNMWNZ _.++ttKRNNs VBKkrze+rdRBNMNkr++iittKKBNN `VRttii++rrddNMNBKii++ddZZYe Yttii+;rrddZBNNNttiirrddZl Kttii;+rrddNMNKKii++ddZV' `Vii+;rrddZBNNNttiirrddf ltii+;rrddNWNKKii++ddZ 'ii++;iddZBNNNttiirrd' tii+;;rddNMNKKii++dV 'i++r;ddZBNNNttiirrj ii++irddNMNKKii++dl i+:irddBNKNNtti+rri ii+,:rddN NKKb+,;dd ,i+.;iddMV VMNBb.ird li,;xdRMB XMBkrddZ. .ii+zBRMKX HSMBbrrd, ili+inGBKJ XKbm++ddZ rii++irdRZ ,GKtiirrdd. ltii++rzkd lKKii++ddZi tii++rrddZ BHttiirrdf' ttii++rxd' KRbii++dd7 tri:+rrdf 'Nbtii+rdl 'Yi;++rB' KKii++dd Bt:+rrf 'Rbii+rd 'ii++H` Kbi++dl V+irf "KiirP ,Zli7 `Yi+rd Z;bK tk;rl tii+K Xli+i si;+it AkirY. etritkl ;ffi+ds fltiielf Kbzrire HKltfdN' NBKlfBH b'ger NMBblB7 VMNKblKl dBMN9 VKBNM7 '` - That's it. :)