ascii-art-image

name	ascii-art-image
description	Create pictures using only ASCII characters. Use when the user asks for ASCII art, text-only images, terminal art, banners, or monochrome drawings made from characters.

ASCII Art Image Creation

Create an image using only ASCII characters (7-bit printable characters). Output must be plain text in a monospaced layout.

When to use

• The user asks for ASCII art, text art, terminal art, character-based drawings, or an "image" made from characters.
• The user wants an ASCII logo, icon, scene, portrait, or diagram.

Constraints (must follow)

1. ASCII-only: Use characters in the printable ASCII range.
   • Allowed examples: letters A–Z/a–z, digits 0–9, space, punctuation like .-_=/\\|()[]{}<>:+*#@'\", etc.
   • Avoid Unicode box-drawing, emojis, braille blocks, or shaded block characters.
2. Monospace-friendly: Assume a fixed-width font; align with spaces.
3. No external images: Do not reference or embed non-text images.
4. Deliver as a code block: Always wrap final art in a fenced code block for alignment.

Clarify requirements (ask if missing)

Ask up to 3 quick questions if the user hasn’t specified:

• Subject: What should the ASCII image depict?
• Size: Desired width/height (e.g. 40x20, 80 columns), and where it will be displayed (terminal, README).
• Style: Outline vs shaded, realistic vs cartoon, character set preference (e.g. # shading), and whether text/caption is needed.

If the user says "surprise me", choose a default: ~60–80 columns wide, simple shaded style using .:-=+*#%@.

Process

1. Choose canvas size
   • Default: width 60–80 characters; height proportional (20–30 lines).
   • Ensure it fits typical terminals (80 columns) unless the user requests otherwise.
2. Pick a character palette
   • Outline: ._-=/\\|()
   • Shading: .:-=+*#%@ (space = lightest)
   • Dense fill: #%@
3. Draft silhouette
   • Block out main shapes with spaces and a mid-tone character.
4. Add details
   • Use darker characters for shadows; lighter for highlights.
   • Maintain symmetry when appropriate.
5. Clean up alignment
   • Remove trailing spaces when possible, but don’t break alignment.
   • Keep consistent line lengths if the output is meant for strict rendering.

Output format

Return:

• Optional 1-line title above the code block (ASCII-only).
• The ASCII art inside a fenced code block.
• Optionally a short note: dimensions (width x height) and palette used.

Safety/Content guidelines

• If asked to depict disallowed content, refuse and offer a safe alternative (e.g. abstract pattern, landscape, mascot).
• Avoid generating hateful or harassing imagery.

Examples (minimal)

Small icon (cat)

 /\_/\\
( o.o )
 > ^ <

Simple banner

  ____   ____  ____ ___ ___
 / ___| / ___||  _ \_ _/ _ \\
| |     \___ \| |_) | | | | |
| |___   ___) |  __/| | |_| |
 \____| |____/|_|  |___\___/

See also: references/ASCII-PALETTES.md