Talk: Questions for ascii artists

Hey all--

After showing a couple of ascii images to a friend of mine, she had the
following questions.  My own ascii stuff tends to be rather primitive and
utilitarian, so I thought I'd pass these questions on to more talented 
and experienced folks.

     My hobby self finds both samples of ascii art intriguing.  
     I'm reminded of cross stitching and light brite, which makes me
     wonder:

	1)  How many ascii images are basic images that are passed around, 
	    adapted, modified?

	2)  Where/how does one learn the principles of ascii art?  
            Are there patterns the same way there are patterns
	    for cross stitching?  Or is all of this kind of "free-handed"?

Thanks for your time in addressing these issues.  Catch ya'll later.... 

-- 
     Greg Dyer                ||  If it's bigger than your head,
     ga...@ksu.ksu.edu          ||     it's probably a melon.
     http://www.ksu.edu/~gad  ||