#fotd837

[afactaday]

#aFactADay2023

#837: creating ambigrams is a skill, maybe even an art. it's an interesting artform because it's self-restrictive, just like the restrictive writing Perec and so on use (fotd#597). there are algorithms to make basic unoriginal ones, and there are ways to computerise more complex ones. but a hint of creativity is always needed, especially when mapping letters to different numbers of letters (eg. two Cs become a single U). nonetheless, there are some tips for beginners. for half-turn ambigrams, you can just stick a letter on top of another if you get stuck, because when reading quickly, your eyes tend towards the bottom of a word, for example here, where the "i" and "o" are frankenstein'd together.

i thought i'd try my hand at some ambigrams of myself, so here goes nothing. i hope you can recognise the simple half-turn "boomboy", but the reflective ambigram on "pocketpenguin" is much less good. very much a shoehorn job. then below those i tried a more iconographic style for FoTD. let me know your thoughts, and i'd love to see if you try to make any ambigrams of your own!!

(yes i know the image quality is awful but it's probably for the best, considering the quality of the ambigrams.)