Drawing was never high on my list of enjoyable activities, and I can't say that this program has made me more learned in the profession of artistry, but it has often left me on the verge of threatening by Beeb with a hard reset because I couldn't correct some silly mistake.

Even after reloading and consulting the superb on-screen instructions J could only come to the conclusion that the mistake would have to be retraced and plotted over in the background colour, which is easier said than done.

The instructions incorporate splendid colour and graphics and make enjoyable reading. They cover most of the utilities (including circles, ellipses and grid references), and they also show how to select each one.

Mode 2 gives a fairly low resolution screen, but a fantastic range of colours, which can help produce some very spectacular results,

Overall Artist is pretty absorbing once you get into a certain picture or design which can be saved or loaded on to cassette or disc. The rather more simple utilities like triangles and squares could be replaced by something more practical such as arcs or shades.

M.B.