diff --git a/examples/shapes_and_collections/fancybox_demo.py b/examples/shapes_and_collections/fancybox_demo.py
index ba80979ab0a2..de3263612d2a 100644
--- a/examples/shapes_and_collections/fancybox_demo.py
+++ b/examples/shapes_and_collections/fancybox_demo.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 The following examples show how to plot boxes with different visual properties.
 """
 
+import inspect
+
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import matplotlib.transforms as mtransforms
 import matplotlib.patches as mpatch
@@ -15,17 +17,26 @@
 # First we'll show some sample boxes with fancybox.
 
 styles = mpatch.BoxStyle.get_styles()
-spacing = 1.2
-
-figheight = (spacing * len(styles) + .5)
-fig = plt.figure(figsize=(4 / 1.5, figheight / 1.5))
-fontsize = 0.3 * 72
-
-for i, stylename in enumerate(styles):
-    fig.text(0.5, (spacing * (len(styles) - i) - 0.5) / figheight, stylename,
-             ha="center",
-             size=fontsize,
-             bbox=dict(boxstyle=stylename, fc="w", ec="k"))
+ncol = 2
+nrow = (len(styles) + 1) // ncol
+axs = (plt.figure(figsize=(3 * ncol, 1 + nrow))
+       .add_gridspec(1 + nrow, ncol, wspace=.5).subplots())
+for ax in axs.flat:
+    ax.set_axis_off()
+for ax in axs[0, :]:
+    ax.text(.2, .5, "boxstyle",
+            transform=ax.transAxes, size="large", color="tab:blue",
+            horizontalalignment="right", verticalalignment="center")
+    ax.text(.4, .5, "default parameters",
+            transform=ax.transAxes,
+            horizontalalignment="left", verticalalignment="center")
+for ax, (stylename, stylecls) in zip(axs[1:, :].T.flat, styles.items()):
+    ax.text(.2, .5, stylename, bbox=dict(boxstyle=stylename, fc="w", ec="k"),
+            transform=ax.transAxes, size="large", color="tab:blue",
+            horizontalalignment="right", verticalalignment="center")
+    ax.text(.4, .5, str(inspect.signature(stylecls))[1:-1].replace(", ", "\n"),
+            transform=ax.transAxes,
+            horizontalalignment="left", verticalalignment="center")
 
 
 ###############################################################################
diff --git a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/fancyarrow_demo.py b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/fancyarrow_demo.py
index fbaca019fdf8..546384a0f4d0 100644
--- a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/fancyarrow_demo.py
+++ b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/fancyarrow_demo.py
@@ -6,38 +6,41 @@
 Overview of the arrow styles available in `~.Axes.annotate`.
 """
 
+import inspect
+
 import matplotlib.patches as mpatches
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
 styles = mpatches.ArrowStyle.get_styles()
-
 ncol = 2
 nrow = (len(styles) + 1) // ncol
-figheight = (nrow + 0.5)
-fig = plt.figure(figsize=(4 * ncol / 1.5, figheight / 1.5))
-fontsize = 0.2 * 70
-
-ax = fig.add_axes([0, 0, 1, 1], frameon=False)
-ax.set(xlim=(0, 4 * ncol), ylim=(0, figheight))
-
-for i, (stylename, styleclass) in enumerate(styles.items()):
-    x = 3.2 + (i // nrow) * 4
-    y = (figheight - 0.7 - i % nrow)  # /figheight
-    p = mpatches.Circle((x, y), 0.2)
-    ax.add_patch(p)
-
-    ax.annotate(stylename, (x, y),
-                (x - 1.2, y),
-                ha="right", va="center",
-                size=fontsize,
-                arrowprops=dict(arrowstyle=stylename,
-                                patchB=p,
-                                shrinkA=5,
-                                shrinkB=5,
-                                fc="k", ec="k",
-                                connectionstyle="arc3,rad=-0.05",
-                                ),
+axs = (plt.figure(figsize=(4 * ncol, 1 + nrow))
+       .add_gridspec(1 + nrow, ncol,
+                     wspace=.5, left=.1, right=.9, bottom=0, top=1).subplots())
+for ax in axs.flat:
+    ax.set_axis_off()
+for ax in axs[0, :]:
+    ax.text(0, .5, "arrowstyle",
+            transform=ax.transAxes, size="large", color="tab:blue",
+            horizontalalignment="center", verticalalignment="center")
+    ax.text(.5, .5, "default parameters",
+            transform=ax.transAxes,
+            horizontalalignment="left", verticalalignment="center")
+for ax, (stylename, stylecls) in zip(axs[1:, :].T.flat, styles.items()):
+    l, = ax.plot(.35, .5, "ok", transform=ax.transAxes)
+    ax.annotate(stylename, (.35, .5), (0, .5),
+                xycoords="axes fraction", textcoords="axes fraction",
+                size="large", color="tab:blue",
+                horizontalalignment="center", verticalalignment="center",
+                arrowprops=dict(
+                    arrowstyle=stylename, connectionstyle="arc3,rad=-0.05",
+                    color="k", shrinkA=5, shrinkB=5, patchB=l,
+                ),
                 bbox=dict(boxstyle="square", fc="w"))
+    ax.text(.5, .5,
+            str(inspect.signature(stylecls))[1:-1].replace(", ", "\n"),
+            transform=ax.transAxes,
+            horizontalalignment="left", verticalalignment="center")
 
 plt.show()