#include <bits/stdc++.h>

using namespace std;

#define int long long
#define FOR(i, a, b) for(ll i = (a); i < (b); ++i)
#define FORR(i, a, b) for(ll i = (a); i > (b); --i)
#define REP(i, n) for(ll i = 0; i < (n); ++i)
#define REPR(i, n) for(ll i = n; i >= 0; i--)
#define FOREACH(x, a) for(auto &(x) : (a))
#define VECCIN(x)                                                              \
    for(auto &youso_ : (x)) cin >> youso_
#define bitcnt __builtin_popcount
#define SZ(x) ((ll)(x).size())
#define fi first
#define se second
#define All(a) (a).begin(), (a).end()
template <typename T = long long> inline T IN() {
    T x;
    cin >> x;
    return (x);
}
inline void CIN() {}
template <class Head, class... Tail>
inline void CIN(Head &&head, Tail &&... tail) {
    cin >> head;
    CIN(move(tail)...);
}
#define CINT(...)                                                              \
    int __VA_ARGS__;                                                           \
    CIN(__VA_ARGS__)
#define DCIN(...)                                                              \
    double __VA_ARGS__;                                                        \
    CIN(__VA_ARGS__)
#define LCIN(...)                                                              \
    ll __VA_ARGS__;                                                            \
    CIN(__VA_ARGS__)
#define SCIN(...)                                                              \
    string __VA_ARGS__;                                                        \
    CIN(__VA_ARGS__)
#define Yes(a) cout << (a ? "Yes" : "No") << "\n"
#define YES(a) cout << (a ? "YES" : "NO") << "\n"
#define Printv(v)                                                              \
    {                                                                          \
        FOREACH(x, v) { cout << x << " "; }                                    \
        cout << "\n";                                                          \
    }
template <typename T = string> inline void eputs(T s) {
    cout << s << "\n";
    exit(0);
}
template <typename A, size_t N, typename T>
void Fill(A (&array)[N], const T &val) {
    std::fill((T *)array, (T *)(array + N), val);
}
template <typename T> using PQG = priority_queue<T, vector<T>, greater<T>>;
template <typename T> using PQ = priority_queue<T>;

typedef long long ll;
typedef unsigned long long ul;
typedef vector<ll> VL;
typedef pair<ll, ll> PL;

const int INF = 1e9;
const int MOD = 1e9 + 7;
const double PI = atan(1.0) * 4.0;
// const int MOD = 998244353;
const ll LINF = 9e18;
const ll dx[] = {1, 0, -1, 0};
const ll dy[] = {0, 1, 0, -1};

ll H, W, A, B;
char S[1009][1009];

signed main() {
    cin >> H >> W >> A >> B;
    if(H * W < 2 * (A + B)) eputs("NO");
    FOR(i, 1, H + 1) FOR(j, 1, W + 1) S[i][j] = '.';
    if(H % 2) {
        for(int i = 1; i < W and A; i += 2)
            S[H][i] = '<', S[H][i + 1] = '>', A--;
    }
    if(W % 2) {
        for(int i = 1; i < H and B; i += 2)
            S[i][W] = '^', S[i + 1][W] = 'v', B--;
    }
    for(int i = 1; i < H; i += 2)
        for(int j = 1; j < W; j += 2) {
            if(A >= 2) {
                S[i][j] = '<', S[i][j + 1] = '>';
                S[i + 1][j] = '<', S[i + 1][j + 1] = '>';
                A -= 2;
            } else if(B >= 2) {
                S[i][j] = '^', S[i][j + 1] = '^';
                S[i + 1][j] = 'v', S[i + 1][j + 1] = 'v';
                B -= 2;
            } else if(A && B && i == H - 2 && j == W - 2) {
                A--, B--;
                S[i][j] = '<', S[i][j + 1] = '>', S[i][j + 2] = '^';
                S[i + 1][j] = '^', S[i + 1][j + 2] = 'v';
                S[i + 2][j] = 'v', S[i + 2][j + 1] = '<', S[i + 2][j + 2] = '>';
            } else if(A) {
                A--;
                S[i][j] = '<', S[i][j + 1] = '>';
            } else if(B) {
                B--;
                S[i][j] = '^', S[i + 1][j] = 'v';
            }
        }
    if(A || B) eputs("NO");
    puts("YES");
    FOR(i, 1, H + 1) {
        FOR(j, 1, W + 1) cout << S[i][j];
        cout << "\n";
    }
}

Measured memory_bytes: 2176