1,000 Ideas for Graffiti and Street Art: Murals, Tags, and More from Artists Around the World (1000 Series)

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Tagging is the easiest, simplest, and most recognized style of graffiti. A tag is essentially the artist’s “signature” using a pseudonym.

There are several different types of graffiti styles. Many include variations in drawing graffiti letters, but other types take the art a bit further by adding more than just lettering. Graffiti art isn’t meant to be quiet and understated. It’s meant to be bold and impactful – something that people remember. One way to do this is by scaling up your design and going big. In our tutorial section, we just want to focus on how to draw graffiti letters step-by-step and the step-by-step drawing process of graffiti, as can be seen in the example next to this text. The term ‘graffiti art’ describes images, text, and illustrations that are painted on walls or the sides of buildings – usually without permission. Originating in the 1960s, the art of graffiti itself was initially considered vandalism, but it’s now more widely recognised as artwork. In 1984, the MTA launched its Clean Car Program, which involved a five-year plan to completely eliminate graffiti on subway cars, operating on the principle that a graffiti-covered subway car could not be put into service until all the graffiti on it had been cleaned off. This program was implemented one subway line at a time, gradually pushing writers outward, and by 1986 many of the city's lines were completely clear of graffiti. Lieutenant Steve Mona recalls one day when the ACC crew hit 130 cars in a yard at Coney Island, assuming that the MTA wouldn't shut down service and that the graffitied trains would run. Yet the MTA opted to not provide service, greatly inconveniencing citizens who had to wait over an hour for a train that morning. That was the day that the MTA's dedication to the eradication of graffiti became apparent.

More on graffiti tags across the web

Wildstyle: If you’ve ever had difficulty reading graffiti letters, it may be because of its wildstyle. These elaborate works of art take much more time and creativity than the original throw-up. Of course, you don’t handle a can of spray paint the same as you do a paint marker and pen. You will have learned the hand styles, but now you need to know spray paint techniques. The best place to start gaining mastery with graffiti is at the beginning, of course. First, you will want to practice simply having suitable hand styles for the varying graffiti styles. Not everyone likes or appreciates graffiti, but that is not the purpose of this style of artwork. Graffiti is a statement created for self-expression, often by groups who are disenfranchised. There is even the option to enter contests. This can help you get motivated to improve. There is nothing like a healthy dose of competition to up your art game.

These artworks contain at least three colors and usually take longer to paint than a tag. A ‘piece will often reach a level of public acceptability that most graffiti does not achieve. Anonymity and not getting caught are essential. The risks and challenge of tagging somewhere high-profile or hard to reach is part of graffiti’s appeal.

2. Enter the word/name

If you want to make your drawing to look even more complex, you will have to add a different gradient to each letter. Step 4.1 Which Colors Should I Use?