I have lived in cities where graffiti artists are respected and given areas where they can display their talent.
I respect graffiti Artists and their work,
BUT .... when distructive, and poorly executed graffiti is painted on private property and public buildings
IT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG AND DESTRUCTIVE!
It doesn't demonstrate talent; it demonstrates anti-social behavior and "tags" all graffiti artists as irresponsible and self-absorbed! If you are a graffiti artist, what gives you the right to "paint" on public or private property? It is extremely difficult and expensive to remove, and the "mess" devalues the abused property and its neighborhood. Shame! And there are strict consquences: http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1779344
Here are some great examples of what graffiiti sketches may look like, but please put your own personal style into whatever it is you are creating!
Be inspired...
Respectable graffitti artists are able to create building altering designs, affecting the way the community persceives spray can art!
I participated in a graffiti festival in Busan South Korea. Artists were commisioned by the local shop owners to transform the fronts of the otherwise drab shop security doors. This particular area of town is soley book stores, and are all closed on Sundays, giving the perfect time to take advantage of the blank canvases.
This particular Sunday attracted the postive local media attention. Beautification of the store fronts was sucessful.
Is graffiti viewed as being art? YES! here are some photos of Sada's exhibition, in Busan, South Korea.
He received permission to paint directly onto the gallery walls.
Sada's reputation as a RESPECTABLE graffiti artist, has opened up the opportunity to be commissioned to create site specific designs. Here is an Italian restuarant that he designed and painted in Busan, South Korea.
Here is an excellent video that will demonstrate the layering techniques that are used to achieve an amazing final product. This scale of mural takes years to work up to, so PLEASE, it is essential that you do not take on such projects.
Remember IT IS ILLEGAL TO PAINT ON OTHERS PROPERTY!
Think about ways that you can create are within a public space, without being distructive. Here are a few examples of what can be done. The first video uses projector screens, and a lazer pointer. It is a little more advanced than the second...however, illustrates what is possible!
By setting a cameras shutter speed at a very low level, glow sticks or cell phones, or any other source of light that is able to be quickly moved around, can be used to draw such forms.
How it can be done...
Step 1:
Write down a name on paper. Start with any word, but your name is the best choice for beginners. Most serious graffiti artists start by developing a unique signature. As a beginner, print the letters, all in capitals. Use a pencil and draw lightly for easy erasing. Leave plenty of space between letters; you'll expand them to fill in the space later. Make them big enough to work with, but not so big that it will take forever to complete the graffiti.
Step 2:
Choose a style for the name. Bubble letters are especially popular in graffiti, but there are other styles, too. You can have rounded or sharp edges, equally sized letters or some big letters and some small, etc. It's easier to emulate a style, and have a picture of a graffiti piece in that style to refer to. Once you learn the basics you can develop your own style naturally.
Step 3:
Outline the letters you have written to approximate the style you're going for. Again, use pencil and write very lightly, as you'll make many little mistakes. It will take time and patience to get the letters just right. Remember: Make the original words you wrote your guide,not your prison. Don't be afraid to alter the letters beyond all recognition.
Step 4:
Vary line thickness. You can make all the lines the same thickness, but you can approximate shading and a 3-D effect if the lines get thicker and narrower at different places. For example, the top and one side of an "o" might be very thick, while the bottom and other side is narrowed. Use your pencil to vary the thickness; you're going to darken this out with ink or marker later, so it doesn't need to be pitch black. By doing this step now, you can get a good idea of what thicknesses looks good before you make the lines permanent.
Step 5:
Add details as desired. Once your letters are as you want them, you can add additional details--with light pencil--if you choose to. Perhaps a lightning bolt for the dot of an "i" would be good, or eyes peering out of the holes in your "b". You can put a bubble around the whole name, like in comic books. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Step 6:
Blacken your pencil lines. Use pen or marker to darken the lines drawn with your pencil. These lines are more or less permanent, so be extremely careful. Don't be discouraged with small mistakes; you can usually fix it so nobody else will know. Say if your pen line was too thick or you were jogged and went outside of the line, just fill it in so it's 3D.
Step 7:
Add color. To fill in your drawing with colored pencil or marker, as suggested already, it's a good idea to look at examples before doing this, but really you can do anything you want except crayon. A very simple, single work of graffiti might have only one color. You can also easily do each letter in a different color or make the added details a different color than the letters. While you might be tempted to go crazy with color, sometimes simplicity is best.
Step 8:
Keep practicing. If your graffiti turned out perfectly, congratulations. Now move on to different words and effects. If not, keep trying. Master the simple moves first and then work your way up--you'll soon develop your own style. Carry your own "black book" and don't copy people's art.
Check out these websites for more ideas!
Web Urbanist - Archived Articles on Graffiti & Drawing:
http://weburbanist.com/category/graffiti/
Type in a few words, and have them generated into alphscaping material
http://graffiti-alphabet.net/
How to:
