15 Tips To Becoming A Better Street Artist/Graffiti Bomber

Get street smart with these 15 graffiti tips.

GRAFFITI

7/8/20214 分読む

1) Practice your signature! (TAG)

Even if you're not immediately pulling off flawless throwies in the beginning, you can at least pull off some respectable tags. Practice different styles of writing from legible cursive to questionable grunge.

2) Start off small! (Write and draw)

The world is a big place, and so are its surfaces. If you're not already used to painting at a large scale, start off small. Proper proportion and perspective are important keys to creating an appealing piece. I'd suggest sketching/drawing a couple of your throwies first, then maybe painting on canvases as you scale up. Once you're comfortable with canvases, take your paint to the streets. Don't get carried away with trying to pull off a 12x24 foot throwie right away. Try something closer to 3x6 feet.
Here's why:
It'll save you paint! Paint can get expensive at up to $5 a can, and if you're attempting to finish a piece, it can easily take up from 6-10 cans to complete ($30-$50). Instead of going all in and pouring all of your resources into one giant throw, hit a couple of spots and practice making a few moderate ones. It's better for exposure.

3) Have a plan! (Style)

If you're going for consistent quality, be sure to have a plan and to follow it! It's easy to get side-tracked by all the spectacular variety of styles of other writers along the way, and then find yourself trying to freestyle your work. There's nothing wrong with freestyling when you're on the go, but I'd encourage you to mainly pull from your black-book. When in an environment that requires you to stick and move, you'll need precision, as to get it right the first time. Having a plan and sticking to it means less mistakes, thus sparing you paint for the next throw!

4) Keep it simple (minimal).
  • Have two-color combinations that you like to sticking to. You can never go wrong with black and white.

  • Keep your name/phrase short, simple, and to the point.

  • Potentially have a go-to avatar/symbol on hand.

5) Schedule wisely!
  • Try your best not to go painting outdoors during rainy/wet weather. Rainy weather equals wet surfaces, which will cause your paint to lay on thin and run more. This isn't ideal for quality results. If you can, always paint on dry surfaces.

  • No high-traffic areas at their peak hours. Unless of course you want to be seen...


6) Expand and improve

If you think your work resembles too many other artists' styles and techniques, work on improving and further differentiating yours. At this point your skills are going to have to make a major leap forward because this step is what separates the little league from the big league.

7) Steer clear of street gangs and conflict.

Don't deliberately go over (cap) someone else's piece just because they went over you at some point. It's bound to happen sooner or later. Instead, move on up and find higher quality spots to leave your mark. Don't let your ego allow things to escalate. Do your best to NOT paint in gang territory. Steer clear of gang related confrontations, even if you are "about that life".

8) Don't be ashamed to paint in street art-approved areas.

If you're not tagging/piecing billboards and water towers right off the bat, do NOT feel ashamed or discouraged. Artists who are painting heaven pieces have been at it for a while, and take major risks to achieve such feats. Those are balls that have to be developed, so give yourself some time.

9) Respect other people's property.

Not everything is fair game. Avoid painting and writing on personal property and public institutions. There are even cultural taboos to consider such as taking care not to write over memorial pieces dedicated to departed writers. I was rudely informed of this when I clipped a ZEXOR throwie not far from where I painted when I was first getting started. I had no idea who ZEXOR was. May he be at peace.

10) Take a picture, it'll last longer.

Take a photo of your finished product! Save it as documentation for future portfolios, catalogs, reference, or just for precious keepsakes.

11) Get to know your city (personally).

Yea, sorry to say, but Google maps won't pull up recommendations for places to spray graffiti, unless you're looking for legal walls. Spend some time with your city, town, village, etc. You're about to realize how little of the city is ACTUALLY being utilized by the typical civilian.

12) Bring a paint bucket!

Painting a wall before you throw down can be a good idea when the space you're planning to paint is already saturated with previous works. Paint the surface before you begin to create a nice clean slate for yourself. You can also use the base color that you brought to cover your mistakes and have another go at those details.

13) Wear a mask!

Aerosol paint utilizes a lot of chemicals that are great for painting the walls of cityscapes, not the walls of lungs. Protect those lungs at all cost! Our health doesn't come cheap.

14) Educate yo' self!

As a new writer it's critical to educate yourself on the do's, the don'ts, the history and the names in the writing game as soon as possible. The fact that you're here and actually reading this means that you've not only taken an interest in writing, but that soon you'll become obsessed and will be initiated into the dark arts of vandalism (MUAHAHAAAA! ). Or maybe you'll follow a path that allows you to take a few less risks while bypassing the state paranoia. Either way, give yourself huge props for reading all of this because that means you're well on your way to trailblazing a unique path for the writer that is YOU.

15) Know why you do it.

Writers get up for different reasons; for fun, for deep fulfilment, to rebel against the powers designed to control and manipulate us to be fearful, disunited and breed hatred for one another. Whatever your reasons may be, let them fuel the positivity within you to bring positive change in a world that can use another hero. Everyone likes a hero.

Happy writing!

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