Graffiti is as individual as the artist (or "writer" as he prefers) who creates it, yet the art form is singularly recognizable. This writing style, made popular in the 1960s and '70s in New York City, incorporates 3-D bubble letters which overlap, bright colors and thick outlines. What started as a way for "Taki 183" to personalize the subway stations he passed through has become an artistic phenomenon. Graffiti appears not only on walls, but CD covers and clothing. Drawing words in graffiti takes only a few tools and lots of personality.
Instructions
Drawing on Paper
1. Write a word in large print on your graph paper with a thin-tip pen.
2. Trace over your letters with a black, thick-tip marker. Continue tracing until your letters are thick and overlap.
3. Place a sheet of white copy paper on top of your graph paper. Trace around the word with a black, thin-tip marker.
4. Color in your bubble letters with the lightest marker shade. Add darker shades around the inside edges for shading.
5. Add a drop-shadow to your word by drawing around the base of the word with a gray, wide-tip marker.
Drawing on a Wall
6. Draw a rectangle on the wall with chalk. Sketch grid lines inside, proportionate to your grid paper drawing.
7. Draw the letter outlines with chalk, matching the scale of your paper drawing.
8. Paint inside your letter outline with a paintbrush and diluted white paint. Allow the white paint to dry.
9. Spray-paint your letters, starting with the lightest shade. Add the other colors until your word is completed. Allow the spray-paint to dry.
10. Paint over your graffiti with varnish to protect it from the elements and grime.
