Graffiti
Tutorial/Guide
by: AerisOner
of TSC
3/24/2005: Version
0.75 (Almost done, I promise)
Introduction: Information About this Tutorial and the
Author.
I decided to try doing some graffiti styled pieces 7 years ago after seeing a classmate's pieces in my art class. My graffiti style was originally very blocky and square when I first started making pieces, but now most of my pieces have large dramatic curves and a sort of "jungle vine" feel to them. I've been retired from actual tagging (the destruction of property for the sake of fame) since 2002, but that doesn't mean I've lost the love for graffiti.
I decided to finally make this tutorial/guide for 2 reasons:
I have semi-strict policy of keeping my graffiti work to myself, which means if you ask me to do a piece for you I will say "No" without hesitation (it may sound mean. But to me, graffiti is emotion and I'm not one to give my emotions freely to whoever asks). So for all of you that wanted a piece by AerisOner, allow me to offer you this tutorial as the next best thing.
Secondly, I've recently been asked by many people in the "digital realm" and in "real life" about how I go about making a piece. Thus, I've decided that now would be as good a time as any to go make this guide for my friends.
By now you're probably ready to get down and do some hit-ups. So without further ado, I hereby present my graffiti tutorial/guide.
Phase
1: From the Head to the Paper
So, you never tagged a day in your life. You could care less
about what a streak or a fat cap is. And the thought of breaking
the law and potentially getting arrested is a bit unnerving to
you. But still something inside of you says "Graffiti has
it's own unique style and I'd like to try my hand at it."
Starting Out: Some things that will help you.
Paper (you'll be messing up a lot and stuff will turn out looking like trash, so stock up)
Pencils/Pens (some writers believe in using pens exclusively for all their paper work, even if they're just rough drafts. I don't have a preference, but pencil is more forgiving and let's you revise your pieces with a lot more ease)
Sharpie/Permanent Markers (these will help you to make bolder lines and also "mean streak" hit-ups for your CGs)
A Creative Mind (if you're not "feeling it" or you lack creativity, you're going to have a super hard time making graffiti)
A Computer with a Scanner (if you want to digitize your work)
Photoshop (I use Photoshop for my pieces and I'll be doing the CG portion with it)
Wacom Tablet (this is really worth the investment, especially if you plan on doing a lot of artwork or are prone to CTS).
Layout of the Letters: Developing your style.
The 1st thing that
you'll want to do is make a layout plan of how you want your
piece to look. Make a quick sketch showing how you want your
letters to "flow" through the word and also how they
will "interact" with eachother. Keep in mind that this
is just a "skeleton" of your piece, keep it rough and
dirty since all you're trying to capture is the emotion and the
energy of the piece. As you progress and gain more skill, you
should be able to bypass this stage and begin making hit-ups
without drawing a skeleton.
If you need some help with the style of your letters, click here to view a sample letter chart.
Here's my layout, for those of you who cannot read it, it
says "TAG." Notice I kept it very simple, since it will
only be used as a guide. The lines were made very dark so you can
clearly see layout. Remember to keep your lines looser and
lighter than this as you will be doing a lot of erasing.
Fleshing Out Your Piece: Beefing Up Your Hit-Up.
Now that we have a general idea of how the piece will look, it's time to get work and actually begin making your hit-up. Use bars and dynamic curves to add to your layout skeleton. Try to keep your lines as loose as possible as this will be a rough of your hit-up.
Here's my fleshed
out piece. Notice how I left overlapping lines. This will help
you line up any overlapping bars and lines when you finish your
piece. Also notice how my fleshed out piece doesn't follow the
skeleton to the letter,
Adding Extras: Accessorizing Your Piece.
So your piece is fleshed out and it's looking good so far. But you don't want to settle for just "good" hit-up, so here are some things you can do to make your piece even more dynamic.
Try adding "breaks/gaps" in your bars. It's a simple concept, but it makes your pieces more interesting and dynamic.
Add arrows to the end of your bars. Be careful not to go overboard with the arrows. And if at all possible try to get the arrows to point at something relevant in your piece.
Try adding some abstract shapes around the hit-up. This will catch and hold your viewer's attention and force their eyes to take in the whole hit-up.
In addition to positioning the letters so they're touching, you can also try conjoining 2 or more letters.
Here we
have the fleshed out piece with the add-ons and effects that I
listed above. Notice how simple effects and flair can totally
change the overall look and feel of a piece.