Graffiti Letters (A-Z)

What is Graffiti?

Graffiti can be a letter or a word, actually it is a public art in an informal way that is written or drawn on a wall or other surfaces without the owner’s permission for centuries . It comes from the Spanish word ‘montana’ which means write. Another way of speaking, It’s from the Italian word “graffiato,” which means “scratched.” Graffiti is actually an Art that ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. It is a form of visual communication which is created in public places.

What are Graffiti Letters?

When a letter is usually written with marker or spray paint and in one color, which is sharply contrasted with its background, it is called graffiti letters. You can write these letters in different ways since there are various kinds of graffiti styles. It helps to describe any writings or drawings created on a surface in a public space.

History Of Graffiti Letters

A Brief Graffiti History
Though graffiti as art emerged in the early 1970s, it has been present since immemorial times. Confused? Read on to understand more.

Ancient Origins
Graffiti is long used as an effective mode of communication and expression by people. For example, sex workers of ancient Greece used drawings and scratches in public properties to promote their services.

In addition to that, ancient Romans used to carve images and illustrations into different monuments to scoff Christianity.

The first modern graffiti writer is widely considered to be Cornbread, a high school student from Philadelphia, who in 1967 started tagging city walls to get the attention of a girl. But it was only in the 1980s that galleries began to showcase graffiti as artwork.

Modern graffiti seems to have appeared in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, and by the late sixties it had reached New York. The new art form really took off in the 1970s, when people began writing their names, or ‘tags’, on buildings all over the city.

The first drawings on walls appeared in caves thousands of years ago. Later the Ancient Romans and Greeks wrote their names and protest poems on buildings.

Graffiti art has its origins in 1970s New York, when young people began to use spray paint and other materials to create images on buildings and on the sides of subway trains. Such graffiti can range from bright graphic images (wildstyle) to the stylised monogram (tag).

Darryl “Cornbread” McCray
In 1965, Darryl “Cornbread” McCray, now widely considered the world’s first modern graffiti artist, was a 12-year-old troublemaker housed at Philadelphia’s Youth Development Center (YDC).Aug 16, 2018.

What are the rules of graffiti?

There are some different rules of graffiti. We know, when a graffiti writer writes others’ houses, cars or paints over others’ work, it can be vandalism. So, before writing or painting, you have to know these rules!

Don’t snitch

Someone who secretly tells someone in authority that someone else has done something bad, often in order to cause trouble, is called a snitch. You don’t have to talk to the police and snitch on other graffiti writers to someone. As a graffiti writer, never snitch on anyone who’s on the same team as you.

Don’t write on religious buildings or war memorials

It is too bad to write on religious buildings or war Memorials. You won’t get any respect from others if you do that. When you have been granted political permission, you can write on war memorials and religious buildings.

Don’t write on houses

This rule is pretty simple. Never write graffiti on people’s houses. It is really illegal to write on someone’s houses without the owner’s permission. So, please avoid it!

Don’t write on cars

Like houses, you should not paint on other people’s cars.

But you can write graffiti on cars when it is abandoned or when the owners give permission.

Never paint over a dead writer’s work

Most graffiti writers can make this mistake. It will be the biggest mistake when you paint over a dead graffiti writer’s work. So, before writing over another work,make sure that person is still alive otherwise it can be disrespectful to him/her.

Never paint over a tribute piece

Tribute pieces are usually painted by the friends of the dead writer to dedicate to them. So, never paint over a tribute piece otherwise it can be a massive sign of disrespect to go over one.

What are the different styles of graffiti letters?

Handstyles

Handstyle graffiti is drawn on canvas, paper, and other two-dimensional surfaces which generally describes artworks on a smaller scale, and is often seen to be incorporated into other artworks. This style of graffiti has become more popular within the design and fine art contexts, now becoming canonical as a stylistic quality of hand-lettering artworks.

Another way to say, Handstyle graffiti is the practice form, where artists can work out their graffiti letters and graffiti alphabet styles.

Simple style

The simple style of graffiti basically looks like normal letters. This is not a complex style that is easily readable. You can use just Colors and effects which matter the most in simple style graffiti.

Bubble Style

Graffiti in bubble-style – a subcategory of “simple style” -looks like they have been blown up with air. All edges are round. They do not leave plenty of scope for variation and creativity. Read this article, if you want to learn how to draw graffiti letters in bubble style.

Wildstyle
Wildstyle is the complex form of graffiti which is the more elaborate take on a Blockbuster. That’s why it is visually very appealing, the convoluted and interlocked letters, arrows, spikes and other decorative elements merge into one another, often making it difficult to work out what has been written.

What Do You Need To Draw Graffiti?

Before starting to draw graffiti, you need some important elements which will help you to draw it perfectly. Here are given some elements below.

1.Brush paints
2.Gloss
3.Spray cans
4.Nozzles (caps)
5.Brushes
6.Gloves
7.Stencils
8.Pens
9.Surface/Location

How To Draw Graffiti Letters?

Here are some important tips and tricks on how you draw a graffiti letter.

Write down the letter or the name in pencil or chalk

Firstly, you have to write the original letter in pencil or chalk. Everyone can write this easily.

Add blocks or turn the letter into bubbles

You can add blocks around the original letter or add bubbles to make it look more artistic though block letters have straight lines and sharp corners, while bubble letters are more rounded.

Connect the letter

If you want to draw a name then you can extend the block one letter end to the point where another begins. You mustn’t keep any space between two letters so that every letter can be connected. But, when you draw a single letter you can skip it.

Add feet, seraphs, bits and arrows

If you want to decorate the letters and make it more attractive then you can add feet, seraphs, bits and arrows.

Create a 3D effect

The 3D effect is used to make the lines thicker or narrower at different places. You have to add a shaded edge to your letters then sharpen the lines to make it a 3 -D design.

Blacken your sketch lines

Use marker or paint to darken the sketch lines you have already drawn with your pencil or chalk, you should darken it by using marker or paint. The thick lines should be bold. Then erase the pencil or chalk lines.

Add different color

To Make it more attractive and nice and neat, you must use different colors to fill all the letters.

Set it against a background

After completing all the way, you can add a background colour against its original color. Then, you can get an awesome graffiti letter.