Graffiti words
and phrases have their origins in the inner city and have long been considered urban art at best and vandalism at worst. In recent years, especially with the popularity of the Internet, graffiti art and lettering styles have found a place in the world of art. Graffiti lettering is often found on books, posters and album covers, among other media. Learning to master this art isn't difficult. The best way to learn is to get familiar with the basics and jump right in. It won't be long until you are expressing yourself on paper with your own graffiti words and phrases.
Instructions
1. Sketch the word or phrase you want to write on paper using a lead pencil or a dark black or brown pencil. Leave a little extra space in between each of the letters so you can thicken the lines later. Use a basic graffiti style such as block, round or sharp as the base of your graffiti words, but feel free to add your own artistic presentation. There is no right or wrong way to do graffiti words. The basic techniques are helpful, but drawing graffiti is a free form artistic pursuit.
2. Determine the type of texture you want to apply to your letters. A few well-placed lines in black can help add wrinkles or other texture to your letter faces. Deepen these lines before you apply color to your words. The deeper lines will ensure the texture comes out when you apply color.
3. Apply color pencil with sweeping diagonal strokes. Vary the pressure of your pencil tip to add variety to the shading. Choose hot colors to bring out the stylistic elements of the graffiti. Another coloring technique that helps flesh out the graffiti look is to blend several hot colors in a gradated fashion. As you apply the colors, use your fingertip to blend and smudge the colors to take away the hard lines.
4. Thicken the outline. Graffiti words often have a 3D look. To achieve this, don't thicken every inch of the border. Focus more on one light angle and thicken the areas that would be affected by the light angle you've chosen. The lines help fatten the words, which is what will give you a typical graffiti appearance.
