Graffiti is beautiful and light in pencil. How to draw graffiti with a pencil

Graffiti is a modern street art that is popular among young people. Undoubtedly, every person has seen these drawings on the walls of houses, on garages and on abandoned buildings. Some people like it all, while others consider it hooliganism and not creativity.

Graffiti began to spread in the 70s. In those days, writers (i.e., graffiti artists), if they were seen on the streets doing their work, could be fined, punished, and even imprisoned. Nowadays, this type of art is not treated so categorically and the authorities themselves allocate places in cities for graffiti art. Some cities even hold competitions between writers.

You need to start drawing graffiti with a pencil (and it’s better to stop there so as not to spoil the walls on city streets). There are entire guides that help you draw graffiti with a pencil on paper step by step.

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Let's start drawing

First you need to try to determine your drawing style. This is not easy to do, but to understand the full meaning of graffiti, you can study the drawings of already established artists and try to copy something.

Or start drawing in the simplest and most common Bubble style - it is characterized by round letters of various sizes (you can gradually add your own effects to the drawing). During such training, over time, you will develop your own individual style.

You need to take a landscape piece of paper or an A4 sheet (it’s better to avoid a notebook sheet with rulers and squares - the lines will be distracting). Prepare an eraser, a simple pencil, colored pencils, markers or paints.
It is better to try to start drawing by writing your own name: in the center of a piece of paper you need to write the name, leaving gaps between the letters (in the future, these gaps will need to be filled). To do this, you need to change the size of the letters, their thickness, and add new layers.
Now you need to call on your imagination to help and add your own effects to the drawing. For example: stars, lightning, a small cloud, a drop of rain - in general, anything you want to add.
The finished drawing needs to be decorated with bright colors.

In conclusion, a couple of tips:

Sketches need to be repeated again and again until the drawing is perfect. If during the work it is clear that some detail does not look good in the drawing, it is better not to continue drawing, but to take a new sheet of paper and draw everything exactly up to this failed detail and then draw new effects.
You need to add paint to the drawing only after a simple pencil has been thoroughly studied. Selecting colors is also an art. To begin with, you can study the color selections of more experienced artists.

The main thing in drawing graffiti is perseverance, perseverance and unlimited imagination.

If you are a fan of this type of street art such as graffiti, but do not want to break the law or do not have the opportunity to draw on the walls, a piece of paper and a pencil will always come to the rescue.

Therefore, armed with these tools, start mastering the basics of graffiti, namely the 3d signature.

1. Roughly designate the area of the future drawing.

4. Graffiti is an original idea. Therefore, a 3D signature cannot be simple and uncomplicated; complicate it, add creativity.

5. How to draw graffiti with a pencil. Do the same with the remaining letters of the nickname.

6. For effectiveness, you can highlight the outer contours of the inscription.

7. Now start decorating the overall composition. How complex it will be depends only on you and your plan.

8. Since the signature will be in 3D format, do not forget about proper treatment of light/shadow. How to draw a cat.

9. Shade the shadow sides of the letters.

10. How to draw graffiti with a pencil. In general, the entire inscription should be worked out in halftones.

11. Then use a soft pencil to highlight the outer edges and add an original design.

12. Complicate it as needed and depending on the artistic intent.

Graffiti has firmly entered modern culture and turned into an art direction. Of course, not all graffiti on walls can be considered real creativity. Most of it is a manifestation of vandalism. You need to master graffiti drawing not in order to paint other people's fences, but in order to create beautiful decorative designs. Sketches can be used for design purposes.

Many believe that graffiti appeared only in the 20th century. In 70-80 American cities were swept by a wave of tagging - teenagers drew their names in the form of stylized drawings. In fact, our ancestors painted graffiti. The term can be literally translated as “scratching.” Already in ancient times, drawings were used on walls for decoration.

Those who master graffiti painting these days can apply those skills to design. You can decorate a wall in a teenager’s room with a graffiti inscription or transfer it to a T-shirt. Another very interesting way to decorate is to decorate the outer wall of the house with a graffiti pattern made using moss.

Be that as it may, before you use graffiti for decoration, you should learn how to draw it. Small sketches of graffiti are called sketches and are made on ordinary album sheets using pencils, felt-tip pens, ink or paints.

Learning to Draw Graffiti: Techniques for Beginners

When drawing graffiti, not only constant practice is important, but also adherence to certain stages.

To draw, we need an album or notebook with blank sheets, a ruler, an eraser, paints or colored ink (ink).
First you need to think about what you will draw. Initially, graffiti meant an inscription. Many artists draw in the form of graffiti and various characters. Whatever you choose, all graffiti is drawn in accordance with certain styles.
This is how the bubble style exists. Those who use it make the letters round, reminiscent of chewing gum bubbles.
Wild style involves interlacing letters and slanting. When drawing, use 3-4 colors. Before you draw graffiti for beginners in a wild style, it is worth considering the position of each letter - this manner of work is considered very difficult for beginners.
It's relatively easy to draw Blockbuster style graffiti. To do this, rectangular letters are drawn, which are then painted in one or more colors. After you have thought about what and in what style you will draw, proceed to sketching.

The best way to start drawing graffiti is with a small word in bubble style. Take a sheet of paper and start drawing letters. There should be a distance between them so that later you can add some elements or make the letters wider. Do not make the outlines very bold - too much pressure from the pencil will then be difficult to erase or paint over.

Let's move on to creating a style. To do this, we begin to draw smooth rounded lines around the letters so that the edges of the letters and their corners look like bubbles. Try to make them wide enough and rounded.

After you have outlined all the letters, erase the first lines inside.

After this we begin to draw the sketch. The inscription can be either single-color or multi-color.

Apply the first coat of paint and let the letters dry. To add volume, cover the graffiti with highlights in some places. To do this, use paint of the same color, but a lighter shade. Wait until the drawing dries.

Work on the background - paint it with contrasting or compatible colors. The letters can be made more expressive by tracing them along the outline with a black felt-tip pen or gel pen.

Graffiti is drawn using the same principle in any other style - make a sketch, add colors using paints or felt-tip pens.

Some tips for those who are thinking about how to draw graffiti with a pencil step by step:

Always leave space between letters. This way you can easily add volume to them.

Use different line thicknesses. Using thicker lines you can give the inscription a 3D effect. To do this, you can use simple pencils of varying degrees of softness and add black ink or felt-tip pens to them.

In order not to spoil the graffiti with paints, make copies of the sketches. The easiest way is to run the sketch through a scanner. This way you can experiment with color and details. This precaution can help you choose the best option.

The finished sketch can not only be stored as a drawing, but also used for decorative and interior purposes. For this we need a tape measure. If you want to draw graffiti on a wall, then you need to correctly transfer the sketch to the surface without distorting the proportions. To do this, you can use the design method.

We divide the surface into squares using a tape measure, and then transfer the outlines of the graffiti along these squares. For those who are confident in their abilities, we can advise you to redraw the image on the wall without first breaking the surface into squares.

Another technically labor-intensive method is to draw graffiti on the wall using a projector. Typically, famous artists working in the style of street art and graffiti paint this way. The technique projects the drawing onto the wall at the required scale, and the artist simply traces the lines by hand.

If you want to transfer a graffiti sketch onto clothes, then just put a carbon copy on the fabric, put the drawing on top and trace it along the lines.

There is a rather unusual way to decorate the external wall of a house using graffiti. In order to decorate the facade it is not necessary to use paint and brushes. An excellent environmental alternative is moss graffiti. Again, you will need to first draw a sketch and apply graffiti to the wall using a stylus or chalk. It is best to draw such an image on a brick or wooden surface.

To create an unusual pattern you will need moss, warm water, a spray bottle, kefir (needed to create a certain environment for the growth of moss), moisture-holding gel (sold in hardware stores), a brush and a bucket.

We collect moss, you only need 3 small handfuls. You can cut it from the bark of trees or collect it from the ground.

Pour 700 ml of warm water over the moss. Add 3 tbsp. moisture-retaining gel and 120 ml of kefir.

Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly and quickly for 2-5 minutes. Pour into a bucket or fill a spray bottle with it.

Let's start painting with moss paint. We trace the pre-drawn sketch using a brush along the contour. We paint the drawing or letters inside with a spray bottle. After some time, the moss will begin to grow, and all you have to do is trim the edges of the design with scissors.

While walking around the city, you can find bright and, at first glance, not entirely clear drawings on fences, walls of houses, and in passages. But if you look closely and look around, the image becomes more understandable, the artist’s handwriting and the plot itself begin to be recognized in it. Graffiti becomes more enjoyable the more you look at it. Perhaps after that you yourself will want to learn how to draw graffiti and you will fall in love with this type of art.

In this article we will tell you everything about graffiti: its differences from other types of fine art and give some advice to novice graffiti artists.

Translated from Italian, the word graffiti (“graffiti”) is translated as “scratch.” This is one of the new trends in visual art, which mainly attracts young people and teenagers. From the very beginning, this art form was considered to come from the streets. When you fully read this article, you will know the essence of graffiti and you will know how to draw graffiti for beginners.

Origin of graffiti, distinctive features of graffiti

Graffiti as an art originated in the seventies in New York City, and the first popular rewriter was a man with the nickname “Taki 183.” Writer is an artist who draws in graffiti style. It is known about Taki 183 that it was he who became the first person to write his nickname on the wall with a marker, to which he added the number of the block in which he lives. After him, graffiti acquired the form that we know now: incomprehensible signs that are intertwined with the writer’s signature. The Russian-speaking population prefers to use the word “nickname” instead of the word “nickname,” which not a single rewriter is offended by.

Graffiti is considered to be a work that is depicted in the entrance or on a city wall, so if you think that you can master the true art of graffiti if you figure it out, draw graffiti with a pencil on paper, on the wall in your room, then you are mistaken.

Over time, teenagers who grew up in poor New York neighborhoods began to come up with nicknames for themselves, which they wrote in a hard-to-read font. In these same neighborhoods they had a huge space for creativity, where they could create graffiti to their heart's content. At the same time, no one will do anything to you. Rewriters began to form entire teams and painted everything that came their way: cars, fences, garbage cans. A team of several rewriters is called a “crew”.

There were brave souls who managed to paint trains so that others would recognize and see their graffiti. Thus, this type of art became known throughout the United States, and graffiti became part of street art (any street art).

Attitudes towards graffiti are different everywhere. For example, in France it is almost impossible to come across graffiti, but on the Scandinavian Peninsula you can admire it from train windows. The official name of this art is “graffiti-art”.

In Russia, this art form began to gain popularity in the mid-90s, when breakdancing, which was an echo of hip-hop and hippie culture. Russian rewriters demonstrated their creations at large hip-hop festivals, although they were mainly limited to drawing out their nicknames.

If you want to figure out how to draw graffiti, then it’s with little things like writing your nickname that you should start. Add volume to it, do not limit yourself to one plane, add bubbles, arrows, experiment with a mixture of colors. To learn how to draw graffiti, you need to work on the little things at the first stage, which you will then need to create large works. The more incomprehensible your drawing is, the more interesting it will become to those who look at it later.

Of course, you have seen more than once in films how to draw graffiti, but before you pick up a spray can, first practice on a piece of paper and figure out how to draw with a pencil, so as not to spoil the drawing later on the street. To learn how to draw graffiti on paper, you first need to practice copying ready-made drawings or inventing your own characters. You need to come up with your own “tag” and how you will portray it. Prepare several options, and then practice the best one until you can portray it in a matter of seconds.

Tag, from the English word “tag” in communities of graffiti lovers, refers to the signature that the rewriter leaves under his work. It should be done in the same way with a marker or a white or black spray can. “Taggers” is a concept that applies to those graffiti enthusiasts who are primarily engaged in the image of their tag, which does not give them the opportunity to join the ranks of rewriters.

The process when you figure out how to draw graffiti with a pencil on a piece of paper and practice your skills is called sketching - a drawing on paper that is depicted for later transfer to the wall.

How to learn to draw graffiti using a stencil?

Experienced rewriters in instructions on how to draw graffiti for beginners advise beginners to experiment more with the color palette, because the simplest multi-colored graffiti will be much better than complex black and white.

To create good graffiti you don't need much more than a natural talent for drawing and it doesn't require you to graduate from art college. Of course, at first, when you learn to draw graffiti, you will still have to figure out how to make a stencil for graffiti and master the technique of chiaroscuro and the combination of bright colors.

Graffiti stencils are typically drawn and cut out of stiff paper. Most often these are the faces of celebrities or ordinary drawings. A drawing is applied along the contour of the stencil, from which a wonderful picture is obtained, and the stencil can be used several times.

Using a stencil is an excellent opportunity to apply a design. Once you have better mastered the graffiti technique, there will be no need for a stencil. You will only use a stencil to emphasize the clarity of the lines of the drawing. Experienced graffiti artists have stencils in their arsenal for all occasions: broken lines, hemispheric contours, straight lines.

When you go outside to paint graffiti, you will be faced with the harsh Russian reality, because if you paint graffiti in public places, you expose yourself to the risk of criminal penalties, followed by a minimum of a fine of 100,000 rubles, and a maximum of imprisonment freedom for up to 10 years. This applies to public places, but there are so many vacant lots, back streets and abandoned construction sites around. In any city you can find such a secluded place.

In addition, some construction companies are ready to invite graffiti professionals themselves to decorate the fences around the construction with their drawings. There are residents of multi-storey buildings who themselves do not mind when rewriters apply their graffiti in their courtyards and entrances.

In addition, when holding various events related to the work of graffists, restrictions on public places are lifted.

Materials and equipment needed to draw graffiti

Before you draw graffiti, take a closer look at the place where you will apply the drawing. You may need to prime the walls where the image will be, or some other equipment. A primer is necessary for porous walls so that you do not have to apply paint many times. Additional equipment may require a stepladder or additional lighting.

Paint fumes have a negative impact on your health, so don’t skimp on a respirator and rubber gloves. Among rewriters today, black medical gloves have become especially popular, which allow you to feel the canister in your hand, just like without a glove.

If you want your graffiti to look as professional as possible, invest in markers and vandalizers. Vandalizers are called markers with a flat end or a mop marker. With their help, you can write tags or correct minor inaccuracies and details. As you gain experience, you will understand why stencils are needed, with which you can apply tags and more advanced and beautiful designs. There is also no need to skimp on paint, because it can either apply poorly or be washed off at the first rainfall. Too expensive paint also does not mean high quality of the drawing, because the main thing here is your skill. It would be optimal to buy two cans from the middle price category rather than one expensive one, then your creation will turn out more successful.

Weather conditions also matter. You are unlikely to be able to draw a high-quality drawing in windy or cold work: the paint will be blown away by the wind, and at low temperatures the paint will freeze, making the cap difficult to press.

The cap is a special nozzle for a spray can for blowing paint. A lot depends on the nozzle. This includes the uniformity of monochromatic parts of the picture, and the transition from color to color, the thickness of the lines, which varies in the fingers, usually up to ten fingers (“fat cap”). A cap with a thin line is called a “skunny”. The cost of caps starts from 150 rubles, and are sold in specialized stores or online stores.

Cap can be one of two types:

male – characterized by the presence of a tube with a side hole at the bottom;
female – at the bottom of the cap there is a regular hole, for which you need to buy a cylinder with a tube.

Often, when working on graffiti, an airbrush is used - a spray gun, with which you can apply strokes to the drawing.

How to draw beautiful graffiti?

Graffiti art can be divided into several styles, which determine how the final drawing will turn out:

BUBBLE STYLE – the pattern consists of “bubbles”, thick lines and many weaves;
WILD STYLE – the drawing consists of a “wild” jumble of lines, a very complex style;
DAIM STYLE or 3D style – three-dimensional images.

Start your drawing by applying primer to make the job easier. This way there will be fewer smudges and the paint will not fade. You can use enamel or water-based paint as a primer. It can also be a background for a drawing. Then, using sketches, apply the design to the wall. To begin, draw lines that will be the main outline of the design, then better outline the outline using a wider nozzle on the balloon.

When you are figuring out how to draw graffiti, you may be afraid to work with a wide stream of paint that comes out of a spray can, believing that only professional rewriters can produce high-quality drawings. But this is not true, it just takes a little training.

Black and silver colors are usually used to depict bomb designs. Officially, this method is called “to bomb” (bombing, “throwing”, bombing images on walls). Bombing is used in the most inaccessible places, when the graffist does not have much time to draw graffiti. This technique is called the “draw and run” style.

A couple more concepts:

Outline – edging;
Fillins – design elements inside.

First of all, you need to draw the fillins twice, and then the outline border. Thickness
Fillins of 3-10 fingers are drawn with a cap. As you work, you may want to change the design a little, and there is no need to be afraid of this. Most likely, the finished graffiti can become much more interesting than what was originally depicted in the drawing. When you're done with the fillins, you can safely complete the edging and bring the image to perfection. In order for the color to be saturated, it is necessary to repaint the drawing several times. After this, your creation will be complete.

How to draw graffiti on a wall: paint

Choosing a good paint is an important issue; it must be of good quality.

Krylon paint is famous for its negative reviews due to its wateriness and smudges that remain after it.
“Lada” - Finnish-made Russian paint at a price of 150 rubles allows you to create rich designs.
American Fast Spray, Flexa, and ACE Hardware paints are widely used in the West.
“Motip” is a popular paint in the CIS countries and costs between 60 and 200 rubles. Experienced rewriters choose spray cans of this particular paint, which has a wide palette and rich colors.
“Abro” is the most popular paint in Russia; it costs between 30 and 100 rubles. Unlike “Motip” paint, which is used for complex work, “Abro” paint is used for “bombing” and simple graffiti. Abro has many disadvantages: smudges, instability to temperature changes (Fiesta paint has a similar quality).
"Montana", "Sparvar" are common in the West, but in Russia they are rare.
"Rust-Oleum" is a paint that has the quality of covering colors. For example, black color covering in relation to blue color. In addition, this paint has a wide palette and high-quality composition. Painter’s Touch has the same properties.

To paint fillins, one can of paint is enough for 1-2 square meters. m of surface.

The primary task of a graffiti artist is to create a background for the drawing. If this is not done, the finished drawing will look unattractive.
The sequence of graffiti drawing work:

Sketch of future work with background color;
Background of the picture;
Drawing the outline;
“Sanding” the drawing;
Adding “author’s” details and signature.

If there is a smudge, wait until it dries before painting it over.
Move your hand quickly, without stopping, to avoid leakage.
Every time you finish work, clean the caps: turn the can upside down and hold the cap down until no more paint comes out of it. Otherwise, you can immediately throw away the cap, because after the paint dries in it, it will become unusable.
There is a code of honor among rewriters as well. Therefore, do not leave your tags under the works of other rewriters and do not overlap them. Respect other people's work, then your drawings will be respected too.

If your child is interested in graffiti and is interested, then there is no need to interfere with his hobbies. He can spend his pocket money on paints, attachments and a respirator, but you can also buy him graffiti material of much better quality, commensurate with your financial capabilities. The most important thing is not to skimp on gloves and a respirator, because your child’s health is much more important.

Explain to your child the regulations that are related to his hobby, so that he knows where to paint graffiti and where not. Meet his friends who are in the same graffiti group as him. Don't worry if your child goes outside all day and comes back covered in paint. Perhaps his hobby will develop into a profession and become an incentive to enter an art college or academy. This could be a plus in his biography if he is a person of art.

Communication in a graffiti party will help him avoid the negative influence of social networks and virtual communication. Your child will have many friends and will be much more sociable. It is better to indulge his hobbies in every possible way, rather than hinder him.

Graffiti will give you the opportunity to leave your mark on contemporary art.

Do not use your tags or drawings to sketch the graffiti of other artists who are much higher than your level. If you paint over any images, make sure your graffiti covers it completely. You will make your task much easier if you paint over the background of your drawing.
Remember that the choice of place for your work should be reasonable, and based on respect for the work of others. Graffiti artists create, not destroy.
If you are arrested, ask for a lawyer and exercise your right to remain silent. All you need to provide is your name, address and date of birth. Don't let them intimidate you into confessing, even if you have paint on your clothes or have seen you paint. Remember, even if the policeman says “you're only making things worse for yourself,” everything is bad enough, he just wants to get a confession and close the case.
A few guidelines for graffiti: Don't tag commercial buildings, places of worship (churches, for example), schools, or places of significance (mostly because of security cameras).
Enjoy the process, be creative, original and free to express yourself. Once you master graffiti writing, you can move on to new crazy styles. Don't be afraid to experiment; you never know what will be yours.
Invest in your creativity. Buy branded graffiti materials. Or alternatively, you can make your own ink and markers. To do this, buy regular, affordable paint.
Think about why you want to do graffiti. Some people think they are doing the right thing, but still many are pursuing the wrong goals. Looking cool among your friends is not the best reason.
Your city may have laws against graffiti. Don't constantly paint on your own home.
Paint graffiti in public places such as skate parks.
Practice on large rocks. Later you can decorate them with paint.
The most important thing is to be yourself in your work. Simple and clear.
Respect, but do not worship famous graffiti artists.
Do not use your real name, surname or patronymic in your work.
Wear respirator masks when working indoors or in confined spaces.
Wear a bandana to hide your face from cameras.
Make sure no one sees you tagging.
Go to Amazon and look for the video "How to learn to draw graffiti", it will help you a lot. Also find a video with step-by-step instructions on how to draw and design graffiti.