Graffiti is often condemned as property damage or a form of vandalism. Its negative connotation also is contributed by the fact that graffiti was a tool used by gangs to mark their territories in their neighborhood. Despite its negative rep, graffiti has slowly gained recognition in recent time as a legitimate art form.
With the prevalence of popular street artists and groups such as Banksy, Scrawl Collective and Cable Street has propelled Graffiti as something to be revered at and draw awes from the public. In England, it isn't uncommon for bars or even art galleries to host an exhibit of arts of graffiti artists.
To learn to draw graffiti, you should start out by imitating the existing works of various artists. Browse the work of such artists online or even better, you can go to a nearby city and just start driving around to look for the creative works of local artists.
Majority of graffiti artists began their work carving out their unique tags, which is often your graffiti artist pseudonym or initials of your name. Start by drawing them out on a paper using pencil until you've developed your own unique flair and style. Be creative! Try something new or incorporate other artists' style and improve or add your own touch to it to make your own.
After you've done some practice with a pencil on a paper, you are going to want to take it to next level. Start by gathering up supplies in local art store and utility shops. Some of the tools of the graffiti trade you will need are paints, cardboards, a respirator and many cans of spray-paints. The cost of spray paints can add up quickly while you practice on canvas so consider buying cheap ones while you are in a practice phase.
So you've developed your own sense of style and are comfortable with using spray paints. Then you might be ready to take your artistic skills to the graffiti art scene, the streets. Graffiti in most public buildings and walls are considered illegal but there are legal outlets to practice and publish your art. Some cities designate certain areas of their city for graffiti artists to show off their creative works. Contact your city hall to find out about if that's a possibility in your local city.
Graffiti is a unique and a creative way to show off your artistic talent. Once you start making names for yourself with your graffiti arts, there will be businesses and individuals lining up to beg and pay you to spray-paint their walls!
Quick Tip #1: Breaking It Down
Break the subject you are drawing into simple basic shapes such as square, oval, oblong, triangle, and circle. It doesn't matter whether you are drawing an apple or a dragon. If you break your model down into basic shapes and use them as an outline, you are greatly simplifying the process of drawing. |
Quick Tip #2: Outside In
Draw from outside in. What I mean by this is you should always draw the outlines of your models first then cramp all the details within those outlines. Drawing facial features such as eyes, nose and mouth before setting facial line is a huge no-no. |
Quick Tip #3: Upside-Down
One exercise that will improve your drawing skills is drawing an upside-down image. This may seem a bit weird at first but try it! It'll develop and improve your visual mode. |
|