These guys have been painting for 25+ years so they have amassed a certain level of respect in the graffiti community. But these guys have also done alot of commision work. According to them, the word sellout was huge in 90's but is not as commonly used today. He attributes this to the fact that many people are starting to see the benefits to this type of graffiti.
I don't quite believe that people are starting to see corporate graffiti in a positive light but I can't blame the guy for trying to make a living of something he's good at as long as he keeps on expressing his style in his pieces wether they be underground or corporate.
Dedicated to Japan's rackgaki (graffiti) scene, this book illustrates the work of major graffiti artists working in Japan today. It showcases the creativity that lies within this new and relatively unexplored form of contemporary Japanese art. Interviews with the artists, and the authors' own experiences in documenting the different aspects of this subculture, reveal an art-form at the cutting edge and often at odds with police and civic authorities. An accompanying DVD brings to life the imagery of the book and includes footage of graffiti being created. Set to a soundtrack by some of Japan's leading Trip-Hop artists, the viewer is fully immersed in the subculture that is Japanese graffiti.
Click HERE to watch the full DVD that comes with the book.
Step 4: Work with your cans. Buy a piece of plywood from Home Depot to practice on. At this point, colors and styles should be simple. Practice your can control and your techniques for painting and steps for putting together a clean "piece."
Step 5: Vary line thickness. You can make all the lines the same thickness, but you can approximate shading and a 3-D effect if the lines get thicker and narrower at different places (for example, the top and one side of an "o" might be very thick, while the bottom and other side is narrowed).
Step 6: Add details as desired. Once your letters are as you want them, you can add additional details. Perhaps a lightning bolt for the dot of an "i" would be good, or eyes peering out of the holes in your "b". You can put a bubble around the whole name, like in comic books. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Step 7: Add color to fill in your piece. Again, it's a good idea to look at examples before doing this, but really you can do anything you want. A very simple graffito (a single work of graffiti) can have only one color. You can also easily do each letter in a different color or make the added details a different color than the letters. While you might be tempted to go crazy with color, sometimes simplicity is best. Graffiti artists traditionally had to work secretly for fear of getting caught--many still do--and so they could carry only one or two different colors of spray paint at a time--a lot of very good graffiti is just one color.
Step 8: Try to meet experienced writers who can help you learn the ropes. (Remember, be safe and be legal.) Show your appreciation for their work and their skills. And whatever you do, do not paint over a respected artist or good artwork because you will also be called a toy.
Step 9: Keep practicing. If your graffiti turned out perfectly, congratulations. Now move on to different words and effects. If not, keep trying. Master the simple moves first and then work your way up--you'll soon develop your own style. Carry your own "black book" and don't copy people's art. source You can practice below:
Step 1: Learn the history to appreciate the art. Graffiti is a hobby with some history. Look at early hip-hop and the first writers (people who write graffiti), such as Taki in NY. When starting writing, you will be labeled a toy (un-experienced writer). The word toy has two meanings, which are un-experienced writer, and writer who doesn't want to learn and do whatever they want which ruins it for everyone else.
Step 2: Pick a graffiti name. Practice drawing letters and pick some that you like drawing. Do not try to get too crazy with extensions and bending at first. Take it slow and make everything as clean as possible. It is very helpful at this point to find inspiration from other pictures you see. However, in the future, you will want to develop your own, unique style. A very important aspect to creating a good style with your name is flow. Keep characteristics of letters common throughout the rest of your name. Style is everything. When picking a name or alias, choose one that is unique—one that will last and represents you as an artist.
Step 3: Choose a style for the name. Bubble letters are especially popular in graffiti (see How to Draw Bubble Letters), but there are other styles, too. You can have rounded edges or sharp, equally sized letters or some big letters and some small, etc. It's easier to emulate a style, and have a picture of a graffiti piece in that style to refer to. Once you learn the basics you can develop your own style naturally. source You can practice below:
Meet Michael "Heir" Rosario, the most prolific and talented graffiti writer from the Mission District in San Francisco. At age ten, in a desperate search for fame and identity, Heir began writing his name on surrounding urban landscapes. More than a decade later, Heir has evolved into a brilliant street artist. With the support of his best friend and partner-in-crime, Curtis "Vain" Smith, Heir has covertly decorated the canvases of concrete and steel throughout the Bay Area. However, when Heir and Vain are arrested for painting, their secret identities are revealed and creative outlets abruptly severed. Faced with restitution and the prospect of serving hard time, Heir and Vain struggle to maintain their creative passion. The paths they choose threaten to unravel their lifelong friendship and, ultimately, their lives.
This movie provides a glimpse into the life of graffiti writers and also does a good job at depicting the many challenges these writers face. The movie follows two writers Michael and Curtis who partake in bombings after work but end up getting arrested on one of these sessions. After the arrest Curtis starts to question his life and decides to put his artistic prowess to good use by doing commissions but Michael refuses to make changes and has a fallout with Michael. I don't want to spoil the movie for the rest of you but it finishes with a dramatic and explosive ending that you might not see coming.
As you can see from these two pictures, corporate graffiti is something that is not accepted by the graffiti community. According to Ed Marszewski, who edits an alternative culture magazine, "Any kind of corporate graffiti must be eviscerated...It's not 'graffiti' & it's not art - the power to inspire vaporizes once the viewer realizes they are simply being targeted as a consumer." This is a sentiment shared by many who see corporate graffiti as the antithesis of graffiti. Graffiti is supposed to be used as a vehicle of expressing one's own ideas and thoughts but those who decide to do commisions are no longer in control of their art. This is why many view these artists as sellouts because they are relinquishing their artistic freedom for money. This is part of what being underground is all about, being in control of one's art whether it be emceeing or doing graffiti.
Well, Underground Graffiti is really any type of graffiti as long as it's not commercialized or actively displayed in museums. This type of graffiti along with the other non-commercialized elements of hip-hop make up what is widely known as Underground hip-hop.
The purpose of this blog is to examine the movement and also analyze the motives behind the movement. Those who are involved in Underground Graffiti are highly critical of those who choose to stray from the origins of graffiti even as far as calling them "sell outs". This is a critical element of the Underground, the emphasis on preserving the essence and quality of the original movement.
