When you look around the street walls featured with graffiti, do you take a moment and stop there to learn about it? Do you notice the composition of different pieces of artwork and wonder about the intention of the artists?
If yes, you might take note of a variety of graffiti styles on every street wall. From very simple and easily done “tags” to huge and appealing entire-wall art pieces, graffiti has a great spectrum. Several kinds of graffiti styles are there to explore and learn how they are used these days.
Let’s discuss all graffiti styles in details, but first, know about what graffiti actually is.
What Is Graffiti?
As the use of graffiti has changed over the years, now it seems to work in different contexts. In the form of text-based artwork, it is made on the walls using spray paints.
Earlier, graffiti included some pictures and texts to convey stories and messages to people. However, now, this form of art totally consists of fonts, writing, or letters that include visual elements.
Lets’ learn about different graffiti styles.
Different Types Of Graffiti Styles You Should Know About
Tags
“Tags” are the most common form of graffiti style. Generally, this kind of graffiti is performed quickly, presenting a loose visual quality.
Typically, tags are words or most commonly the names that exist on public walls. Basically, they are the signature of the artist’s name. The intention behind this graffiti style is to portray the identity of the artists in that particular area.
Usually, for tagging, artists use the spray paint cans of only a single color. Tags are of animated pictures or images which are seemless to paint.
Blockbuster
Blockbuster is a large-scale graffiti style that is a huge project for artists. This form of artwork is used as a marketing medium to communicate messages to several people.
This style includes the characters or elements that interact with the characteristics of the city. Hence, this graffiti art in Brisbane is the center of attraction for visitors and tourists from all over the world.
Well, about the characterization of the blockbuster, it consists of straight block lettering created using two or three colors. Basically, artists use spray can paint, but emulsion paints also work well for sketching the art pieces.
Although blockbuster graffiti styles can be created anywhere, their application is most commonly on large surfaces so that they can be seen from distant places. Therefore, this piece of art spots on highways, damaged buildings, rooftops, etc.
Wildstyle
Wildstyle is an incredible graffiti style, representing multiple complex and intricate elements. The texts and words this art interprets are usually overlapping which are difficult to read.
Features like arrows, flares, 3D effects, spikes, and sharp edges usually portray wildstyle graffiti style. These pieces of artwork are only readable and understandable to graffiti artists. As a strong presence of the artist’s skill, the complexity of this art continues to develop all around.
Stencils
Artists have used several methods of conveying their art design in Melbourne’s cities, among them stencils are very popular. It is one of the most speedily and effectively done artwork.
Artists use stencils of paper, cardboard, metals, or plastic. They spray the paints against the stencils to produce a picture or text. Also, the artist imitates the same design again and again using a single or different stencil design.
The best fact about the stencil graffiti style is that it lets the artists create the design in advance. It is helpful to achieve fine details and features. Therefore, the stencil is one of the easiest ways to create realistic work.
Artists use stencil graffiti to spread visual statements on social and political matters.
Sticker Or Slaps
Stickers also called sticker bombing are one of the common graffiti where artists use blank stickers to write or print texts or pictures on them. Then, they stick them in public places. This form of artwork is the quickest medium of spreading the messages to a wide number of people.
Sticker graffiti is totally unique. Not only it helps increase the identity of the artist but also increases the awareness of social and political issues. Besides this, it is not easy to remove designed stickers but sticker bombing is very functional. Communicating the messages to the people, it can be easily peeled off.
Artists often attach stickers on the walls, dustbins, poles, and other noticeable parts of the city so that people can see and get aware of it.
Throws-Up
Actually, the Throws-up graffiti style is the next upgrade version of the tag. Artists create it in big fonts using two or three colors while also improving the speed.
A throw-up is done quickly and repeatedly in bubble letters, using one color for filling the fonts and different colors for outlining. Artists use high-pressure spray paints for this graffiti style as the high output increases the speed.
Poster Or Paste Up
Posters or paste-ups are a quick and easy way to put up pieces of artwork on street walls. Firstly, artists create the posters at home or any place at their convenience and then paste them on public places.
Just like the stencils, artists use copies of posters for pasting up the same designs in multiple places.
Heaven Or Heaven-Spot
You will see this graffiti style on hard-to-reach spots. The name only indicates that it relates to high-up areas such as towers, highway signs, bridges, and rooftops.
The artists gain great acknowledgment from their peers and citizens for managing the graffiti style in heaven spots. They use spray paints as well as emulsion paints for painting different pieces of artwork.
Summing Up
These are the top graffiti styles, making the street walls appealing. In addition to profiting the artists these varieties of art pieces also benefit the community people.
Seeing such outstanding artwork, not only people will recognize the talent of the artists but also get aware of the messages those art intends for. Indeed, all the graffiti style brings life and colors to dull places around the cities.