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Creative Styles of Using Paint for Graffiti Writing

Uttara Manohar
There are various styles of graffiti writing that a lot of us aren't familiar with. Learn about some incredibly creative ways of using paint for graffiti work.
Graffiti is the name given for the act of lettering that is scratched, scrawled, painted, or marked on any property.
Although traditionally regarded as an unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism, graffiti has been an element of the pop or even the hip-hop culture, and has also been instrumental during several political and radical movements. There are so many types of this sort of artwork, each of which has a distinct characteristic.

Tags

Tag is nothing but a stylized signature of the artist. A tag is usually painted / colored in a single solid color that creates a contrast with its background. Graffiti artists often use a tag as a means to sign their work and leave a signature mark on or beside it.
The idea of tagging was first spotted in Philadelphia where artists spray painted their tags "Bobby Beck In '59" on many of the freeways surrounding the city. Another famous tag was seen in New York City which read "TAKI 183". This artist gained so much popularity that his antics inspired media attention and led to an increase in popularity of this trend.

Throw-up / Throwie

A throw-up or a throwie is usually created with one-color outline and a single layer of fill-color as well. Bubble lettering is common form of lettering used.
A throw-up is usually a form of graffiti that is created in a short duration as an attempt to avoid attracting attention to the artist. Throw-ups are often a means to battle the rival artists in terms of numbers rather than quality. Many artists have a signature style of throw-ups as well.

Piece

A piece is short for masterpiece and is usually a large graffiti painting. The pieces often incorporate several 3-D effects, arrows, color-transitions, and many other interesting artistic effects.
The piece is considered to be a labor-intensive form of graffiti and is supposed to be the most beautiful work of an, artist and hence, requires more time to paint as compared to a throwie.

Heaven Spots

Heaven spots are modifications of pieces. These are just pieces which are painted in places that are hard-to-reach. Often the heaven spots are seen on places like rooftops and high freeway signs which make the graffiti hard to remove.
The dangerous height was perilous for people who tried to climb up and remove the graffiti which led to death, hence gaining the name "heaven spots".

Insides

This style simply refers to art created inside trains, trams, or buses. The trend of graffiti drawing during the 1970s in New York was one of the most prominent examples of this style, and was considered to be a major vandalistic act that ruined the insides of subway trains.

Scribe / Scratchitti

Scratchitti or Scribes is a style created by scratching or etching a tag into an object. Usually scribes can be created by using keys, knives, stones, or ceramic drill bits. Scribes are difficult to remove since they are permanent scars made on the surfaces.
These are the several styles of graffiti writing which have been used by various graffiti artists ever since the emergence of this expression of art. Anyone who knows how to hold a brush or work wonders with a spray can of paint, can do breathtaking pieces that are both appealing and eye-catching.