Graffiti letters look complicated, but every piece starts as a plain word in thin capital letters. The art teacher behind the Kenwood K-8 Center Art Class channel builds the word ART on a small whiteboard one layer at a time: sticks, outlines, fun shapes on the tips, a shadow, a thick border, then a brick wall behind it. At the end you see a finished name piece coloured in bright pencil.
It is a lesson written for middle school students, which makes it a great one to do with grandchildren at the kitchen table.
What you need to draw graffiti letters
Paper and a pencil are enough to start. A good eraser matters, because you will erase the first sticks. For the bold lines, a black fine point marker. For colour, coloured pencils or markers. A small whiteboard and dry erase markers are a fun way to practise, since every mistake wipes off.
Why the stick method works
Drawing a fat letter freehand is hard. Drawing a thin letter and then tracing either side of it is easy. The sticks set the size, spacing and slant, and the outline does the rest. That is why the art class motto is to draw light until you get it right. Keep the first sticks faint so they erase cleanly.
Making the letters look like graffiti
Plain block letters turn into graffiti in three moves. Shapes on the tips: arrows, flames, points and swirls. Overlap: let one letter tuck behind the next, the way the R sits under the A here. And a shadow on the same side of every stroke, which makes the word look 3D. You can look up tip shapes online or invent your own.
Choosing a word
Start with three or four letters. ART, JOY and LOVE are good first words because the letters are mostly straight lines. Your name is the classic choice, and in graffiti a name piece is called a tag. Leave curvy letters like S and G until the straight ones feel easy.
Whiteboard or paper?
A whiteboard is great for practice runs. Erasing is instant, and kids feel free to experiment. For a piece you want to keep and colour, switch to thick drawing paper and a pencil, then ink over the final lines with a permanent marker once you like them.
Colouring your graffiti
Colour the letters bright and keep the thick border one dark colour so the word jumps off the wall. The sample piece uses analogous colours, the ones that sit next to each other on the colour wheel: yellow green, yellow, orange and orangey red, blended into each other. Shade the bricks lightly in grey pencil so they stay in the background.
Common mistakes
- Letters too close together. Spread the sticks out, because outlines and tip shapes need room.
- Shadows on both sides. Pick one side, left here, and shade only that side of every stick.
- Details inside the letters. Keep them outside so the letters stay clean for colour.
- Bricks lined up in columns. Stagger every row, the way a bricklayer does.
Where to go from here
For rounder, softer letters, try bubble letters. If you like adding thick and thin strokes to words, faux calligraphy uses the same trick with any pen. And for more drawing basics, see how to draw.
