How to Spray Paint Art

Spray paint is closely associated with graffiti to many since that's all they've been exposed to. Spray Paint art though, is nothing like graffiti. Spray Paint artists use the same medium as graffiti artists, but the subject and intention are totally different. Spray Paint artists use spray paint can to paint beautiful paintings by manipulating the paint on the poster board while it is still wet. They employ a variety of tools like sponges, cylinders, brushes, and stencils to add texture and personality to their art.

Steps

1. Find a flat well ventilated area to paint in.
2. Decide what you want to paint. Choose your colors, and your composition by positioning the round objects on the canvas.
3. Spray your paint to the size of your space in this order: yellow, orange, red, then black.
4. Use a piece of magazine, lightly place the magazine on top of the black layer while it's still wet, take your hand and run it across the magazine, tug from one corner about an inch, then pull away from the canvas. You should have a pretty cool texture on your canvas,
5. Spray about 1/4 of that area with black on that cool texture area.
6. Cover the area include the last black layer with your round object.
7. Spray the whole thing black, and then spray it with various colors, mostly navy blue.
8. Lift the round object and you'll get a cool looking space.

Tips

- When you buy your paint cans, make sure they're all the same brand.
- Wear old clothing that you don't mind getting dirty.
- A paper mask, or preferably a respirator, is highly recommended as the fumes can be toxic.
- Rubber gloves will save your hands from paint. Not necessary, but a recommendation.

Warnings

- Spray paint is known to be hazardous. Do not paint if you are pregnant or have any respiratory condition.
- Avoid breathing the fumes as much as possible.

Things You'll Need

- A respirator or paper mask
- Latex gloves (Vinyl if you're allergic)
- Glossy Spray Paint
- Glossy Poster Board
- Round objects of different sizes.
- Magazines, sponges, for texture effect.
- Stencils for text or images

Бэнкси оставил автопортрет на стене в Лондоне

Британский художник-граффитист Бэнкси нарисовал на стене офисного здания на востоке Лондона автопортрет, пишет в понедельник газета The Times.

Работа представляет собой крысу с кулоном на шее, держащую плакат, на котором изображено лицо. Крыса часто встречается среди образов Бэнкси, напоминает издание, а лицо можно узнать по фотографии 2004 года, на которой предположительно заснят художник. Изображение нанесено по трафарету - Бэнкси часто использует эту технику, чтобы быстро создавать граффити и не быть пойманным.

Летом 2008 года британский таблоид The Daily Mail сообщил, что за псевдонимом Бэнкси скрывается 34-летний Робин Ганнингем (Robin Gunningham) из Бристоля. Представители художника отказались комментировать информацию газеты. Бэнкси, ставший известным благодаря граффити около 10 лет назад, тщательно скрывает любые факты своей биографии, не относящиеся к творчеству.

Бэнкси является одним из самых дорогих современных художников. Так, в начале 2008 года на аукционе в Нью-Йорке его работа "Keep It Spotless" была продана за 950 тысяч фунтов. В 2007 его граффити "Космическая девочка и птица" ушло с молотка за 288 тысяч фунтов стерлингов, а живописное полотно продали на Sotheby's за 379 тысяч долларов. Между тем в феврале 2009 года сообщалось, что шесть портретов манекенщицы Кейт Мосс, оцененные в 150 тысяч фунтов стерлингов, не нашли покупателей.Бэнкси.

Banksy Is The World's Most Wanted Graffiti Artist

You can see graffiti in every country in the world. It often defaces walls, poles, trains and the fronts and sides of buildings. Graffiti is considered undesirable vandalism to its victims who spend time and money to paint over or wash it off their property. Indeed, graffiti painting is an ongoing problem in many subway stations and on public walkways, signs, cement walls, and other locations.

However, on the streets of the United Kingdom near London, an artist called Banksy continues to gain international recognition and fame for his graffiti. The fact is that Banksy's "street art" has become immensely popular with both pedestrians and private art collectors alike. In the last several years, there have been a number of exhibitions and auctions of Banksy's art work as his popularity has soared.

The growing popularity of his art is in evidence in the secondary market where a painting titled "Space Girl and Bird" sold for $575,000 in an auction event last year (2007). In fact, Banksy's art can now be found in many private art collections worldwide. Banksy has also produced leaflets and books on art and has his own website. He self-published his first three books, "Existencilism," "Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall," and "Cut It Out."

His latest book called, "Wall and Piece," was published by Random House and has already sold more than two hundred and fifty thousand copies. Nevertheless, Banksy continues to keep his real identity secret to avoid arrest and prosecution. His anonymity is said to be born of a desire to be a "quality vandal" and to elude the police. He once said, "Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked, where the street was awash with a million colors and little phrases. . . . A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business." He has a unique view of the art world as well. He has said, "The art world is the biggest joke going. It’s a rest home for the over-privileged, the pretentious, and the weak."

Banksy's graffiti began appearing on trains and walls around Bristol, England in 1993. By 2001, his street art could be seen all over the United Kingdom. His art has a distinctive style which makes it easy to recognize. It features attention to detail and uses layered stenciling and spray paint. Banksy uses familiar images and his pictures contain dark humor and are often controversial. His art is often focused around anti-war, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism themes. Sometimes Banksy's works have a pro-freedom message.

Banksy uses rats as images in many of his pictures. His most famous street paintings are a series of black-and-white stenciled rats. Many of these rats are created to be larger than life. The rats have become immensely popular with London pedestrians. A "gangster rat," painted on a wall near the Smithfield market, wears a peace-sign medallion and carries a sign that says "Welcome to Hell." Another rat holds a sign that reads, "Please love me."

Other Banksy art features the image of two policemen kissing painted on a public wall. In another picture a military helicopter is adorned with a pink bow. Winston Churchill has a Mohawk haircut in another. He has even produced revisionist oil paintings such as Mona Lisa with a yellow smiley face, and a pastoral landscape surrounded by crime-scene tape. Banksy, dressed in a disguise, installed them in the Louvre and the Tate.

Banksy often uses public walls as a background to display his art. Although recently he has been creating art on canvas as well. In addition, Banksy sometimes enters museums and galleries to add his own art to the museum collections. In the last several years, Banksy's street art has been seen internationally. It has been found in the Middle East on Israel's West Bank barrier, and in various countries worldwide including Spain, Palestine, Germany, and the United States. He painted the security fence at Bethlehem with a scene of a hole in the concrete barrier. The hole revealed a glittering beach on the other side.

Banksy is viewed by people in many different ways. To some he is an anti-hero who touches the public conscience. Others think of him as an anti-social rogue who vandalizes public property. Some people who have done business with him consider him to be both a genius and a madman. Many view him as unique and irreverent.

On his website Banksy states that he has bought a taller ladder to use in his work. So there can be no doubt that his graffiti ("street art") will continue. For their part, the authorities in the United Kingdom will continue to try to identify and subsequently arrest Banksy, the world's most wanted graffiti artist.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events.

How to Draw Graffiti

While graffiti is associated with vandalizing other people's property, it has evolved into an art form in and of itself. As such, here's how you can explore graffiti both legally and creatively.

STEPS:

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. (Giving writers a bad name).

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.

3. Carry a sketchbook and pencil with you wherever you go. Practice your craft as much as possible. As you come up with new ideas for tags and designs, sketch them in your book and develop the concept by trying out different variations. If possible, carry pencils of a few different colors. Eventually, you can move to using permanent marker.

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".

5. Be Smart. Many cities also have "permission" or "legal" walls specified for graffiti art. Legal graffiti is often more respected than street art. You have unlimited time and freedom to do what you please. Compare legal walls to quick throw-ups found on the street. You will find that legal walls are intricate and aesthetic. Street art is just trying to be seen. Legal graffiti art is more remembered and respected by those who do not completely understand the art form. Also be aware that other writers will expect work of a very high standard, so low standard work on a legal wall can make you look really unskilled, whereas poor standard illegal work can be explained by a variety of factors (cops, owners, losing your footing etc.).

6. Try to meet experienced writers who can help you learn the ropes. (Remember, be safe and be legal. It could put you in jail) 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.

And remember, whenever you write, keep in mind that you are representing the entire graffiti culture anytime anyone else sees it. People usually don't differentiate between writers, they just know that somebody destroyed their property. Stay away from privately-owned businesses or vehicles, worship areas, high profile business buildings. The experienced writers nowadays tend to stick to low-profile spots such as tunnels, abandoned buildings, and, if so desired, legal spots.

You can also draw graffiti on paper. Some of graffiti on paper works you can find in our Art Gallery.

Graffiti art terms

Tag – a tag is an artist’s personal stylized signature. A tagger or a writer is an individual that leaves a tag or signature.
Piece – a piece, derived from masterpiece, is a large 3D image depicting arrows, many colors, and cool effects. If the site of the piece is a difficult location, and is well done, the artists / writer will earn the most respect.
Throw-up – a throw up is not a piece, rather it takes less time to create than a piece. It usually consists of an outline and one fill in color. The most common form of throw-ups are bubble letters and shapes – the reduced time in artistic investment also reduces the chances that the vandal will be caught.
Sticky – a sticky is a sticker that has the graffiti artist’s tag on it.
Cru – A cru or crew is a group of graffiti writers and artists that stick together – they can be part of gangs or not.
Slash – it is a great insult to ‘slash’ or put a line through someone else’s graffiti – it is a disrespectful action also known as dissing, buffing, marking, or capping.
Back To Back – the term back to back describes graffiti that covers a wall from one side to the other (ie the Berlin Wall, train cars).
Burner – a burner is a complex, large piece that appears to be burning out of walls and trains.
Insides – insides are tags created within buses, trains, cars, or trams. During the 1970’s it was common in New York to see as much graffiti inside a train as on the outside.
Going Over – if an artist ‘goes over’ another person’s piece and replaces it with his own tag it is the same as declaring war.
Toy – a toy is a graffiti artist that is not talented, or new to the scene.
King – a king is a writer that has gained respect by being talented, and owning the most tags in a certain area (in trains, outside of trains, on walls).
Nic – if you nic someone’s work you are stealing their ideas, color schemes and lettering.
Bite – bite means the same as nic in New York