The newcomer's Bible

**The Silent One** Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:05 pm

JKeys wrote:I took most of this from Bombing Science and Mindgem I just felt like we needed it here.
If you have anything to contribute than post it.

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SO YOU WANT TO WRITE ON WALLS?
There are few things you must do to make your presence in this subculture a welcome one.
1: Know the history.
2: Know the rules of the game.
3: Work hard at being good, or at least competent.
4: Snitches and shit talkers get stitches and need walkers.
5: You're good, but not that good. Keep your fat head to a reasonable swell and get back to work. These are the five fingers to your left hand, get to know them well. Soon you'll be able to get a grip on your self-esteem and we'll all be better for it.

FIRST: INDUSTRY
Cavemen drew pictures on walls, but Egyptians were the first language artists, then Romans bit the steez. The Greeks, Incans, and Native Americans all got with the program. There was graffiti on the New York subway a year after it was built. There is graffiti on the moon. If graffiti is vandalism, and vandalism is a form of pollution, then man has left his mark with garbage at the fullest reaches of the universe. So you with your pathetic desire to be remembered are in good company. It's important to know how graff developed in your area code, so consul local experts, and remember, everybody lies.

SECOND: THE RULES
1: You suck until further notice
2: It's gonna take a long time before we even acknowledge your existence, even longer before we can bear to look at that foul scribble you call your name. To speed the process of acceptance, you can:
-A: Choose a clever name that defies the norm of simple-minded slang. An example of a good name is "ARGUE" (RIP). It looks good when written, sounds cool when spoken, and conveys a combatative attitude. On the other hand "ENEMA" (actual name) looks, sounds, and conveys a **** attitude. BE CHOOSY.
-B: Use paint, gain a thorough knowledge of supplies, remember that permission walls, stickers, and dust tags are small parts of a balanced diet, be bold, learn a style of writing for every occasion, and write your name bigger every time you go out.
3: Jealousy is a disease for the weak
4: Your heart is your greatest possession, don't let it get taken from you.
5: Don't write on houses of worship, people's houses in general, other writers names, or tombstones. Writing on memorial wallas and cars is beef beyond belief. Furthermore, involving civilians in your beef is gorunds for dismissal. These are the five finges to your right hand. Get to know them well. Give them soul claps, firm handshakes, and throw smooth bolo punches.

THIRD: DEVELOPING STYLE
Although being a toy seems undesirable, you should enjoy it while you can. at this stage you can bite all you want with no remorse. All your elders will say is, "Awww isn't that cute, kootchie kotchie koo." So steal that dope connection, rob that color scheme, and loot whole letterforms. Don't worry about giving any credit, we'll pat ourselves on the back and brag how we influenced the next generation. However, style isn't a cruch or schtick. It is understanding why that connection you bit flows, or why that color scheme bumps. Style is the process to an appealing end. Once you got it down to a science, you cna reinvent letterforms to suit yourself. This creative growth will amaze the old and young alike. Pretty soon somebody will steal your secret sauce and the cycle will be renewed. If this happens to you, don't bitch about not getting your due.

Graffiti is the language of the ignored. If your style is stolen, someone heard you speaking. You got what you wanted from the beginning, some attention, you big baby.

FOURTH: THE LAW
It must be noted that the vandal squad loves graffiti. Their job requires them to fiend for graff as much as you do. When you wreck enough walls, they'll want to meet you. Just like the ball huggers outside the graff shop, they'll recite every spot you hit, with the difference being you'll also hear the miranda warning. To postpone this, go solo as much as possible. Don't write with anyone that won't fight for you. Don't be paranoid, but be careful. If you avoid writing on pristine properties, you'll stay in misdameanor territory, and you woen't divert the cops attention from pastry and caffeine consumption (consult local laws to be sure). Remember, if they didnt see you do it, it's almost impossible for them to win a conviction without your damming testimony. Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Giving a cop info on another writer wil doom you to a life of ridicule, from cops and kids alike, with no parole.

FIFTH: EGO TRIPPIN
There's nothing wrong with knowing you're the shit as long as you are. But once you reach that conclusion, you're one foot over the edge of falling off. Watch your step fathead, theres no shortage of people chanting, "JUMP JUMP JUMP!" There are plenty of writers that have been painting for well ovr 20 years, and your posing and fronting looks retarted next to them. Get back to work you "never was" slouch. In conclusion, graffiti is free, impresses the girls, is heroic in our coach potatoe culture, will provide you with a million stories to tell at parties, and a sure cure for the inner city blues. If it's not fun, you're doing it wrong or have been doing it too long. So get going, fame awaits the fly amongst you.

-Mark Surface
meem@gnu.ai.mit.edu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false

There is rarely a day that goes by when I fail to see someone sporting a Stussy T-shirt or cap. It seems like ever since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" grunge took over the world that the seventies, along with its plethora of fads, is back in style. This includes not only bell-bottoms, but also what is known as the aerosol culture. Unfortunately, it seems that the core of the whole art is still back in the seventies for many of today's writers, and superfluous repainting of objects by non-union workers is without the moral codes, feelings, and purposes it once had. This introduction to graffiti is intended to serve both as a guide for newcomers and a reference for experienced writers who sometimes lose sight as to what its all about.

Tagging, the most primitive form of the graffiti art, consists of a writer's signature, usually done in permanent marker or spray paint. Artistically, tagging is the root of graffiti, and a skill a writer must become proficient at before becoming an accomplished graffiti artist.

The first thing you need to do is choose a tag, or a name which you will be known by in the graffiti community. DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY; if you choose something stupid it will come back to haunt you. "Stupid" things include choosing initials, nicknames, names already in use, famous people, corny or trite words, and words that are just plain dumb. A tag is usually 3 to 7 characters but can be shorter or longer if really deemed necessary. Those with a tag greater than 4 letters will often find it necessary to develop a "shortened" version of the tag for time and space-sensitive places. In tagging, as _Subway Art_ [Chalfant] (a book regarded by writers as the "Graffiti Bible") points out, "[graffiti writers] confront the first need to have style."

_Subway Art_ goes on to say that "Style is a very concrete idea among writers. It is form, the shapes of the letters, and how they connect. There are various categories of style, ranging from the old, simple bubble letters,to highly evolved and complex wildstyle, an energetic interlocking construction of letters with arrows and other forms that signify movement and direction." Just as one can say "thanks," and mean it honestly, sarcastically, scornfully, or any of a thousand different ways, it is how the word is delivered that determines how it is understood. Graffiti without style, much like a monotonous voice, becomes ambiguous, and is either interpreted with hatred or indifference. Simply put, style speaks a thousand more words than a writer's tag ever will.

Each tag without style can be thought of as a writer without true devotion and commitment for the art. It represents a writer who wants the fame, glory, and recognition without sacrificing the many hours necessary to obtain the skills required for style. Becoming adept in translating emotions into rapid and smooth lines is a never-ending process that in essence is the key to all graffiti.

When I began writing, I thought the only thing needed to get famous was to go around writing my name, but it wasn't long before that illusion wore off. I still see trash cans and phone booths with old tags of mine on them, but I'm ashamed of them now. Ashamed of them because they demonstrated my ignorance to the feelings and passions that fuel the art. Ashamed of them because they had no style.

Almost every time I hit up an area, I go back a week later to check it out. I return not to admire it, but to **** and critique it. I take photos of everything (except plain tags), to help me find and work through the flaws of my art. This process appears to be often overlooked by writers at Newton South, but I think it is far more important than the work itself. As _Subway Art_ states, "Graffiti is a public performance," and everything one submits will be critiqued by every passer-by, so it's better if you can examine it and improve it before anyone else gets the chance.

It is unfortunate that many beginning writers think the only admission to the graff community is going down to Staples and buying a permanent marker. Magnums, Mean Streaks, and SG-7's do not make one an accomplished writer, they merely make one a vandal. It is then up to that vandal to privately evolve his or her art to lettering with emotion and energy.

Just as one would not try an instrument out for the first time at a public performance, the best way to start learning style is not going around bombing (saturating an area with one's tag) the walls of the city or the insides of trains. Learning graffiti is a lot like learning how to play an instrument: start learning in private with someone you admire. Try going down to derelict train lots with someone who has been writing for a few years, and hit the place up. Have the writer point out what he or she does or does not like about your style, and have the writer suggest ways to improve it. Above all, it is important you listen to what they have to say; they know what they're talking about and have been at it far longer than you. Remember, everyone in the graffiti community was a toy (inexperienced writer) once, and anyone who says they weren't lies through their teeth. The writing community, like most communities, is one that places elders (those with many years of experience) first. Novices look to people with a year or two of writing experience, those people with a couple of years of training look up to those from the previous generation, and so it continues.

Style is a constantly evolving entity, and was around long before you, so don't be disappointed if you can't just go blasting out dazzling wildstyle lettering on your first try. If you're going to try paint, start with dead letters, simple block letters that aren't filled in (wasting paint for a one coat fill isn't worth it in an abandoned yard). Resist all urges to coerce style into your letters, it will not turn out the way you hoped. Rather, become proficient in doing the dead letters fast and accurately, and along the way you will see subtle nuances of your lettering technique that will eventually evolve into style. Remember that spray paint is not a substance that lends itself to lazy hands, so every move of the can should be quick and smooth or you will get drips and shaky lines. If you can, try to acquire some caps (nozzles) which either spray a really fat line (reducing the amount of paint that can drip) or release the paint at a slower rate.

Once you've gotten your lettering down, moving on to more complex forms of the art should be a snap. Never be afraid to experiment with letters, but bear in mind there's only so much one can do with a letter before it either becomes obfuscated by debris or turns into another letter. Also, magazines such as _Can Control_, _Hype_ and _Skills_ contain tons of photos for the aspiring writer. It is important to keep in mind that while learning others' style is a great learning tool, stealing their letter style (biting), is perhaps one of the worst offenses a writer can be charged with.

Remember, time isn't of the essence. The trains, buildings, and highways aren't going anywhere, so take the time necessary to evolve your style before going out and making a public display. Getting style isn't easy, and it takes many hours of arduous work to evolve into a presentable state. As the "Graffiti Bible" says, "There is no easy way to learn the complicated wildstyle, and no substitute for time. Rather, the best way to learn is through recapitulating the entire history of graffiti art, from the simple to the complex."

So, if you're serious about your artwork, take the time to show your devotion to all the writers around you. Plan out your art in a bible/blackbook (sketchbook) ahead of time, and make sure you have the skills necessary to execute such a "piece" (short for masterpiece) when put in a time-constrained, dangerous situation. Work through the flaws and faults of your style with someone you respect and admire in the graffiti community, and above all, don't be afraid to be criticized. So, for all you real writers out there who will be around to pass the torch on to the next generation, keep practicing, and don't get caught.

LETTER DEVELOPMENTS:

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USING BARS TO CREATE LETTERS

All basic letters are constructed from similarily lengthed bars, there will be up to four bars as in the letter 'E' and one bar for letters such as 'S' or 'C'.

Two letters shown as the normal print, the dissected bars that form the letter and how lines should be drawn to form the letter best (note how the bars overlap, this helps create a more 'even' looking letter).

Where does this letter stop becoming an 'n' and become an 'h'? A common mistake made by people just starting with letters, using the wrong length bar in the wrong place can completly change the structure of a letter.

Placing some letters too close together will create a new letter or be confusing. Here a 'c' and 'l' are shown coming closer and closer together eventually becoming the letter 'd'.

It may not be obvious in the first two 'H's shown but the flow of the letter on the right is thrown off simply because a bar has been incorrectly used. The 'H' on the left uses the correct method of one.

Another common mistake. They should all appear to be letters from the same type set, not a mix of different styled letters. It would disrupt the flow if all your letters were different fonts, just as they would if they were different styled bars.
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HOW TO DO A THROW-UP
1.Do your outline in the colour you plan to fill in.

2. Fill in the letters with a smooth back-and-forth motion.

3.Outline your letters in another colour.

4. Add some drop shadow

5. Throw an additional outline around the whole thing in a third color to make it pop out.

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SHADING & 3-D

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COLORING

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CAPS

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LINKS
http://www.a2planet.com/guide/work/index-revc.html-Good Guide
http://colorschemedesigner.com/-Color Scheme
http://monologues.co.uk/Portraits/BlendShade.htm-Pencil Shading
http://ryuuwyvren.deviantart.com/art/Prismacolor-Tutorial-23560194-Marker Guide"