pouët.net

Beginning old-skool graffiti tags

category: general [glöplog]
 
Hello there
I'm quite interested in designing some type and perhaps a logo for a demo and site, and I'd like to learn how to go about the sort of graffiti style tagging or typography, then converting it to a format that gives it a more oldschool look.

My thinking was perhaps to sketch out designs either on my tablet, save them out as BMP or another raw format, import into deluxe paint or similar and go from there. Perhaps work with one of the ansi-formats using DOSBox or WinUAE. Essentially, get the look I'm after by following the actual techniques used.

I guess I have two questions. What are the tools people generally use and how does one learn about creating interesting graffiti type? I've done a couple of stencil spray pieces in London and I've favoured, bold, vector based designs by effectively rotoscoping over the top of an image I've liked, then printing out a stencil. Is there a site or artist I should follow perhaps?

Cheers

Oni
added on the 2017-10-13 16:20:22 by oni_ oni_
google.
it's full of tutorials.
added on the 2017-10-13 17:01:44 by 1in10 1in10
youtube.
it´s full of VISUAL tutorials.
Let me atleast answer one of your questions, as i have been doing a lot of grafitty in the past myself:
Almost everyone into grafitty started copying letters from others...just look at some tags and try to paint the letters yourself in that style...the style is what all the letters have in common, what makes them work together.
Lateron everyone finds his own style by just changing stuff...it comes a bit naturally by how your hands behave when writing letters...and you start trying out writing some letters different than how you copied them from someone elses style earlier...once you think sth looks cool, you keep it and try to put the changes you made into all the other letters aswell, et voila: own style!
Your style will always be changing, adding stuff here and there, removing sth here and there and so on!
So all in all it takes a long time to get into all of this and finally find your own style in the end. ;) There´s no real way to learn it either!

The internet is full of grafitty, so you will stumble upon some style you think is cool quite fast...maybe just go the short-route with the knowledge of what i said above...first try to copy the style, then change it so it turns into your own style.

Just so we have some demoscenish context aswell:
Imho the best grafitty was in Jetset-Demos!

small font:
Tag by Jetset/Skid Row

more nice fonts:
Armageddon by Jetset
As for pixel tools, I'd say it makes little sense to go for a native oldskool platform app like DPaint. ProMotion or GrafX2 are much easier to integrate with "modern tools" due to running on the same platform/OS, they're a lot more powerful, practical and complete, and (imho) the pixel skills they teach you are exactly the same (assuming you'd apply similar palette settings, of course).

And here's a graffiti site made by a former Atari scener: http://home.ekosystem.org/
added on the 2017-10-13 21:04:29 by havoc havoc
i believe alien^pdx has some speedpixeling videos on his youtube that shows how he does it, which were quite nice to watch. then again, i guess for a guy with your hand-drawing skills, it is easier to go vector-based in modern tools and then tweak it in whatever pixel tool like. i believe Wade did some instruction videos on that technique.
@havoc:
that site is awesome. thanks.
added on the 2017-10-13 23:08:47 by 1in10 1in10
this video will teach you all about bombing and style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP5uUqz4SHk ;)
just noticed...
http://home.ekosystem.org/
"Graffiti, Street-art & Atheism since 1999"

atheism...wtf
that is like "Gardening, Crafts & Satan since 1184"
or "Sexy Models, Nudes & Communism since 1777"
added on the 2017-10-14 16:20:17 by 1in10 1in10
I don´t get your rant! ;)
The page has mixed content, some grafitty, some street-art and some atheism (be it articles or just inbetween the other content) and it exists since 1999. That easy! :p
Hey everybody! Thanks for the tips there. Some of the programs are new to me but I'll check them out. I've been looking quite a bit at the ansi work over at:

http://pc.textmod.es/

And the work by Xero: http://0w.nz/

Some good tips here. I like the books idea too, as I have just picked up one that deals specifically with Logos (though the type one also seems like the right thing)
Cheers
added on the 2017-10-14 18:31:01 by oni_ oni_
I get 1in10's rant and second ;)
added on the 2017-10-14 19:39:30 by Serpent Serpent
it is probably a typo on that site... unspotted since 1999!.. the true meaning is "..& A-teamism since 1999". just a raw guess tho..
added on the 2017-10-14 19:50:34 by gentleman gentleman
I found the atheist
You can go far with just a nice simple tag and pimp the hell out of it.
That oldskool typical _GRAFFITI_ (new york / German) style is hard to get into. Takes a lot of talent and practice.

RA and other graphicians of that era did alot of nice stylish logos back in the 90ies with just simple tags/signatures and pimping them up with effects.

Kind of the same a graffiti artist does who has little built in talent. You can get away with a lot if you know tricks and effects. These days it is a good time for less "built-in-talent" writers as the naiv or anti-style is pretty much gone world wide. Still much of it looks really nice.
added on the 2017-10-17 13:34:03 by tFt tFt
Also, have a talk with this guy at next party ;)
BB Image

example of simple nice tags with some fast pimping ;)
BB Image
added on the 2017-10-17 13:47:33 by tFt tFt
and ping irokos on irc? he's quite into it :)

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