What comes into your mind when you think about art? You probably will think of classic paintings, which are excellent examples of its visual form. It would be fun to imagine how the masters were able to create their most well-known pieces. They certainly have stood the test of time. Even after more than a century of existence, their creations still look amazing today and are studied extensively.
Art can be therapeutic for some. There are drug rehab centers that have programs that promote creativity through music, painting, and other forms to help patients get their lives back on track. On the other hand, it can be an adventure. Take graffiti, for example. Some people associate it with vandalism, which is a valid concern since there are indeed private properties that were painted on without proper permission. On the other hand, some view it as a legitimate art form. What makes it so interesting?
Street Canvas
Most visual art pieces are done on paper or canvas. Graffiti closely resembles murals, which means that they need to be made at a larger scale. You mostly see them on walls and even the streets themselves. They turn an otherwise bland-looking industrial environment into something playful and edgy. You can even see them in fairly hidden places like tunnels.
Negative Connotation
Some people view graffiti as something negative because there are creations that were made without permission. For example, there are groups of people out there who tag private properties with their signs to mark their territory. This is an unfortunate thing that still happens today. The misfits would often do tagging runs at night as the city around them starts to sleep. That is a great time for them to carry out their task unseen.
For those who want to express themselves by making graffiti, there are safer and legal ways to do it. You can ask your local officials which places you are allowed to work on.
The Instruments
Graffiti is defined as the act of scratching the surface to create pictures or images. Now, you must be adept at working with spray cans if you want to be good at this art form. Brushes and pencils allow you to create artwork at the flick of your wrists. Working with spray cans is totally different. There is not much room for errors, so before you press that nozzle you have to be sure that you have visualized your piece in your head. If you need to make corrections, you can paint that over with a base color before you start over.
When working with spray cans, you have to know how to control your “strokes”. There are different effects depending on how far you the nozzle is from your canvas. Spraying it close will make solid lines, while doing it at a distance leaves a lighter shade. Mixing things up allows you to make gradients or do proper color shading.
Graffiti can be a powerful form of expression. It has its share of controversies, but there is no denying that it will catch people’s attention. This is a form of art that requires serious skill and guts to pull off.
