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i've always loved watching the graffiti go by on trains, so i started looking more and more into it. my grandma paints murals for lots of people in their homes, restaurants, etc. and i can't really see a difference between a great mural and a well done commissioned piece on a wall outside other than most murals aren't using letters as a focal point.

there is quite a large difference between gang graffiti and most street art graffiti, the gang graffiti is usually there to mark territories and most street artists tend to avoid the areas where putting up a piece may end up getting them targeted by a gang.

A good resource is the book Graffiti World and the others that have similar covers, i've seen it in a few different libraries, there's a bunch of interviews with tons of different great artists. also, the documentaries "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and "Style Wars" provide great insight into the world of graffiti.

Started late in high school (1999-2000). Kept at it up until around junior/senior year of undergrad.

Started drawing in my blackbook, mostly biting the hell out stuff I saw in mags (mostly Life Sucks Die and some Euro mags I can't remember the name of) and the internet. The Espo (Stephen Powers) book The Art of Getting Over is a must read for anyone starting. Reading the rules at the back of the book really helped me from being a little shit vandal (writing on schools, garage doors, churches, ect.) to trying to at least be a competent writer.

Finally picked up a can and practiced the hell out of doing block letters and basic can control in my basement. Later I set up plywood in the backyard to practice. My parents were cool as hell about letting me do that. Once I wasn't too embarrassed by my letters I starting hitting really chill spots- under bridges and abandoned building.

Fuck the kids that I see now-a-days scribbling on a super high profile spot with something that doesn't even look as good as shitty gang graffiti. And especially fuck the kids who go over something they clearly can't burn in a super high profile spot. Learn your shit before you make that big public debut.

Went bombing in the city/town a little bit, but never really anything heavy. The yards are what drew my attention and made me fall in love with going out writing. Nothing like riding your bike into a yard and creeping around until you knew you were alone and found that perfect freight (what, a line of flat box cars and holy rollers!). I never got down with a crew and mostly rode solo to the yards in the summer. The quality of my painted work always dipped when college was going on, but I tried to always end the summer a little better from the last. I was never a great writer in my area, but got along with and had mutual respect with the better writers in the area. My college note books are full of graffiti at the top of each page.

Eventually I got really serious about school and started doing summer research projects and internships instead of hitting the yard every chance I got. Graffiti was cool as hell, but I was making a career. Got really serious with a girl (my soon to be wife) and that also took up a lot of my graffiti time. Also, the risk of getting caught was less and less appealing the older I got. Finally, I went to grad school and kind of just stopped picking up a can.

It's been 3-4 year since I've been to a yard. 2-3 years since I last seriously picked up a can.

I still love the art form and culture behind it. I still get excited when a burner, full car, or just a nice style rolls by when I'm railroaded. If I am in a class or meeting that is losing my interest next thing I know I'm writing some graffiti at the top of my notes. It keeps me busy enough that I can listen and not have my mind wonder.

To the kids that are coming up: learn your local and wider graffiti history, try to be ethical in picking your spots, respect your elders, don't go over a piece unless you can burn it, and practice, practice, practice. Don't get mad when someone bites your style. That only means you've been recognized and have influenced the next generation of writers.

Try Wild Style, one of the first films about hip hop and graffiti culture http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Style-Anniversary-Grandmaster-Flash/dp/B000VJE1O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289267699&sr=8-1.

Also - this isn't a film, it's a 6 minute video by Rowan Pybus and South African graffiti artist Faith47 about her graffiti work and the 1955 Freedom Charter, I love this video - http://www.vimeo.com/12910179

All the best to your friend!!!

Always good to keep your eyes peeled. A good guide book, aside from experience around trains, is Hopping Freight Trains in America by Duffy Littlejohn. It has a wealth of knowledge regarding trains and train yards. A good read worth checking out. http://www.amazon.com/Hopping-Freight-Trains-America-Littlejohn/dp/094462734X

In short, not really. Graffiti tags / handstyles, no matter how weird and wild they are, still have typography roots. Many quality graffiti handstyles could be compared to quality sign painting styles – a lot of overlap. If you're looking to develop a clean, refined, and traditional style then studying traditional sign painting would be my recommendation. Calligraphy, typography (the study of type in general), and drawing letters in a traditional format will all contribute to your knowledge of lettering in general. Then graffiti styles will follow after studying and practicing it more. After I started getting really into type, hand lettering, and fonts in general is when I noticed my overall tag styles improve the greatest. The rest is just a ridiculous amount of practice. Like going through multiple phone books, thousands of pens, and cans of paint.

Here's some links, I haven't checked all the books personally but I have a few of them:

seanwes.com/learn/

http://www.amazon.com/Sign-Painters-Faythe-Levine/dp/1616890835/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=18KCM0XRJB2Y65NMC6F7

http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Type-Classic-Three-Dimensional-Lettering/dp/0500516995/ref=pd_sim_b_14?ie=UTF8&refRID=18KCM0XRJB2Y65NMC6F7

http://www.amazon.com/Mack-Brush-Freehand-Lettering-EDUCATIONAL/dp/B0046DK1EC/ref=pd_sim_b_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=18KCM0XRJB2Y65NMC6F7

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hand-Lettering-Helm-Wotzkow/dp/0486217973/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=18KCM0XRJB2Y65NMC6F7

https://www.google.com/search?q=sign+painting+techniques&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1535&bih=1039&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=82p_VInZEsP7ggSK5oDQAg&ved=0CCYQsAQ

https://www.google.com/search?q=sign+painting+techniques&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1535&bih=1039&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=82p_VInZEsP7ggSK5oDQAg&ved=0CCYQsAQ#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=hand+drawn+letter+techniques

One of my favorites:
https://www.google.com/search?q=herb+lubalin&safe=off&hl=en&biw=1535&bih=1039&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=5Gt_VKa8BcSVNqm1gbgJ&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

Some examples:
Molotow Masterpiece
Krink

Something like this kit would be good starting out.

Once thing worth noting is that you should practice your handwriting in general before going outside. I mean practicing every letter of the alphabet. So that each letter is consistent every time. Trying to make it look almost like a typeface.

Here’s some other resources:

• Handstyle Advice for Beginers
  
• r/graffhelp - use the sidebar
  
• r/handstyles
  
• Improve Your Handrwriting
  
  
  
  

cool thanks dude

do you know if any of these books are any good?

https://www.amazon.ca/Graffiti-School-Student-Teachers-Manual/dp/0500290970

https://www.amazon.ca/Learn-Draw-Graffiti-Master-Piece-Essential/dp/0988777290

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Write-When-You-Can/dp/0990438155

I got myself this graffiti shirt from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748G1NMZ
I think it's pretty cool!

Get a top notch respirator , unless they bomb, the a 500 box of black cheap rubber gloves. Cap in bulk is always a great gift
Also
http://www.amazon.com/Style-Wars-Blu-ray-Various/dp/B00MR9HO38

The book "Getting Up" by Craig Castleman is a history of the origin on graff in NY in the 70's and 80's. It started off as an academic thesis, not sure if it was significantly edited for popular release. It's from a historical and sociological academic perspective but is an enjoyable read regardless. I think anyone who studies this topic academically has read it and would expect to see it in the bibliography of your dissertation.

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Up-Subway-Graffitti-York/dp/0262530511

Would something like this and this work?

heres a book you might like

http://www.amazon.com/Subway-Art-25th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0811868877

Here you go

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Trains-Pack-Graffiti-Freight/dp/B008UDUY8C

I put together this photo book last year. About Beijing and Shanghai graffiti. Lots of pictures of Moganshan Lu, the famous wall in Shanghai that was bulldozed a while back. That place was magical. https://www.amazon.com/GRAFFITI-Beijing-Shanghai-Street-Photos-ebook/dp/B00NVKE20K

My favourite is the WUFC book.

http://www.amazon.ca/Writers-United-Story-Swedish-Graffiti/dp/9197398136

Graffiti Worldhttp://www.amazon.com/Graffiti-World-Updated-Street-Continents/dp/0810980495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411696545&sr=1-1&keywords=graffiti+world