Life, Death Getting Paid To Draw Graffiti

Graffiti Wall By Artist - Aikijuanma - Source WIKIPEDIA 

I just got back from Las Vegas. I was staying at the D Hotel, which is in downtown. Early morning, I was walking around looking for a breakfast spot, and the diner in my hotel hadn’t opened yet. I didn’t know where to go or what to eat, so I took a stroll on Fremont Street. I noticed that there was a man that was setting up a graffiti booth. He had a small booth, and he was going to do live graffiti, so I went over and saw his work and how he was doing what he did. It was an interesting thing to see someone actually doing this live. If you have ever wondered if you could get paid to draw graffiti, then wonder no more. You could make a life out of getting paid to draw, and of course you could get paid to draw graffiti.

Learn The Craft Before You Get Paid To Draw Graffiti 

The first thing that you should know about this is that you need to learn your craft. I asked the guy how he got to a place where one could get paid to draw graffiti, and he said he first learned how to draw. He got a book and was just drawing like a madman, learning how to do curves, and lines, and how to do realism and more. He didn’t go to art school, mind you, he just taught himself through the use of books. Now he gets paid, but at first, he was just doing it to learn, and he would do that hours on end, while in front of a television on the bus, and anywhere he could draw. If you want to get paid to draw graffiti, you’ll need to learn the craft of drawing fist.

Getting Canvas To Practice

From lettering with pencils the dude upgraded to gel markers, and then started to work with spray paint cans on canvas. He said he progressed a lot with cheap canvas, but when he couldn’t afford to buy canvas and long before he was getting paid to draw graffiti, he worked with cardboard. He would find old cardboard boxes and then make them into makeshift canvas and use spray paint to create new art and that would help him learn lines, caps, and more. Now that he is getting paid, he looks back at the learning experience fondly, but it started with just practicing a lot with spray paint.

How Much Can One Get Paid To Draw Graffiti?

Here’s the million dollar question, right? On this blog I keep telling people that they can get paid to draw. Sure, you could look up ideas like, how to get paid to draw graffiti, or you could just take the word of this guy in Las Vegas that I met. How much does he get paid? Well, he sells his art from $5 to $100 each, and he says he makes roughly $50,000 a year. But he only works a few hours a day on the Las Vegas Fremont Experience, and he does it daily, doing what he loves.

If your goal is to get paid to draw graffiti, then you will need to take some advice. Learn the trade, learn to draw, use the links below, and then make sure that this is your obsession, until you can finally get to a place where someone pays you. You cannot just wake up and decide, I want to get paid to draw graffiti, you have to learn a few tricks of the trade, and it starts today. No joke, give it a shot.

Want To Learn How To Draw Graffiti? Click on the resources below to help your quest:

Spray Paint Guide - How To Draw Spray Paint Art and Get Paid (a full guide, and membership website) 

Master Pencil Drawing - How To Draw With Pencils Before Jumping Into Graffiti, a Full Guide

Video Drawing Guide - Visual Learners Delight! 500 plus videos on how to draw, including lettering, graffiti, and so much more. 

3 Ways To Move Around While Learning To Draw Graffiti

Getting Around To Walls and What Not Takes Some Work 

For those artists that want to go about learning to draw graffiti in the streets, you’ll need to focus on transportation. You will not be able to get to many places if you do not have a way to move forward with certain things. With that in mind, the following elements are just 3 ways to move around your city while learning to draw graffiti.

A Reliable Vehicle

The first option is expensive, but totally worth it. Get a reliable car, because it’s going to help you get forward traction in regard to getting to far off places. This is something that you cannot dismiss. You cannot dismiss the power of a good car. A reliable car is going to help you get to the right locations, and even seek out options that are outside of your city. Whether you want to focus on learning to draw graffiti locally, or you want to get to abandoned warehouses and more, a reliable vehicle is the first major option that you will want to pursue.

Skateboard Deck or Long Board Skateboard

There are two types of skateboards that you may want to look into. The first is a street style skateboard, which is the most common. However, another option is a long board. The difference here is the length and how you are going to be able to move through various different terrain solutions. For instance, one of the most prominent solutions is that of a long board because it has bigger wheels, and can get you through hard roads, and rocky areas. However, it’s also a lot harder to transport. It’s for that reason why you may want to look into skateboard decks that are “street” style, because they are smaller, and easier to run with. Of course, if you’re going to be learning to draw graffiti in the streets, you may want to invest in a good backpack so that you can bring supplies, since a skateboard isn’t going to help in that department.

BMX Bike

This is my favorite solution to work with. A good BMX bike is the best option to go with. It’s lightweight, it’s fast, and you can move through a lot of different terrain options. This is an option that you can easily jump on and off, and even take with you in rain, snow, and more. With a good backpack, some spare tires, and a few tools, you can take your BMX across the local warehouses, and other plots for you to focus on learning to draw graffiti. BMX is a great secondary choice aside from a car, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t go with any other type of bike, mind you, as this is my favorite, especially if your goal is learning to draw graffiti locally.

Want To Learn How To Draw Graffiti? Click on the resources below to help your quest:

Spray Paint Guide - How To Draw Spray Paint Art and Get Paid (a full guide, and membership website) 

Master Pencil Drawing - How To Draw With Pencils Before Jumping Into Graffiti, a Full Guide

Video Drawing Guide - Visual Learners Delight! 500 plus videos on how to draw, including lettering, graffiti, and so much more. 

Can You Make Money While Learning To Draw Graffiti?

NYC Style Graffiti - Commissioned - SRC The New York Times

The number one thing that people discuss when they are seeking to draw graffiti is in regard to money. Could you make money while learning to draw graffiti? I mean, there are people that do in fact make a lot of money with their art, and you could to. However, you need to know how to work with things that are marketable. You cannot just show up at an art gallery and start selling your items. Nor can you just set up a simple option in an office or your bedroom and hope to get a lot of attention for your process. In order to make money while learning to draw graffiti, you will need to do a few things, including the following.

Pick Up A Book For Learning To Draw Graffiti

The first bit of advice that I can give you is simple, pick up a book on learning to draw graffiti. I kid you not. There are a few options that you can pursue in this regard. Some options are inexpensive on Amazon as linked on this blog. Other options are members only solutions that are also linked on this page. Either way, if you invest in actually learning from these items, you can in fact learn how to be creative for the purpose of making money.

Get Canvas

Canvas is not expensive. Visit any art store and you can buy a lot of canvas and start working on pieces. If you’re serious about making money, you will need to master the art of graffiti and then have it accessible for people to use. Remember, this is an art form that people hang on their walls, they use in their offices, and other locations. In order to start making money, you are going to not only focus on learning to draw graffiti, you’re going to have to provide a physical portfolio of things that you’ve done. You cannot just have pictures, you need tangible items, which is where canvas can come into play.

Sell Online

If you have gone through the process that has been mentioned above, then your next step should be easy to work with. The step is simple, sell your items through internet opportunities. The simplest of these may be a site called etsy.com. For 20 cents a listing, you could add all of your graffiti works and ask whatever price you want. You could get paid and transfer the money to your bank account, and make serious money. The money made here is not just about helping you with learning to draw graffiti, mind you. It’s about getting attention, including custom work. Put up enough content, and there will be people that ask for commissioned, custom work, which is always a good solution to pursue.

Want To Learn How To Draw Graffiti? Click on the resources below to help your quest:

Spray Paint Guide - How To Draw Spray Paint Art and Get Paid (a full guide, and membership website) 

Master Pencil Drawing - How To Draw With Pencils Before Jumping Into Graffiti, a Full Guide

Video Drawing Guide - Visual Learners Delight! 500 plus videos on how to draw, including lettering, graffiti, and so much more. 

The Common Lie About Learning To Draw Graffiti

Custom Graffiti Drawing On Warehouse Wall

Millions of people have seen graffiti across their cities. You may see it in your area. It’s an art form that has been stigmatized by many people. But what people don’t realize is that it’s not as bad as some may think. It’s not always an eyesore. There are times when people are asked to create works of this type for a lot of different reasons. There is a big lie that comes with learning to draw graffiti, not just posting it up on walls, and different surfaces.

The Biggest Lie About Learning To Draw Graffiti

The biggest lie that you may find about learning to draw graffiti is not about difficulty. It’s about the legality of it. Many people in the past would have to spend a lot of time and effort doing illegal things to draw graffiti. That’s no longer the case. You do not need to climb a freeway overpass, and you do not have to join a gang to learn graffiti.

Learning From Home

Since you already know the biggest lie about learning to draw graffiti, you should know about how you can learn legally, without having to do anything that would be seen as a negative. The easiest process to work with is to sign up for a membership with a “spray paint” authority. They can teach you how to work in real time, with different elements overall. If you do not want to go with that route, you’ll want to focus on learning from home with another path.

Learn To Draw First

Before you can start to really work with the process of learning to draw graffiti, you have to know how to draw with pens, markers, and gels. This is how many people learn how to draw graffiti today. You can do this with books and different digital products that are available for download, purchase, etc.

Does Learning To Draw Graffiti Legally Work?

The last question that you may want to explore is simple. Does learning to draw graffiti from at home options work? Could you master this with spray paint? The short answer is, yes. You can learn, but you need to apply what you read in books, and what advisers in the art of graffiti recommend. That is really the only way that you will actually see progress. People do not realize how difficult it is to actually learn how to draw, let alone paint with graffiti elements. If that is your goal, you will need to start working on learning to draw graffiti today, with legal means. There are plenty available.

Want To Learn How To Draw Graffiti? Click on the resources below to help your quest:

Spray Paint Guide - How To Draw Spray Paint Art and Get Paid (a full guide, and membership website) 

Master Pencil Drawing - How To Draw With Pencils Before Jumping Into Graffiti, a Full Guide

Video Drawing Guide - Visual Learners Delight! 500 plus videos on how to draw, including lettering, graffiti, and so much more. 

The Easiest Ways To Learn To Draw Graffiti Today

Get Paid To Take Pictures Like This, No Joke, Click HERE

There are a lot of people that have asked me how to tag graffiti. What I tell most people is simple enough, you have to get a guide or find a friend that is really good at tagging. I was fortunate enough to grow up in Los Angeles. Finding people that tag was easy. I also went to art school. I have a degree in art, and while I don’t tag as much as I’d like, I can truly say that there are only a few ways to learn how to tag graffiti.

Get A Guidebook

There are a lot of books that talk about how to draw graffiti correctly. You could search online for, how to tag graffiti, and you’ll find hundreds of thousands of listings. That’s a good thing, but you may find that it’s hard to consolidate all of the information into something that is grand. The easiest way to attack this is to follow the links that are provided below, as they are focused on the best ways to make money doing graffiti, and how to learn on the fly. I can attest to each option being good overall.

Practice On Cardboard

Go to the hardware store and purchase moving boxes. That’s the cheapest way to have cardboard around to practice your graffiti. If you want to make sure that you’re practicing your art form, you’ll need to have a canvas. As you look into how to tag graffiti, you’re going to find that a canvas is important to work through. Cardboard boxes can be purchased for as little as sixty cents or less overall. Once you have a lot of boxes, practice painting on them. Once you learn how to tag graffiti, you’ll be able to create amazing solutions overall.

Just Keep Working On It

I cannot stress enough that you need to keep painting. You need to focus on how to tag graffiti in terms of hours invested. If you were to invest an hour a day to drawing graffiti, and learning, you would become a master. In regards to formal education, it took me 4 years to complete a bachelor’s degree in art. If I were to have only worked on learning how to draw graffiti, it may have taken a lot less time, assuming all I was doing was working with spray paint.

If you want to learn how to tag graffiti, then you will want to focus on the following links. They will help you learn the right tagging technique, and will even show you how to make money with spray paint art. It’s possible to make a lot of money in these methods, as long as you can harness your skill set, and learn the right graffiti elements overall.

Want to learn graffiti? Click HERE for an easy to follow guide!

Want to make money with your graffiti? Click Here For Free Lessons!

Do you take pictures of graffiti and want to sell them? Click here to learn more about how you can make money with stock graffiti images today!

3 Reasons Why You Can’t Learn Graffiti Without Help

Get Paid To Take Pictures Like This - Click here

There are millions of people that love graffiti artwork. When you ask them if they know how to do it, they will say, no. Artists of all types may be good at drawing, and have ideas for what would work with graffiti art, but they may not know how to draw graffiti step by step. There are a few reasons why many don’t know how to write graffiti and why they may not learn. If you have tried and you are getting stuck, perhaps the following reasons will point you in the right direction.

You’re Not Using The Right Instructions

The biggest thing about how to draw graffiti step by step, is that you need to have a source. Whether it’s someone to help you learn how to draw lines, or it’s a book or guide, you need to have instructions. Without instructions on how to draw graffiti, you are not going to be able to gain the upper hand. You’re not learning because you’re using the wrong information or you’re trying too hard, simple as that.

You’re Trying Too Hard On The Wrong Surfaces

The next reason why you aren’t really learning is because you’re trying on the wrong surfaces. As you look into how to draw graffiti step by step, you’re going to find that there are some surfaces that aren’t going to work well with your spray paint. Without the right solution, you’re going to end up losing out. You need to have the right kind of paint, and you need to have a little time to create your masterpiece. If you’re just trying to tag graffiti because you have nothing better to do, then perhaps this doesn’t matter.

You’re Not Using The Right Caps

When you start to get into how to draw graffiti step by step, you’re going to find that you need to have the right caps. The cap of your spray paint can will dictate whether or not you’re going to be able to get moving forward with the right images. You cannot draw fine lines, and broad strokes without putting a little effort into the caps that you’re using for the spray paint that you want to utilize.

At the end of the day, if you want to learn how to draw graffiti step by step, you’re going to need to look into the right information. That’s where the following links come into play. Use these as a foundation to learn how to draw graffiti the right way, simple as that. You can learn, it’s just a matter of addressing the problems mentioned above.

Want to learn graffiti? Click HERE for an easy to follow guide!

Want to make money with your graffiti? Click Here For Free Lessons!

Do you take pictures of graffiti and want to sell them? Click here to learn more about how you can make money with stock graffiti images today!

3 Killer Tips To Learn How To Draw Graffiti Safely

Not Everyone Gets A Cool Tunnel For Learning How To Draw Graffiti 

Right now there are a lot of people sitting around trying to learn how to draw graffiti. This is the same story across the inner cities of the United States, as well as the world. You may be reading this and think that it would be cool to learn how to draw graffiti. I’ve thought about in the past, and only now am I starting to get good at it. While you may find yourself tempted to practice in real world settings, you will soon find out that it’s a little difficult to just find a wall, and post up. Whether you’re a gifted artist or not, it’s not recommended to just find empty walls and throw tags up. This will get you arrested, and in some instances, beat up badly. Don’t do it. Instead, focus on a few simple tips to help you stay safe while learning how to draw graffiti today.

Buy Cheap Canvas

There are two major ways that you can procure canvas today. The first one is simple, go to a Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or any other type of art store. Often times, they have surplus and even damaged canvas. Buy them in bulk, or just buy them during their BOGO sales. These are often. You can get away with purchase small canvas to start learning how to draw graffiti, then build up to something larger. The other way to go about this is to ask your local schools, and art centers. I went to the Art Institute of Los Angeles, and they had surplus canvas all the time. It’s fascinating what you can get by just asking.

Get Some Cardboard

If you don’t have any money, like no money at all, but you still want to learn how to draw graffiti, then this tip is for you. Get some cardboard. No joke, get yourself some cardboard by dumpster diving or simply looking online for free moving boxes. In Seattle, I was able to fill my car up with cardboard boxes from someone that had just moved. I used those boxes to learn how to tag, even though I sucked at it. Whatever the case is, you can find a lot of free cardboard around town, especially if someone has recently moved.

Your Walls Are The Canvas

Going back to a tip that could very well keep you safe, and one that I’ve tried in the past, is to use your walls. If you own a house or are renting an apartment, put down some plastic at the base of any wall, and go nuts. Make sure that the area you’re going to work in is well ventilated, and don’t just tag things up without any sort of plan. Plan things out, use light pencil marks, use different markers, and caps, and then test out small areas. Once you are comfortable with small areas, you can work on learning how to draw graffiti safely, and without worry. Now, when you move, make sure that you paint your wall completely, or you’re going to lose your security deposit and your landlord is going to be mad. If you own the house, who cares, right?!

There you have it. There are some simple ways that you can learn how to draw graffiti and stay safe. Staying away from the police, and trespassing is a good thing. Now, there are some artists that will defy that, and I have in the past, but if you’re just learning how to draw graffiti, it’s important to not push the limits. Wait until you’re skills are fast, and you can start to inch your way towards civil disobedience.

Here are some graffiti resources for learning that you can use today. 

Learn Graffiti Guide - A guide to learn graffiti in PDF form. 

Spray Paint Art - Make money learning how to do serious spray paint art, beyond graffiti. 

Amazon's Listing of Books - Amazon has a ton of books on graffiti, click here to find them as low as a penny each.

5 Lies People Tell You About Learning Graffiti

As you may already know, people have a lot of opinions on graffiti. No matter how hard you try to convince them, they will not agree with your stance on learning. If you’re new to learning how to draw graffiti, or you’re just wondering about what you’re going to face off against if you want to pursue mastering this art form, the following is going to help. These are 5 lies that people tell you about learning graffiti, and no matter how often you tell them differently, they won’t agree. I know this, because I get it all the time. Here you go, 5 lies you’re going to hear.

Graffiti Will Get You Thrown In Jail

Yes, this is true, if you do it illegally. Not everyone that wants to learn how to draw graffiti is going to jail. If you want to learn, there are a lot of resources that you can pursue to figure out how to draw this style. That includes a lot of LEGAL ways to learn. I link some of those options in this blog, and I have always advocated LEGAL ways of learning. Never write on walls that are not your own, never do anything that is going to be illegal, it’s not that hard. Now, there are some people that can and will go to jail for graffiti, but it usually doesn’t happen if you are careful and you are not breaking any laws.

No One Makes Money With Graffiti

Again, a major lie when it comes to learning how to draw graffiti. There are a lot of great street artists out there, and many of them have garnered riches for drawing. That includes modern art like Basquiat and others. You can find the work of graffiti artists on t-shirts, murals, and much more. Just because you are going to learn how to draw graffiti, doesn’t mean that you are going to be broke because of it. You can make money with this art, but first you have to master it correctly.

Graffiti Is Only For Thugs and Gang Members

While there are a lot of gang members around the world that do in fact tag a lot of areas, they are not the only ones that are doing this. You may find out that when you learn how to draw graffiti, you will be asked to do a lot of drawing for friends, family, and more. In fact, I was once in Santa Monica, tagging canvas on the beach when someone asked me to do some work for them in their home. I ended up doing a mural for them in their house! That is rare, but the truth is that you can learn how to draw graffiti, and not be in a gang or be a thug.

Learning How To Draw Graffiti Will Mess Your Brain Up

Learning how to draw graffiti doesn’t mess with your brain, if you are smart about it. When you focus on the process of learning, make sure that you wear masks, or work in a well-ventilated area. If you’re huffing paint, or if you’re doing illegal drugs, then perhaps you run the risk of ruining your nostril lining and mucous lining. However, there are precautions that you can take and learn about to ensure that you are not going to mess up your body while you learn how to draw graffiti.

Graffiti Is Not An Art Form

Lastly, this is a big one, there are a lot of people that will tell you that graffiti is not a true art form. That’s a complete lie. When I was going to art school in 2003, I met a lot of graffiti artists that were learning how to do fine arts, animation, and video game design. They were spending a lot of time in formal classrooms learning how to harness their raw talent, and then use that within the confines of graffiti as well. Mixed media is a great platform, for instance, that combines art from various disciplines, including graffiti! If you want to learn how to draw graffiti, do so, and remember that it is a great art form to master.


Here are some graffiti resources for learning that you can use today. 

Learn Graffiti Guide - A guide to learn graffiti in PDF form. 

Spray Paint Art - Make money learning how to do serious spray paint art, beyond graffiti. 

Amazon's Listing of Books - Amazon has a ton of books on graffiti, click here to find them as low as a penny each.