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.