10 Graffiti Habits You Should Develop

I am a board 51 year old married man that found a new outlet. I have a background in the arts and am pretty good with a spray can. I have been practicing a style and am learning a lot from you. Thank you very much for helping me. Especially with the rules.

On the topic of bringing markers with you. I was on my way back from a gig. Me and three others went mad with some solid paint sticks on a bridge, on our hands and knees. Some roadmen kids about 13 come up to us. And one says “that’s clean stuff”. The other says”TOYS” so I say to the kid “your turn” the two kids grab my markers one does a clean handstyle the other some shitty toy tag. Recently over 5 years later I bomb with the first kid frequently and he’s now a good mate of mine. That’s why carrying a marker comes in handy.

As a new graffiti writer myself, i think that graffiti writers should always sketch in their free time and learn their tags first so that when they put a blindfold on they can write their tag from muscle memory.

If folks don’t clean up so well in ur community you can check their ditched cans for caps, got a nice New York cap doin that

I’m a pedestrian in this world, but huge appreciator. One thing that baffles me is graffiti in extremely precarious spots. E.g on O/H gantries and the sides of bridge girders. I’d love a video on those “extreme” graffiti sitches

When the cops asked me questions i just told em the names of everyone i knew gotta say alot of people have been hitting me up everyday for meet ups i think they like me now gonna go to the traintracks with a big notorious crew later tn by myself 👍 hopefully they let me join

Respect is the habit u need to learn as a new writer

I leave the headphones at home. Need to be listening for Karens and or narcs depending on the spot! Stay up Youfo👊🏻

i reckon a habit for new writers is definitely the fact that racking doesn’t make you “cool”, it will just end up ruining your life at a young age, unless you’re “poor” or can’t afford something i definitely wouldn’t recommend it unless you have experience or know people who are experienced that can help you out

a habit (well, closer to a skill than a habit, but still really usefull) that you should develop is learning basic parkour skills. nothing fancy or complicated, but learning and practicing to do simple vaults or how to climb over tall fences/walls as quickly and effectively as possible can be a serious benefit when getting out of trouble or simply getting into and out of slightly more difficult spots. this one is actually pretty easy to learn since you can train your parkour skills in a ton of areas in most cities (since it's only rarely illegal) or at your local gym, assuming that it has parkour walls, blocks, bars, etc. and if you ever plan on hitting up a trainyard: for the love of god, learn how to jump accross rails! it might be a bit tricky at first, but if you have the right shoes and the temperatures aren't sub zero, you can very quickly and effectively get accross a large number of train tracks by jumping from rail to rail.

A big help for getting ink off of your hands is a pumice stone. Rub it on the spots on your skin to get it off and you do t need any harsh chemicals just soap.

I try to avoid painting over anyones work at all. Unless its an area that gets cleaned over every week. But not many people talk to each other around my town so its hard to learn anything about my local history.

Clean ur cans as soon as ur done, I have like 20 decent caps at any given moment. If ur bombing u can clean em a few times a night. Cup your hand and slap the bottom for regular caps, clean with a whipe and blow for ny caps. I’ve heard empty cans work for this as well. Basically just pushing air thru the cap to keep paint from drying in there

my graff habits are keep a dedicated armbag/backpack for supplies that you wont be mad when it gets stained with paint ink or other, and i also keep my markers and cans in cardboard boxes. Its easier to pick markers that I want to tag with and its just convenient.

The rag tip is personally my biggest one that I’ve never realized but is most effective. Helps out so much. Thank you for the video

Look at Graff as like learning how to ride a bike..... you will always start off a lil wobbly....if you stay on the bike, you will eventually balance yourself....✌🏼🤠

These are Awsome! Thank you for making this list, I'm still very new to graffiti and have trouble with a handful of these things (like can control, wearing good gloves and being a tad easier on myself). I like to take my art seriously but I think that's where I mess up sometimes, Thanks Youfo!

The most risky bombing trip I ever did was a while back it was mid day like 3:30, and I grabbed my mop and went out. I pulled up on my bike to my mailboxes (those ones where it’s one giant mailbox with smaller boxes in them) and tagged all over the back of them I also slapped some stickers. Mid tag I got yelled at and I ran faster than the wind. I got home and I saw somebody ride by my house. She was known for being the biggest Karen in the neighborhood.

Missed this when it first came out. Great advice here! Grim over at Artist Block is just as knowledgeable as you said. The rag is a really good one to remember, and it helps with cleaning caps. Legacy tags of unalive writers… Respect the hands. Respect the hands which came before you. Know who they were, know your local scene, know the local style conventions (Philly and Seattle aren’t compatible styles, and each looks odd in the context of the other), when in doubt… paint elsewhere.

Even tho I try not to bring markers and stickers while going out bc I have promised one of my dads mate who’s a big Aussie writer maker of RFW crew that I won’t write illegally ( not to much he is still supportive tho one second he will tell me not to then he wants to go paint trains with me lol I’m like bruh im 11 ) but I physically cannot. Not bring at least a few markers and slaps it’s so addictive 😂😂😂