Determine the reason for your graffiti. Designing a name tag or drawing an image with a political, social or personal message are very different. If you first know the motive for your design, putting it down on paper will be much easier.
Brainstorm ideas for images, colors and the location of your graffiti. Make lists of your ideas and gather images from magazines, newspapers, websites, flyers or photos that inspire you.
Draft your graffiti on a drawing pad. Make variations of your design by reproducing as many copies as possible so each one has a different element, such as a new color, different background image or a different font for the lettering.
Choose the best image and finalize the design. Make it as clean as possible and draw it as large as you can. If some sections of your graffiti design are more complicated to draw, practice them until you are satisfied with the result.
Decide which graffiti technique you will use. You can use stenciling, hand drawing, photocopying or other methods. Depending on your choice, there may be extra preparation such as making copies of your design, or making a stencil for your graffiti.