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How to Do Tall Print Graffiti

Tall print graffiti is a style that originated in Philadelphia, where letters of the tag are obscured by being elongated. It is an offshoot of the "wild" or "wicked" style that originated in Philadelphia as well. The style is favored by artists attracted to styles less polished than others, but that exaggerate the shapes of letters and the rhythms of quick delivery. These "Philly" styles have become so ubiquitous in the graffiti scenes in other cities, it has led some to describe the city as the "birthplace of modern graffiti."

Things You'll Need

  • Permanent Marker
  • Sketch Pad
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw your regular tag on a page of your sketch pad. If you do not yet have a regular tag, you must develop one before moving to the tall print style.

    • 2

      Draw your tag again on a new sheet of paper, but this time, practice accentuating the shapes of the letters. The style usually features sharp angles where two lines meet, and exaggeration of serifs, the nubs at the end of letters that are most commonly found on newspaper type. Practice this several times on following sheets until you have it down.

    • 3

      Draw your tag again on a clean sheet of paper, taking the mastered design from your previous sheets and elongating it. Many practitioners of the style elongate it so far that it becomes difficult to read, but after a few practice drawings, you'll get a sense of how tall looks good for your tag.

    • 4

      Practice your tall print tag several times on the following pages until you can produce it cleanly and quickly.

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