Organic Revolution
24th July 2005, 21:32
I. DISCLAIMERThis free file is for educational use only. The author of this file discourages readers to do graffiti. Graffiti is a felony in Massachusetts (malicious destruction of property). Feel free to add any comments at the end of this file, but do not delete anything please. II. INTRODUCTIONGraffiti is a great way to spread information, whether it be a circle A on a police car or an entire paragraph written on a starbucks window. This file intends to explain the various popular forms of graffiti: Using ink/paint markers, glass etching, spray painting, stenciling, and using stickers.All of the materials listed below can be bought at either hardware or art stores, and all markers and paint cans without visible alarm triggers on them WILL NOT set off alarms at the front of any store.Also, one thing i'd like to add before continuing: Wearing gloves while painting is always a good idea. The only thing worse than leaving fingerprints the same color as a bunch of stencils or tags in a given area is being arrested and being arrested for something else and then having paint on your hands and having that paint traced back to those stencils or tags. Not that you should be painting anyways... III. MARKERSMarkers and mops* should only be used on smooth or semi-smooth surfaces, to avoid destroying the nibs.* Never use markers on wood unless it has been sanded or polished to a smooth finish. Also, be careful using markers on surfaces with coarse paint finishes, such as some mailboxes and doors. Avoid using paint or ink markers on wet surfaces. A good marker can and should last a long time. Markers and mops can be classified into a few different categories.PAINT:There are markers suitable for paint. These include but are not limited to:-Store bought paint markers (pilot, deco color, uni-paint, etc.)-Face paint markers, envelope sealers, liquid glue sticks, and other squeezeable markers-Kiwi shoe polish bottle applicatorsStore bought markers with valves built into them are probably better off with the valves* left intact. Almost all paint markers are refillable. Usually the part containing the valve and nib (the part that the cap covers) unscrews. Sometimes they unscrew to the right, rather than normal screws that unscrew to the left. I also recomend trying not to lose the agitator ball inside most paint markers. Paint markers can be found at art stores.Uni-Paint and Pilot Paint markers fade the least quickly.Face paint markers should be emptied before use. Face paint markers can be found at most art/craft stores. They can also be found at costume shops. Read the paint section for more information.Other squeezeables such as envelope sealers and liquid glue sticks may be emtied and converted into markers.Kiwi shoe polish markers can be emptied and filled with paint in the same way as face paint markers. Kiwis can be bought at most pharmacies and convenience stores.INK:There are also markers suitable for ink:-Thoroughly emptied store bought paint markers-squeezeable markers-Non squeezeable markers (pilot ink markers, magnum markers, marks-a-lot, etc.)Pilots and other non squeezable markers such as box/package markers work well for marking. They can be found at convenience stores, pharmacies, and art stores.There are also other non-refillable markers such as solid paint (oil and regular) markers/sticks. Those are explained later.OTHER NOTES:Don't forget to hold markers with no valve upright at all times. IV. PAINT (NON-AEROSOL)Using a paint marker is perhaps the easiest way to leave permanent marks on smooth surfaces. Solid paint markers are slightly less readable than regular paint markers because they draw like crayons, but they are much harder to buff.* Industrial ones can be bought at hardware stores. The most popular ones are called Mean Streaks. Oil Paint sticks, sometimes called “china markers“ serve the same purpose as other solidified paint markers.For graffiti purposes, it only makes sense to use paint that is non-water soluble. Keep that in mind when purchasing paint markers. Also, some paints are more permanent and face less quickly than others. Experiment with different brands and ask around. Don't waste risking your freedom only to find out that your circle As downtown are hardly noticeable anymore since they've faded so badly. also, faded marks are easier to buff.Paint such as regular bucket paint you see in the paint store can be put into a store-bought or homemade marker. Adding solvents will increase the permanence and flow of your paint. Experement with adding different things to paint to increase noticeability and permanence. Avoid using paint on wet surfaces. Stick to bold colors such as black, white, red, yeloow, and silver.WARNING: ANY PAINT USED FOR GRAFFITI SHOULD BE NON-WATER SOLUBLE. THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT IT IS TOXIC. MIND THE FUMES IF YOU ARE PAINTING INDOORS, PLEASE. v. INKS AND DYESWhen using an ink marker, the inks matter. Permanence, corrosiveness, and color make a difference. Many inks labled “permanent“ are NOT what you want to use, so listen up!Avoid: indian ink, water colors or anything water-based/soluble.Use: really sinister looking inks in big, scary containers. Ask someone who works at an art store what kind of inks are really super permanent. There are some inks common among graffiti writers such as Murder Ink and MARSH ink. Use those if you can get your hands on them. Also, stick to black for light surfaces, and silver for dark surfaces. Lightly colored inks don't work well in the graffiti world.Griffin* and other leather dyes are very very permanent and great to use on most plastic and metal surfaces because of their corrosive properties. I reccomend mixing griffin with other inks. Brake fluid* increases the look and permanence of inks. Try boiling ingredients to make very powerful inks. Avoid using inks on wet surfaces. VI. GLASS ETCHINGINTRODUCTION:Glass etching* is a very dangerous form of graffiti. Obviously, it must be done quickly to avoid attracting attention. More importantly, it should be done safely and carefully to avoid personal injury and to increase readability. For glass etching you usually need:-glass etching solution (brands such as Etch Bath, Armor Etch, etc.)-water-something plastic to mix the water and etching solution-a marker with a cloth nibWARNING: ANY GLASS ETCHING SOLUTION PRODUCES VERY VERY HARMFUL FUMES THAT CAN TURN YOUR LUNGS INTO PUDDING! THE MORE TOXIC SMELLING IT IS, THE MORE TOXIC IT IS TO YOUR LUNGS AND THE MORE CAREFUL YOU SHOULD BE WITH REGARD TO THE FUMES. NEVER SMELL A HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL STRAIGHT FROM THE CONTAINER. ALWAYS WAFT FUMES WITH YOUR HAND TOWARD YOUR FACE TO SENSE THE POTENCY.ETCHING SOLUTIONS CONTAIN POWERFUL ACIDS THAT SEEP THROUGH YOUR SKIN AND MELT YOUR BONES! AVOID CONTACT WITH SKIN, ALTHOUGH SMALL AMOUNTS ARE HARMLESS. ETCHING SOLUTON CAN BE WASHED OFF WITH SOAP AND WATER. IF YOUR HANDS BEGIN TO HURT, IT'S TIME FOR GLOVES.DIRECTIONS FOR USE:Dilute the glass etching solution with water so that it is thin enough to run through whichever marker you are using. Too thin of a mixture will decrease the etching properties and create drips that will make your markings illegible. I've heard that boiling it with water increases its opacity and overall performance.Once you have a solution prepared, it is time to put it in a marker. Face paint markers or other squeezeable markers are the best for etching solutions. Kiwi shoe polish mops with the valves removed also work really well. However, synthetic nibs tend to get worn through quickly when using etching solution. If the nib is destroyed, socks work really well for etching solution and paint markers.CAUTION: MAKE SURE TO HOLD ALL MARKERS WITHOUT VALVES UPRIGHT. A POCKET FULL OF ETCH BATH THAT HAS BEEN SPILLED OUT OF A MARKER IS LIKE A POCKET FULL OF DRAINO.OTHER NOTES: In Boston, etched glass almost always calls for replacement. In New York City, they are known to buff etched glass. VII. SPRAY PAINT (AEROSOL)SPRAY PAINT:Spraypaint is the simplest and the most complicated form of graffiti. Spraypaint, as well as most other paint and ink, gets more drippy when it's rainy or damp outside. The spraypaints I recomend are:Krylon (all regular spray paint)Rust-oleum products (the following are in order from best to worst): -Rust-oleum -American Accents -Painter's Touch -America's FinestCAPS:There are fat and skinny/thin caps that can give you a more desired effect. When it is said that a cap does not work on a certain can, it means it either sputters and makes a huge unavoidable mess, or it doesn't fit at all on the can.-NY Fatcaps (NY fats, NYC fats, etc. they're all the same) have noticeably large ridges compared to other ridged caps, and have black dots where the paint comes out.You can find these on the spraypaint they sell at a bunch of places.These caps make really fat lines for Krylon and most Rust-oleum products, but they definately do not work on regular Rust-Oleum.-NY Thins have normal small ridges and black dots.They can be found on Krylon fixatif cans, and probably other krylon products. These caps work on all the paint I listed above, but create soft, fat lines for some of the Rust-oleum products.-Rusto Fats have normal small ridges and orange dots.They can be found on Elmer's Spray Adhesive.These caps work on all the paint I listed above for moderately fat lines.Save your caps. When your can runs out, put your cap in your pocket before you toss your can. Turn cans upside-down and spray to only spray propellant and to clean the paint out of your caps. Clogged caps can be unclogged by soaking them in whatever solvents the paint says you can use to remove their paint. VIII. STENCILSINTRODUCTION:Stencils are a great way to send messages. Stencils allow for as much crisp and intricate design as your ability can manage. Aside from flyering,* something not exactly concidered graffiti and therefore not discussed in this file, stenciling is probably the most common and effective form of political graffiti.RECCOMENDATIONS:-Stencils should be cut out of something sturdy, such as thin plastic, cardboard, or hard paper.-Try making a stencil in the bottom of a box or bag that you can hold up against stomething. That way when you're actually spraying, it's not visible to everybody around you.-Using fat caps can sometimes work well, because if you hold it semi-far away it quickly adds a thin layer of paint to your target surface. However this can be messy and make for poorly filled-in stencils.-I would reccomend that you use a regular cap and hold it slightly far from the wall to avoid overspraying and massive drips that ruin your stencil.-Try moving the can very quickly from the left to the right side of your stencil. -I also reccomend you use flat paint, because glossy paint is more drippy.In theory, you could do stencils on glass with etching solution, but it would be very difficult. If you could master that technique, I'm sure it'd be worth the efford. Try making a thick mix and taking a very wide squeezable container and stretching a piece of sock over it or something. IX. STICKERSStickers have always been an easy way to put something somewhere.RECCOMENDATIONS:-Prepare stickers in a secure area. Putting stickers on property that is not yours is just as illegal as etching a window.-Use permanent markers or paint markers.use colors that contrast the color of your sticker.-You can get free stickers at post offices.-Put stickers in highly visible areas.-Avoid rough surfaces-Don't put stickers on places that people are likely to rip them off of X. GLOSSARYBRAKE FLUID - For cars...(TO) BUFF - Origionally meaning to erase or paint over tags on NYC transit in the 80s, “buff“ now means to erase graffit or to cover graffiti with non-graffiti paint.BUFF MARK - The mark left when a buff job doesnt completely erase a graffiti mark.FLYERING - Putting up flyers with tape, glue, or wheat paste on property that isn't yours.GLASS ETCHING - Using special strong acidic solutions (such as “Etch Bath“ or “Armor Etch“) to “burn“ the glass a certain way. Etched glass retains most transluscentness but is not “see-through“. Sometimes glasses in restaurants or logo glasses have things etched into them. Etched glass is not toxic once the etching solution is washed away.GRIFFIN DYE - A type of leather dye sold next to the shoe polish at WalgreensMOP - Usually reffers to a marker that is made out of things that weren't intended on being a marker (ie: kiwi shoe polish “mops“ [a black kiwi “mop“ if filled with black paint], or a silver mop made out of an envelope sealer, etc.). Almost never refers to real markers.NIB - The tip of a marker; the cloth or plastic or sponge tip that the paint runs through before touching the target surface, preventing the ink or paintfrom all rushing out (although if you don't store a marker with a nib upright, that usually happens).VALVE - The apparatus in many makers that prevents ink or paint from coming out of the marker unless the nib is pressed down.