Graffiti Cookbook: The Complete Do-It-Yourself-guide to Graffiti

by Björn Almqvist

A rich source of inspiration for anyone interested in do-it-yourself culture, this is a guide to the materials and techniques used in today’s most creative and progressive art movement. In hundreds of pictures and illustrations and dozens of interviews with the world’s most famous artists, the authors show exactly how graffiti is made. From spray techniques and hand styles to tools and style analysis, this is a trip around the world for the tricks of graffiti writers. Includes • tips on how to create your own piece, tag and throw up • how to use textiles, glass, metal, concrete or wood • with Swet, Jurne, Mad C, Egs and Chob as some of the featured artists.

Genres: Art

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2014

Reviews

[Bambi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is actually for a paperback version of the book, but that edition doesn't yet exist on Goodreads.

I was disappointed when I first received this book. From the cover, I imagined it would be much meatier and a compendium of amazing information. The book is in fact, rather small, with a tiny font size.

I also thought it would be like a graffiti manual, giving me tips and tricks for putting different types of lettering, characters, backgrounds and colors together. It's not that.

This book is actually a collection of interviews of mainly Swedish graffiti artists and their approach to their work.

Everyone stressed the need to sketch and sketch and sketch. Similar to any type of art, there needs to be a solid foundation built by sketching.

I didn't find it particularly enlightening at first, but as I got to the final 1/3 of the book, something changed. The artists started revealing their favorite caps. Their favorite paints. Their favorite technique for painting large surfaces and small. How to mix paints. How to make paint markers. How to alter a cap to get a super thin spray. How temperature affects paint. How surfaces affect paint. In short, the last 1/3 of this book has some incredible insights from artists who have been painting for years.

I found I was taking notes and thinking about how I would practice what I was learning -- by sketching and sketching and sketching!!

[Luke Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge source of information for those just getting into the field. The full set of letters in three different styles are perfect tools to illustrate how styles evolve and grow.

[Payto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little lacking in some of the interview clarity and typo areas, but gives an sound and specific starting point to a beginner in a way I have never come across before. Decided to buy it when I saw the how to make a marker section. Read it cover to cover. Recomend.