Graffiti Dictionary | Keywords Within the Culture — Part 1 A-L
Keywords and definitions to take note of to understand graffiti lingo and keep in mind while reading my future post.
Below you will find a list of keywords about graffiti some to keep in mind while reading my future articles. All of these are from my knowledge and may or may not still be used today. These could also vary as to where you are from. If you know any I missed or would like to add, drop a comment below!
Angels — A graffiti artist who was known or “famous” within the culture who has passed away.
Autorack — A train car used for transporting automobiles from factories to distributors. Normally massive in size, make them a huge canvas for writers looking to go big.
Back-to-Back (B2B) — When an artist covers a whole wall from end to end. Multiple pieces one after another.
Backjump — Quickly done piece on a train/bus during a stop.
Bench — To bench is to go look and search for new graffiti. Writers stay writing so we can stay benching!
Blackbook — A sketchbook for a graffiti artist.
Blockbuster — A simple and sometimes huge graffiti piece. Often with the intention to cover as much space as possible. Example below
Block Style — A style of graffiti in which the letters are built off block shapes. Normally three-dimensional and consists of the letters having shadows. Example above.
Bite — To bite means to copy or steal a tag or piece of another artist.
Bombing — To paint many surfaces in one area. “Bombers” most of the time use throw-ups or tags because they can be executed at a much quicker pace.
Bubble Style — A style of graffiti in which the letters are rounded and normally overlap each other.
Buff — To remove graffiti. To paint over the graffiti and remove it from the surface.
Burner — A very intricate graffiti piece with several layers of detail. Normally taking a few hours to complete.
Busted — Getting caught doing graffiti. Hopefully by but not limited to a business owner, landlord, or angry pedestrian. but probably, the police.
Can — Spray paint
Cap- A nozzle made of plastic for a paint can. Different types of caps can drastically change the characteristics of a graffiti piece.
Crew — A group of writers who paint and share ideas together.
Drip Marker (Mop) — A graffiti marker used for tagging that normally leaves behind a drippy or droopy effect.
Drips — Unwanted runs of paint if the can/brush is not moved fast enough. Drips can also be used as a style for an artist.
Fat cap — A well-known style of can cap used to fill big areas or draw thick lines.
Fill in — The coloring of a graffiti piece.
Fire Extinguisher Tag/Piece — When a fire extinguisher is filled with diluted paint to create massive tags.
Flick — To flick is to take a photograph of a graffiti piece.
Freestyle- A graffiti piece done without a sketch.
Ghost — A graffiti piece that was buffed but is still visible.
Hall of fame — A place with lots of high-quality graffiti. Normally covered in pieces from well-known artists.
Handstyle — A tag or writer’s signature. Some simple and some very complex.
Heaven spot —A hard-to-get-to area that normally is easy to be caught in but, the pieces are seen by many people from far away. Rooftops, Bridges, and Highway signs are all examples of a heaven spot.
Hollows — A throw-up without a fill-in. Just the outline of a piece.
Landmark — A tag or piece which hasn’t been removed for more than 5 years.
Line Piece — A graffiti piece spayed next to a railroad.
Thank you for reading and I hope you learned something new! Some of these you may hear in future posts some are just a fun now-ya-know. If you have any you would like to add comment below and let me know. Here are some recent flicks from around the area. Check back in next week for part 2. Cheers!
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