How to Draw a Graffiti Spray Can
Learning to make a graffiti spray can drawing is so much fun and super easy to draw. Like with most of our drawing tutorials, you’ll start with a basic shape.
This makes it really easy to develop your design and ideas without needing to worry about the structure of your object.
Once you get the basic drawing down the possibilities are endless. You can add faces to your graffiti spray can drawings. Or you can leave them without.
Look up some reference photos of spray cans if you like having something to look at. Or better yet, find an actual spray can.
Let’s get started and look at some supplies that were used to make these drawings.
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Art Supplies
- Thin black marker
- Paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Pencil
- Click Eraser, Pink Pearl Eraser
- White Gelly Roll pen
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Why You Should Draw With Shapes
Learning to draw with shapes will save you a lot of time and frustration when learning to draw more complex objects. Drawing with spaces allows you to get the basic structure down first. And then you can build off of that.
For our spray can drawings we are going to begin with a cylinder. This will help us make our drawing 3D. We have an article all about using form in art if you want to learn more.
Next, draw a half sphere on the top of your cylinder. This is where the top part of your spray can will go.
Add an indentation where the nozzle will go.
Then draw another cylinder for the spray nozzle.
Draw a couple of rings at the top and the bottom of your cylinder. Make sure you curve them to match your spray can.
You now have your basic structure that you can work from to draw out your graffiti spray can.
How to Draw a Graffiti Spray Can
So what’s the difference between a regular spray can and a graffiti spray can? It’s all about the attitude.
The structure is the same but there’s a bit more flare with the graffiti cans.
When sketching out your graffiti spray can drawings, you can make them a bit twisted up. Shorter and wider. Or you can make the edges a little less rounded.
Add your own style and don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun.
Graffiti Spray Can Drawing With a Face
You can add a mouth or a face to your graffiti spray can. This gives it a little different look and adds a lot more variety to your drawings.
Drawing a mouth with a tongue and teeth is easy if you’re not comfortable drawing the entire face.
Or you can go for it and give it a try.
And don’t forget to add some details to the background. This could be a brick wall or maybe an abstract design would look good. Try some different ideas out and see what looks cool.
Graffiti Spray Can Outline
When you have your drawing all sketched out and you like how it looks, go ahead and go over your lines with a black pen or marker. You could also use a different color other than black.
How you outline your spray cans will depend on your personal artistic style. You can make your lines thin, thick, or a combination of the two. If you’re not sure what your style is, you need more practice.
This is the perfect time to make your drawing a bit more stylized by adding in some thicker lines.
There are a lot of different types of pens you can use. From really thin to much wider.
Or use a brush pen to get some nice variation to your lines. These take a bit of practice to get used to though. But it’s worth it if you have the time and patience.
Let the ink dry for a few minutes before cleaning up the pencil lines with an eraser.
Now you’re ready to add some color to your artwork.
Coloring with Markers
When adding color to any graffiti artwork, markers work really well. The colors you get from the markers compliment a graffiti drawing nicely.
Pick out a color palette before laying in your colors. And be sure to layer more than one color for each section to help create some depth. To do this you could use a light and medium green. You could use gray to add shadows. Or, you could use red to create a shadow on green.
Again, this is something that takes some practice to learn how to use colors. And will also depend on your artistic style as well.
We have a full art tutorial on How to Blend Markers.
Improve Your Drawings of Graffiti Spray Cans
I like doing most of my drawings on artist trading cards. Especially if I’m working on my creativity or trying to develop a new style.
You can do several drawings in a reasonable amount of time. And repetition is best for improving your drawings or working through new ideas. Doing a series of drawings is a great way to improve your creativity.
And when you’re done you can store them in sleeves or trade them with other artists from around the world.
Graffiti Spray Can Drawing For Beginner Artists
That’s it for our drawing tutorial today. Get some artist trading cards or your favorite sketchbook and start practicing your graffiti spray can drawings. The more you draw, the better you will get. Try to spend at least a few minutes each day working on your artwork and you’ll see huge results in no time.
Challenge yourself to do as many different drawings as you can come up with. Try new things and be creative. And make sure you’re having fun.
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