How to Draw Graffiti Bubble Letters (any letter)
In this tutorial I’ll teach you how to draw graffiti bubble letters in a way that can be used for any letter or word.
This is an easy step by step tutorial that’s perfect for beginners.
Let’s grab some supplies and get started.
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Art Supplies
- Thin black marker
- Paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Pencil
- Click Eraser, Pink Pearl Eraser
- White Gelly Roll pen
About Graffiti Art
Graffiti art originated in the late 1960s in New York City, evolving from tagging on subway trains to a global movement.
Initially associated with hip-hop culture, it has grown into a recognized form of artistic expression, with artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat contributing to its mainstream acceptance.
Despite facing legal challenges, graffiti art persists as a vibrant force in contemporary art and culture.
Bubble Lettering Sketch Practice
This step is optional, but can be extremely beneficial. It’s a great way to warm up your drawing muscles and get your mind ready for what you’re about to draw, which in this case is graffiti bubble letters.
Here’s how you warm up…
- Get some paper and something to sketch with (pencil, pen, marker, etc.)
- Pull up some reference photos of graffiti bubble letters
- Set a timer for three or five minutes
Then simply sketch out as many letters as you can before the timer goes off. Another option is to keep sketching until your paper is filled.
The quicker you make your letters, the better. So don’t spend too much time on each one. This entire exercise should only take you a few minutes to complete.
How to Draw Graffiti Bubble Letters
Now that you’re all warmed up, let’s draw some graffiti bubble letters. This process can be used for individual letters or full words.
I’m using a half sheet of cardstock but you can use whatever type of paper you prefer. And you want to capture how you want each letter to flow.
Step 1: Guidelines
The first step when drawing anything is to begin with some basic guidelines. When drawing letters you can simply sketch out your letters the same as you would if you’re writing.
When doing this you want to be mindful of the overall size and shape of the letters.
If you’re drawing an entire word, be sure to leave a bit of space between each letter. In the next step we’ll figure out the overlap of the letters.
Step 2: Rough Sketch
When you’re finished with the guidelines for your letter, or letters, you can start adding the outside lines. Your guidelines will be the center point of your finished letter.
Start at one area on your letter and work your way around the guidelines until your letter is complete. For graffiti bubble letters you want most of your lines to be rounded.
To make your letters have a graffiti look to them, instead of like basic bubble letters, vary the width of your letters and add some bubbles on the ends of the letters.
If you’re drawing a word you’ll need to decide how your letters will overlap. Avoid drawing your letters with spaces between. It will look more interesting if you overlap the letters.
Step 3: Add Extra Details
If you want to add any extra details to your letters, do that now. Extra lines and arrows are commonly seen on graffiti art, but are optional.
Graffiti Bubble Letters Outline
After you have your letter or word sketched out, you can add an outline to it with a pen or marker. I’m using a black marker for my outline but you can use any color you choose.
It’s good to experiment and try different things. Drawing individual letters is a great way to work through any ideas you might have. I love using artist trading cards (ATCs) to practice my lettering designs.
When outlining your graffiti bubble letters you can make your lines thick, thin, or a combination of line weights. It just depends on your own style and the overall look and feel you want for your art. Check out our tutorial on Drawing Drop Shadows on Lettering for detailed instructions on how to add shadows.
How to Draw Graffiti Bubble Letters with Markers
If you want to add color using markers, there’s a few things to keep in mind.
First, if you want to be able to blend your colors together you need to use alcohol based markers. Bic, Sharpie, and Copic for example. As well as many others.
Second, you need to work while the colors are still wet or they won’t mix together. This isn’t a big deal. Just make sure you work on a section at a time.
Third, you need to use colors that are similar to each other if you want to create a smooth transition of color. If your markers are too different they will leave a harder edge.
Choose your markers and start with the lightest color first. Then go to the next darker color and then the next. You can use the lighter marker or a colorless blender to create smooth transitions.
A white Gelly Roll pen can be used to add highlights.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
What’s next after learning how to draw graffiti bubble letters? If you want to get really good at drawing them you need to practice. The more you practice the better you will get.
Even if you only have a few minutes a day, consistently practicing over time will add up to huge gains in your art skills.
As mentioned earlier, practicing individual letters is a great way to work through different ideas for colors and backgrounds. I like doing my letters on artists trading cards.
After you’re comfortable drawing individual letters you can move onto full words and experiment with different layouts and designs.
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