Trains

Graffiti writers have been writing on trains since the late 70s and early 80s when the Hip-Hop movement came around, Trains are still around now but you usually graffiti is on freights now. Writers like to write on delivery trucks and trains and buses because more people see there art because it travels to different places in the city if its on the insides on a bus or around the country if its a train, writing on trains can also be very dangerous so catching your a big piece is considered lucky maybe writers have died from writing on trains. There is a movie about 80s train writing in New York City I have included the link to the full movie on YouTube if you have spare time I suggest watching this movie: Style Wars(Full Movie) 

Straight Letters

Straight Letters are a form in Graffiti where the writer make his or her name in big block letter these are also known as "straights", "blockbusters" or "simples". Straight Letters can usually be read by anyone because when writers put them up they usually resembles a font like style, they are meant to be direct and easy to read, Straight Letters usually only have two colours in them. Straights letters are just above Throwies on the graffiti food chain which goes.

Murals
Pieces
Straight Letters
Throwies/Hollows
Tags/Handstyles

Bombing

Bombing is a term used in graffiti when a single writer or a crew cover a whole neighbourhood or part of the city in Handstyles, Throw Ups and sometimes Straight Up, Bombing is designed to get your name up and everywhere writers only use Handstyles and Throwies and Straight Letters because they don't require much paint and are quick and easily done, some of the best bombers are Doug, Keep6, Big Miles and Craver from the crew SDK or Skuf and VFR from the crew YKK and Seen and Cap probably the most recognized bomber from the 80s.

 

Graffiti Bombing Videos

 

Wugo and Dost

 

Rasko

 

Jayer

 

Ozone, Vanity and Bravo

 

Naks, Big Miles and Razor1

 

 

 

Pieces

Graffiti pieces are the most recognized as art by the public many confuse graffiti pieces from street art, graffiti pieces were devolved by train writers in the 80s again this was the final part of making there names as big as possible these pieces follow basic graffiti guidelines which are incorporate 3D effects, arrows, and many colours and colour-transitions, and extensions these pieces are usually done by writers with more experience pieces take the longest to complete then every other part of graffiti and are very costly on paint because of the size and colours. The more complex these are they earn the writer more respect from other writers in there area they can also get more respect by the spot that the piece is painted at, but painting pieces isn't the only way to earn respect in graffiti writers can also earn respect from "bombing". Graffiti pieces require the most skill because its takes many years to learn the letter structure and learn colour schemes many writers develop the letter structure and learn how to form the letters themselves.  

Throw Ups

Throw Ups are the second most form or Graffiti and probably the most recognised form of graffiti by the public because Throwies are mostly bubble letters or simplified 3D letter forms, they are an evolved version of Handstyles that old writers devolved in a intent in making their name more visible by writers and also the public, writers devolved throw ups because Handstyles or tags weren't big enough when they started writing on trains in the 80s around the time of the Hip-Hop movement so the took bubble and block letters and devolved them into throw ups. Throw ups are used just as much as tags or Handstyles they are a bit more costly on paint because of the outline then filling in the throw up and outlines and adding drop shadow but you can also paint a Hollow Throwies which is just the outline of your Throwies without a fill or drop shadow. Each writer has his or her individual style of doing a Throwies just like a Handstyles

 

Handstyles

Handstyles are the quickest and easiest form of graffiti, Handstyles are a stylised way of signing your name of property that doesn't belong to you, most people refer to Handstyles as tagging but to writers they are easiest way to get your name up in your city because it is not very costly on paint and easily recognised by writers and the public alike. Many people refer to Handstyles as tagging and call them "ugly" or "scribbles" but Handstyles evolved from advanced calligraphy because many of the letter structures also have a calligraphy base with a bit of "urban" style as well, Handstyles are art because they are a street version of typography and the writers that spray them are master typographers because it takes year to develop the style and learn these letter structures and the writers teach themselves this art form