10 Graffiti Habits You Should Develop 

On the topic of bringing markers with you. I was on my way back from a gig. Me and three others went mad with some solid paint sticks on a bridge, on our hands and knees. Some roadmen kids about 13 come up to us. And one says “that’s clean stuff”. The other says”TOYS” so I say to the kid “your turn” the two kids grab my markers one does a clean handstyle the other some shitty toy tag. Recently over 5 years later I bomb with the first kid frequently and he’s now a good mate of mine. That’s why carrying a marker comes in handy.

As a new graffiti writer myself, i think that graffiti writers should always sketch in their free time and learn their tags first so that when they put a blindfold on they can write their tag from muscle memory.

I am a board 51 year old married man that found a new outlet. I have a background in the arts and am pretty good with a spray can. I have been practicing a style and am learning a lot from you. Thank you very much for helping me. Especially with the rules.

If folks don’t clean up so well in ur community you can check their ditched cans for caps, got a nice New York cap doin that

I’m a pedestrian in this world, but huge appreciator. One thing that baffles me is graffiti in extremely precarious spots. E.g on O/H gantries and the sides of bridge girders. I’d love a video on those “extreme” graffiti sitches

A big help for getting ink off of your hands is a pumice stone. Rub it on the spots on your skin to get it off and you do t need any harsh chemicals just soap.

When the cops asked me questions i just told em the names of everyone i knew gotta say alot of people have been hitting me up everyday for meet ups i think they like me now gonna go to the traintracks with a big notorious crew later tn by myself 👍 hopefully they let me join

a habit (well, closer to a skill than a habit, but still really usefull) that you should develop is learning basic parkour skills. nothing fancy or complicated, but learning and practicing to do simple vaults or how to climb over tall fences/walls as quickly and effectively as possible can be a serious benefit when getting out of trouble or simply getting into and out of slightly more difficult spots. this one is actually pretty easy to learn since you can train your parkour skills in a ton of areas in most cities (since it's only rarely illegal) or at your local gym, assuming that it has parkour walls, blocks, bars, etc. and if you ever plan on hitting up a trainyard: for the love of god, learn how to jump accross rails! it might be a bit tricky at first, but if you have the right shoes and the temperatures aren't sub zero, you can very quickly and effectively get accross a large number of train tracks by jumping from rail to rail.

Respect is the habit u need to learn as a new writer

I leave the headphones at home. Need to be listening for Karens and or narcs depending on the spot! Stay up Youfo👊🏻

Clean ur cans as soon as ur done, I have like 20 decent caps at any given moment. If ur bombing u can clean em a few times a night. Cup your hand and slap the bottom for regular caps, clean with a whipe and blow for ny caps. I’ve heard empty cans work for this as well. Basically just pushing air thru the cap to keep paint from drying in there

I try to avoid painting over anyones work at all. Unless its an area that gets cleaned over every week. But not many people talk to each other around my town so its hard to learn anything about my local history.

i reckon a habit for new writers is definitely the fact that racking doesn’t make you “cool”, it will just end up ruining your life at a young age, unless you’re “poor” or can’t afford something i definitely wouldn’t recommend it unless you have experience or know people who are experienced that can help you out

my graff habits are keep a dedicated armbag/backpack for supplies that you wont be mad when it gets stained with paint ink or other, and i also keep my markers and cans in cardboard boxes. Its easier to pick markers that I want to tag with and its just convenient.

The rag tip is personally my biggest one that I’ve never realized but is most effective. Helps out so much. Thank you for the video

Look at Graff as like learning how to ride a bike..... you will always start off a lil wobbly....if you stay on the bike, you will eventually balance yourself....✌🏼🤠

These are Awsome! Thank you for making this list, I'm still very new to graffiti and have trouble with a handful of these things (like can control, wearing good gloves and being a tad easier on myself). I like to take my art seriously but I think that's where I mess up sometimes, Thanks Youfo!

The most risky bombing trip I ever did was a while back it was mid day like 3:30, and I grabbed my mop and went out. I pulled up on my bike to my mailboxes (those ones where it’s one giant mailbox with smaller boxes in them) and tagged all over the back of them I also slapped some stickers. Mid tag I got yelled at and I ran faster than the wind. I got home and I saw somebody ride by my house. She was known for being the biggest Karen in the neighborhood.

Don’t know if this has been said but what i do to check out futures spot is google earth, good way to find hidden abandons:)

"the spirit im drinking and the tag go hard"

Even tho I try not to bring markers and stickers while going out bc I have promised one of my dads mate who’s a big Aussie writer maker of RFW crew that I won’t write illegally ( not to much he is still supportive tho one second he will tell me not to then he wants to go paint trains with me lol I’m like bruh im 11 ) but I physically cannot. Not bring at least a few markers and slaps it’s so addictive 😂😂😂

Yeah man everyone can develop those habits...it can be hard but with practice you can do it... thanks for this great video man:)

also another habit i could suggest i mean its not really a habit but even if you dont feel like practicing practice anyway graffiti is hard and the more you practice the better so just practice a ton dont give up if your not seeing progress

Love chisel tips. Makes cleaner lines for certain styles. Hobby lobby has a pack they sell if you need some on the fly.

Always pack some spare nibs of different sizes , some gloves and buy cheap clothes or use old ones u don’t care about because they are gonna get paint on em. Oh and hit the pads a lot if u wanna develop your pieces, hell even hit the pads for handstyle practice also and when ur done burn em.

Thats pretty good advice there myboi! The one that caught my ear, is the looking around for cameras and possibly getting recognized. So im a changeby scoping during the day , then catching the spot at night, yeah is worth.

Always have more than enough paint. Specially when going for legal/quite spots. Things can be fixed or improved if you mess up a line. Having more than enough supplies will give you extra confidence and peace of mind.

great video man keep uploading videos like these, i have notis on so when you upload i always get happy and wonder what the video is about . ima go search for the vid with ur face.

also leaving cans is leaving paint for toys or ppl to scribble with, if you leave a can break a cap inside it, or brea the plastic valve if its a male can

Missed this when it first came out. Great advice here! Grim over at Artist Block is just as knowledgeable as you said. The rag is a really good one to remember, and it helps with cleaning caps. Legacy tags of unalive writers… Respect the hands. Respect the hands which came before you. Know who they were, know your local scene, know the local style conventions (Philly and Seattle aren’t compatible styles, and each looks odd in the context of the other), when in doubt… paint elsewhere.

Thanks for making my morning better! :)

Always love a longer vid man

Love your videos man keep up the good work 👍

Nacho cheese corn chips are a great new graffiti habit, stay up!

just started did my first canvas today thanks for the inspiration!!!!

one habit i have is i keep my mop in a sealable bag i squashed my bag once and it leaked like mad so i keep it wrapped now

It's all wase a good day when youfo uploads

i keep my stickers n mops seperate so they dont get tons of paint / ink on the stickers, you dont want a huge pile of stickers that are just black

I'm using your content to learn the more "beyond typography" aspects. You are very well spoken. I have wanted to try graffiti since highschool but I genuinely knew that I didn't have enough information on it. I haven't even started doodles yet. Not even a name but I have a few I like that I'm testing. I love typography so it has been fun trying to find fun letters I just want to enjoy art and display it without the rest of the business aspect. Making my passion into a career was awful. I love art but the commodification of it takes my passion away. I had some really big offers that were serious and could have changed things for me financially but when it becomes a job for me the love and desire dies. I'm worried I don't understand the core philosophies yet. I am high functioning autistic so sometimes I miss the point of something focusing on the fine details.

A good habit in general is to carry a bandanna in your pocket. Comes in handy for a number of things.

Love your videos bro!

good reminder at the end there, thanks man

beautiful vid as always

love ur vids man keep it up :)))

Bruh I need to get ready for school but iam going to watch this first luv the vids

HEY GRAFFITI DAD

bro, the last piece of advice is very good. In fact, it comes with experience

Great Video!!!

4:38 works every time

Big up lengs RL in the thumbnail!

Best habit speed be fast and wear all black and work out physical stamina is good in Graff always have a look out when doing a hot spot, that rag do lol in Peru shit be dusty in Chicago shit be frozen lmao pace AOMAFIA.

These videos are great

Already know this is about to be a banger

Haha the Moses picture

Haha nice tips bro...i would love to see more videos like this coming

Great video youfo 10/10

My mate that’s new to graff forgot his tag 😂

Nail polish remover is really good for getting paint or ink of your hands

I love your videos

underrated still see this vid in 24

yeh that crazy fr

Have more paint than actually you need for your piece it’s better to have a ton extra than run out of paint at the spot

Your writes are dope g

yea i bring stickers nearly everywhere lol even though its just a sticker i still try to be carful

Bring more paint than you think you’ll need.

One you shouldn't, becoming a buffer. A few writers have gone soft and joined the law to avoid charges resulting in potential soap dropping incidents.

I love this channel im 13 and learning at this age will help me so much god bless man

wassup bro bago here

Do you have any tips for becoming a bit more bold with tagging? I’ve used a marker and put tags in places that aren’t too obvious/more hidden and am gonna start using stickers real soon but I can’t seem to get the courage to put something out where people can actually spot it

thank you for the one about not being so hard on yourself, i do that with every medium of art i do, and with graffiti it just seems worse because everyone has the opportunity to see it and im always worried about other graffiti artists thinking im lame or something lol

Just one think I want to add about gloves, i don't care about getting paint on me, but i don it out of safety. If i get stopped leaving my new art work i dont want to have paint (evidence) all over my hands..i want to be able to trow my bag in the bushes and know i don't have anything on me that can connect me whit anything illegal..

for me, just watching people doing graffiti and observing the way they use the can made my control a lot better!

The guy who you have in your thumbnail is a top painter in London

Could bring alcohol pads they’re small and keep the trash on hand after

Bro I almost get anxiety when I don’t have a marker on me when I’m going somewhere

bro checking surface been such a life saver i swear

Nice video!

i just take pics no art to be done but I like knowing whats going on in the commu

wake up babe long video from youfo

please make more story time videos

great idea to always wrap everything. take ur individual required measures but u never know when you're gonna bust your ass and ur mop is done for

Bro checking surfaces is def a priority for markers. I hit this lightbox and damn it was fucking sticky all over rip my sqzr.

new video lesgooooo!

Great fucking vid bro these habits are leg. For night bombing you can get those cheap beanies with the light built in to the front, pretty much a must have especially if you're alone. Maybe everyone uses those lol but I only got mine a week ago and it's fucking amazing...

Most definitely always keep a marker on deck I personally keep a sakura paint stick on mw perfect v for any spot

Hey youfo,are u going to do another reating your graffiti art?

Nice video kepp it up

these video ideas are so good I had a question about number 9 how do I learn about my local area?

I’ve always wore gloves, and always take a marker with me😅

Hey youfo remember me? It’s been around 3 months I took a lil break from graff in general I’m back now tho! 💪

can control comes naturally as you use cans more and more

wsp youfooo🗣️🙏

I wish I had seen this video before, I was always looking for cameras before, now I won't do it anymore

a good habit to develop is to keep da gloves on you! it goes a long way

“if anyone yells at you, you just go behadgrkwhf”

I think another habit you should get into is wearing a mask, some people go commando and you can pick up cheap masks for a couple bucks.

Another reason to take your empties with you is that some toy or general idiot will always find enough left in the can to dribble all over a piece, drastically shortening its potential shelf life.

People need to get the habit to sketch no matter what level or what you do just practice whenever you can or you can’t do so get to be able to do that one liner pice or that tag or thst letter f cking practice

Yo what’s the name of the song in the background of ur videos?

i know that this comment is a BIT late but what ever. I think that newer writers should really know what every spray cap does. Just because if you are hitting a risky spot and you just take a random cap and let’s say that the cap you take is a skinny cap.. that will take a long time to finish.