Alternative Graff Media

I'm currently living in China and don't have too much opportunity to paint. In fact, it's over here that I have developed an interest in this art. Paint here is crap and so I am left with little else than colored pencils. Writing letters is a good pass-time, as is drawing, so I decided to combine the two. I don't imagine it's anything new, but then again I have yet to see it done the way I do.

If you have an interesting way of doing graffiti or stencils post them here.

Here is a tutorial on my way:

First, I start with my pencil design. Nothing special.

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Second, I color my design. You know the drill.

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Third, I tape a piece of tracing paper over my design to find the correct size for the window that will be on the face of the envelope. Make sure the tracing paper and your design are the same size as the envelope. You may have to mess with the size later to make your piece fit inside the envelope. Pencil around your design to find the body of the window.

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Fourth, cut around your design to make the window. Tape your tracing paper window on the face of the envelope to make you sure you like its placement.

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Fifth, pencil around your tracing paper window onto the envelope. If you want, lay the tracing paper window over your design to get an idea of what it will look like. I know this is all tedious but it's actually pretty fun.

Also, get ready to cut out what you just traced onto the envelope. I use a thick piece of plastic to make sure my blade doesn't cut through the other side.

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Sixth, now that you have your window cut out, there is only one more step. Put your piece inside the envelope to make sure your window shows your design properly. If it doesn't you can make adjustments.

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The last step is the the plastic...

Nearly finished. For a durable window material I use the plastic covering that all the black market dvd's I buy come with. No doubt there is something in that room you are in to use as a window. I get a piece of plastic that is nearly the same size as the envelope itself. A glue stick is the best way to secure the plastic to the paper. If your cutout has lots of curves I've found it useful to apply glue using a thick piece of note card paper- mostly because it's a little tougher than just normal writing paper.

To prevent bubbles or folds I have found that gluing from one end of the envelope to the other is best. Make sure you don't put too much glue on or else it will seep through the plastic and onto the other side of the envelope. That's a pain to separate.

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I'll attach some more photos of other letters I've done. Sorry for the blurry images and heavy wording.

interesting.

Here are a few more letters I've done.

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It's funny, with every design I do, sooner or later I will find at least one mistake with it- an inconsistency in the font, the dimension is wrong, outlining mistakes are most common for me.

Do any of you find this too?

interesting....

but i dont know about getting up on somthing that has my return address on it.

Originally posted by dosoner@Jun 5 2005, 10:28 PM

interesting....

 

 

but i dont know about getting up on somthing that has my return address on it.

Quoted post

You don't need to put on a return address. And anyway, writing a letter ain't exactly illegal.

i know you dont HAVE to put a return address, and i know usps activity may not be illegal, but if you get up, it just seems logical to me to not make it that public.

not tryin to diss your method. just the way i see things.

Originally posted by dosoner@Jun 5 2005, 10:35 PM

i know you dont HAVE to put a return address, and i know usps activity may not be illegal, but if you get up, it just seems logical to me to not make it that public.

 

 

not tryin to diss your method. just the way i see things.

Quoted post

I read your meaning. No worries.

cool idea

...why don't you just draw on the envelope?...it would probably save you a lot of time...time=more awesome envelope bombs...

Originally posted by porque@Jun 10 2005, 11:59 PM

...why don't you just draw on the envelope?...it would probably save you a lot of time...time=more awesome envelope bombs...

Quoted post

You're right, and in the beginning I did just draw on the envelopes. This way is more fun, though. Also, If I use markers to color the design, the colors are never even because of ink flow. Markers can't blend, either. I did send one letter through that looked like the famous Japanese painting of the tidal wave with mount Fuji in the background done with colored pencil(by Hokusai), but I was afraid the design would smear in transit.

This is the first one I did that was in pen. Not too clean.

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This is the second one I did in colored pencil. The green and purple design up top was for a package with no dimension.

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Here's a new one I just finished for, you guessed it... a girl. (Please refer to this thread from THE STIX.)

I've never done such an eclectic color scheme before, so I'm not entirely sure how it works together as a piece. It ain't too bad. It was done with ink and colored pencil.

Sorry, I don't really want this to be my own thread. Please add stuff.

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lol iv done that painting called the great wave...

My friend... you should really look into stickers! If you have any print shops around your spot, ask about left over , or garbage stickers. If you are ever in Vancouver, Canada... give me a shout. Stickers are the best way to get up in your situation... period.

Originally posted by religion@Jun 18 2005, 07:54 PM

My friend... you should really look into stickers! If you have any print shops around your spot, ask about left over , or garbage stickers. If you are ever in Vancouver, Canada... give me a shout. Stickers are the best way to get up in your situation... period.

Quoted post

I never thought about stickers before, but now I definitely will. It's cool to see how ideas evolve into other things. Thanks man.

Here's the envelope I finished for the above design. It's the largest window I've made and the first time I've had to make corners using plastic. It was fun to do.

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similar to thrasher's envelope of the month, kinda

im surprised that no ones pointed out how horrible the 'graff' is yet.

haha. maybe i was going to.

Originally posted by seeking@Jun 19 2005, 06:40 PM

im surprised that no ones pointed out how horrible the 'graff' is yet.

Quoted post

Whoa there 'Unstoppable,' please post some of your own or give me the link to see yours. I'd like to get better, and if you read the beginning I said I was new. Thanks.

I didn't bother. Graffiti in China isn't... umm... up to par. Well, according to the stuff I saw in Brickslayers. Honestly, I thought these were just designs. They don't look like English letters... or are they? I'm not even trying to be stupid right now...

I say, post these in Paperchase. There, you can get all the help you want.

Your graffiti is horrible.