I really love well-done graffiti art. A key element that defines the style is the use of spray paint and the restrictions that it has as a medium. A spray can is not very suited to painting fine lines, so bold lines are favored. Layering is used to build up the various segments of the design. Outlines clean up edges and keep areas sharply defined. Because the spray pattern is rounded, sharp points and corners are only possible through the interactions of different color layers. The world of graffiti has grown to encompass many styles, from photorealistic portraits all the way to intentionally childish "anti-style" and everything in between. The classic 70s/80s NYC graffiti style is typically marked by bold typographic designs, creative use of color, and a rebellious nature. Other common elements are contrasting backgrounds, 3-D perspective letters, shines, and various accent marks. I created this moniker inspired by the ubiquitous Turkish street food in Berlin, Germany after taking a trip there. I created many versions and tried to embody the old school graffiti style. Here I chose a geometric style with a long, vanishing point 3-D. I tried to imagine writing the word as a single continuous line without lifting the pen. By flipping the N horizontally, I came close, only needing a second stroke for the top of the O. To mix it up, I decided to also flip the umlaut on the O underneath. People have been painting shirts and jackets in graffiti style since its inception, so I wanted to take a stab at it myself, having painted some jackets in other styles before. To emulate some of the limitations of spray cans, paint markers are often used, as they are also mostly limited to bold lines. Whether working with spray or markers, There is a classic order to building up the various layers and elements, and keeping it in mind helps one minimize touchups and achieve a clean result: 1. Sketch outline and 3-D 2. Background and fill 3. Outer outline aka "force field" 4. Letter/3-D Outline I took the design I had already created for a sticker, and drew it on the back of this vest. Since I wanted to do a silver fill, I needed to set it apart from the silvery gray jacket. To create the contrasting background, I sprayed a gradient of neon green around the outside. Having the outline already drawn made it easy to get the right shape and to make sure there would be no unpainted area poking through. I filled in the letters with a silver paint marker. Because I was planning on a double outline, I went ahead and outlined the letters and 3-D with black and filled in the 3-D. I find it really helpful to have a marker with a fresh nib for fine lines and one with a frayed nib for filling in bigger areas. With the outer shape defined, I painted a thick force field around the outside of the shape in lavender. The last main step was the white outline, which is also used to define the shape of the 3-D elements. The final touches involve going back and forth between the purple, black, and white to refine the sharp edges and corners where needed. This was my first time painting in this style on a jacket, and I think following the classic process helped me achieve a tidy result with minimal touchups. I've always been attracted to bold and colorful designs, so this art style meshes very well with my personal tastes. I think denim jackets make for very fun art pieces, and I found them easy to work with, so I will definitely paint some more in the future.