Hot take: The graffiti under the bridge is my new favorite design study

I walk past this graffiti every day and the layers of colors are AMAZING. It's like a messy collage but it works so well together. I've been taking photos to use in my digital art projects. But I'm struggling to translate that raw energy into clean graphics. Does anyone have tips for keeping that street art feel without looking sloppy? Also, what local spots have inspired YOUR work lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixpalmer1mo ago

Actually used to think like Ben, that digitizing street art just made it neat and boring. Seeing how the layers break down in photos changed my whole take on keeping the mess.

paigem451mo ago

Oh perfect, let's take something raw and cool and make it clean and safe for your computer. What could go wrong? Try scanning bits of the real graffiti and messing with the layers and blend modes, it keeps some of that random grit. My spot is the old train yard off 5th, the rust patterns on the boxcars are insane this time of year.

ben_mason941mo ago

But honestly, how much does it really matter if the graffiti loses a bit of grit when you scan it? Like @paigem45 says, the rust patterns are insane, but once it's on a screen, it's just pixels. I tried scanning some street art from a brick wall, and the texture just turned into a blurry mess in Photoshop. It's not like the original piece is going anywhere. People can still see the real thing. Plus, now you have a clean version to use as a desktop background without worrying about trespassing charges.