Street Art & Graffiti Lexicon

78+ Street Art and Graffiti Terms from A to Z

A

  • Aerosol / Spray Paint - The primary medium used in graffiti and street art; paint in a pressurized can.
  • All City - A graffiti writer whose work appears in all areas of a city.
  • Art Attack / Piece Attack - Creating multiple pieces in a short period of time, often across different locations.
  • Abstract / Abstract Graffiti - Graffiti that focuses on shapes, colors, and forms rather than letters or characters.

B

  • Backjump / Backjumping - Quick, often risky, graffiti actions in hard-to-reach areas.
  • Buff - To remove graffiti, either by painting over it or cleaning it.
  • Blockbuster - Large, simple letters, often used to cover large surfaces quickly.
  • Bombing - Painting quickly and extensively, often illegal; “going all out” on a location.
  • Bridge Piece - Graffiti done on bridges; can refer to crossing territorial boundaries.

C

  • Character - Illustrated figure or cartoon included in a graffiti piece.
  • Crew (CRW) - A group of graffiti artists who work together or share a common name/tag.
  • Cap / Nozzle - The spray can tip, which controls line thickness and style.
  • Chromatic - Referring to the use of vibrant colors in graffiti.
  • Collaboration - Two or more artists working together on a piece.
  • Commissioned - Legally created artwork requested by a client or project.
  • Crew Name - Collective tag or identifier for a group of writers.

D

  • Destination Piece - A piece located in a highly visible or challenging spot.
  • Drip / Dripping - Intentional or accidental paint streaks running down the wall, often used stylistically.
  • Double Throw-Up - Throw-up done in two colors for more impact.
  • Downtown Bombing - Graffiti concentrated in central urban areas.

E

  • End-to-End / Whole Car - Graffiti covering an entire train car or large surface.
  • Exhibition / Street Art Exhibition - Organized public or gallery display of street art.
  • Extendo - Extended letters, usually stretched beyond normal proportions.

F

  • Fade / Gradient - A blending of colors within a piece, usually from light to dark.
  • Fill-In - The internal coloring of a letter or character in graffiti.
  • Freight / Train Writing - Graffiti painted on trains, often moving ones.

G

  • Ghost / Ghosting - Overlapping, faint, or abandoned graffiti marks.
  • Graffiti - Writing, drawing, or marking public surfaces without permission; the broader term for the subculture.
  • Graffiti Style - Distinctive lettering, tagging, or character style unique to a writer or crew.
  • Guerilla Art - Street art installed secretly, often politically or socially motivated.

H

  • Handstyle / Tagging - The personal signature of a graffiti artist, usually quick and stylized.
  • Heaven / Heaven Spot - A high and difficult-to-reach location for graffiti.
  • Hybrid / Style Hybrid - Combining multiple lettering or artistic styles in one piece.

I

  • Installation - 3D or physical artwork placed in public spaces.
  • Ink / Marker - Tools like markers or ink pens used for tagging or small-scale street art.

J

  • Jungle Style - A wild, energetic, and colorful graffiti style.
  • Jump-Up / Quick Hit - Rapid creation of a piece in a short period.

K

  • King - Highly respected graffiti writer, often dominant in a city or area.
  • Kilroy / Kilroy Tag - Historical term for a classic graffiti-style doodle, often with social commentary.

L

  • Layout - The planned composition of a graffiti piece before execution.
  • Lettering / Letters - The stylized text that forms the core of most graffiti.
  • Line Work - The outlining of letters or characters in graffiti.

M

  • Masterpiece / Piece - Large, detailed, and artistic graffiti works.
  • Marker / Paint Marker - A pen-like tool filled with ink or paint for tagging and small pieces.
  • Murals - (Large-scale) artworks on walls; can be commissioned or illegal.

N

  • Name / Tag - The unique identifier of a graffiti artist.
  • Nozzles / Caps - Spray paint tips that control line width, flow, and effect.

O

  • Outline / Keyline - The outer line of letters or characters, often in black.
  • Overpainting / Overwriting - Covering someone else’s work, sometimes as rivalry.

P

  • Piece / Masterpiece - Elaborate, colored graffiti work, often combining letters and characters.
  • Public Art - Art displayed in public spaces, often includes murals and sanctioned street art.
  • Paste-Up / Wheatpaste - Pre-made art paper glued to walls with adhesive.

Q

  • Quickie / Quick Hit - Rapid tag or piece done in a short time to avoid detection.

R

  • Roller / Wall Roller - Graffiti done with paint rollers for large-scale, often illegal murals.
  • Rust / Weathering - Natural decay of graffiti due to environmental exposure.
  • Room / Indoor Graffiti - Legal or illegal graffiti done inside buildings.

S

  • Stencil - Pre-cut template used to spray repeatable images or patterns.
  • Street Art - Visual art created in public spaces, often with social or political messaging.
  • Street Art Festival - Organized event where street artits create, exhibit, and perform publicly.
  • Sticker / Slap - Adhesive labels used for tagging or artistic expression.
  • Style Writing - Elaborate, personal letterforms unique to a writer.

T

  • Throw-Up / Throwie - Quickly executed graffiti, usually bubble letters, often two colors.
  • Tag / Signature - Basic personal identifier of a graffiti artist.
  • Toy - Derogatory term for an inexperienced or unskilled graffiti writer.
  • Tracking / Tracking Shot - Documenting graffiti locations or tours.

U

  • Underground / Subway Graffiti - Graffiti in tunnels, subways, or hidden urban spaces.
  • Urban Art - Art in public spaces, including murals, graffiti, stencis, and installations.
  • Urban Canvas - Term for the city itself as a surface for street art.

V

  • Vandal / Illegal Graffiti Artist - Person who creates graffiti without permission.
  • Vibe / Flow - The energy, rhythm, or stylistic mood of a piece.

W

  • Wildstyle - Complex, interlocking letters, often with arrows and flourishes; hard to read for non-writers.
  • Wheatpaste / Paste-Up - Paper art stuck onto walls with wheat-based glue.
  • Wall / Legal Wall - Surfaces where graffiti or street art is allowed or tolerated.

X

  • X-Tag / Cross Tag - Tag that crosses over another, sometimes marking rivalry or territory.

Y

  • Yard / Graffiti Yard - Designated space where graffiti is practiced freely.
  • Youth Crew - Younger or beginner graffiti artists grouped together.

Z

  • Zoo Style / Wild Graffiti - Extremely chaotic and exaggerated style with overlapping letters and images.
  • Zoning - Legal or illegal designation of areas for street art.

 

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