Spray paint art
Spray Paint Art is Not Graffiti
Although both techniques use spray cans, Graffiti is performed on buildings, trains, etc.. When Graffiti is done without the owner's permission it constitutes Vandalism.
Spray paint art does not destroy others property, is performed on paper and can be framed just like any other type of painting.
Background
This is a unique form of art that is generally performed on the street in large metropolitan cities creating sureal landscapes of planets, comets, pyramids, cities and nature scenes.
Watch a video of live street spray paint
Video #1 of street artist painting
Video #2 of street artist painting
The canvas
The artist uses a canvas of white posterboard like the kind you find in large retail stores like Walmart and Target_Corporation. This posterboard is relatively inexpensive usually purchased for under $0.50 per sheet. Or a 1/4" inch wood board works great for a more sturdy surface. Sometimes a thin white coat of paint is needed on wood boards.
Creating a border around the painting
The posterboard is usually taped down with masking tape, the less sticky the better. If the masking tape is sticky, it adheres to the posterboard and may tear the posterboard. Taping the edges of the painting is done to ensure a white border around the painting area. The tape is removed after the painting is finished. However, the posterboard is taped before any painting begins to ensure that the border remains totally white.
The paint
Although any fast drying spray paint will work, I have noticed that most all vendors use Krylon[1] spray paint in an aersol can.
The tools
Joint compond spatula - metal scraper usually used to remove paint from the painting in the creation of buildings, bridges, lightning and other effects.
Assorted clay modeling scraping tools - used to remove paint from the canvas in the creation of trees, bushes, shrub, grass and other effects.
Cans, cups - used to cover areas of the painting in the creation of planets.
Newspaper - used to remove paint in a random fashion from the canvas for adding texture.
Stencils - used to paint stenciled areas onto a canvas.
Gloves - latex gloves to keep your hands from getting painted and sticky.
Layering Texture
Using several different colors spray upon each other in a small area of the canvas, the artist will remove some of the layers of paint creating a texture to the paint. Using newspaper to remove the paint in layers, the artist places newspaper over top of the paint that was just painted on the canvas, with a gental wipe on top of the newspaper, some of the paint will adhere to the newspaper. Removing the newspaper will randomly remove layers of paint and generate a nice texture. This method of paint layering and paint removal allows the artist to create several different effects from the creation of planets to creating landscapes.
Planets
In determining the size of your planet, use one of your cans or cups to determine the size that your textured area should be. After a texture is layed down, find the areas of your texture where you would like to lighten and darken on the circular object. For now, your texture is not circular like a planet would be, but shortly it will be. Using white paint, paint one size of your texture lightly. Also paint the opposite side of your texture using black paint. This will give the impression that the light is coming from the white painted side of your texture. Now set your can or cup upon the painted texture area. Paint around the can or cup completely making sure all the area up to the edge of the can is covered with your background paint color. Before your lift the can or cup, paint a slight bit of white on the lighted side of your can or cup where you painted the white underneath. This will give the effect of the planet producing light or blocking a large light source. Now remove the can or cup from the canvas.
Comets
After you have painted your painting, one of the last things you can do is add a comet to the background sky. This can be done by turning a white spray can upside down and gently pressing down. this will spray a white streak across your painting that looks like a comet.
Buildings
After you have painted some texture on the bottom of your painting, while the paint is still wet, you can use your spatula to remove paint in layers blocks. This gives the impression of layered buildings.
Mountains
Wad up a piece of newspaper into a ball, now unroll the newspaper, the creases will create texture. Now fold the newspaper into a mountain like point and gently press down into the wet paint and remove the paper, the newspaper will remove a random textured area of paint that will appear as a mountain texture. As the paint is drying use your spatula to add highlights to the mountain ridge.
Pyramids
Using a piece of newspaper you can lay it onto a previously completed texture area of your painting. Now spray paint around the edge of the paper, when the newspaper is removed you will have a triangle like shape. Place a straight edge in the middle of the triangle and gently spray some black paint onto the straight edge, barely letting some of the black onto your canvas. This will give the impression of shadowing on the pyramid to give it a 3rd dimension.
Stars
You can create stars by gently spraying some white paint onto your gloves then flicking once off the painting and once on the painting. You flick off the painting to remove the large droplets that will appear first. Secondary flicks should produce smaller droplets.
Another technique is to point your white spray can away from your painting and gently pressing down on the spray can nozzle. The small droplets will go up into the air and come back down to land on your painting. Mastering little pressure in the pressing of the nozzle on the spray can is the key to this technique.