Different types of Graffiti styles

What are the Different Types of Graffiti?

Different types of graffiti fall into different categories and have their own names. Each of which are recognised in cities all over the world. They include:

Hip hop graffitists create 'pieces'. Pieces are large and colourful work created by aerosol spray paints, usually including either a complex mix of letters or a cartoon-style picture. This type of graffiti often takes an extended period of time and much thought and planning has gone into the design.

Opportunistic graffitists select the location for their graffiti impulsively, on the basis of low risk and low natural surveillance. Opportunistic graffitists use "tags" or "scrawling" to mark their territory.

3D graffiti is a relatively new movement and more associated with public art and advertising then border line vandalism. The likes of T-Mobile, Coca-Cola and Sony have all hired 3d street artists to help sell and advertise their products. The realism and accurate spacial awareness of these 'pieces' are reliant on the background and medium used and chosen by the artist.

Gang taggers use "tags" or "scrawling" to mark territory, create notoriety or show off their defiance of the law and society. Gangs use this form of graffiti as a mode of marking their presence. Gang taggers may plan their graffiti or do it impulsively.

Some graffiti is racially or politically motivated. This is not widely regarded as part of the graffiti subculture, but still causes damage to property. The work of Banksy very much follows political and social graffiti movement.

Commercial graffiti is an emerging civic problem. Commercial graffiti occurs where private organisations pay graffitists to spray advertising logos onto walkways and buildings, in order to promote their product. Commercial graffiti is an illegal form of advertising that circumvents normal planning laws.