“Technique and Aesthetics” Text Cuts and Additional Commentary

Edward Seymour
This a photo of Edward Seymour, who invented spray paint in 1949. All Hail!

Writers will notice that in Risk’s quote on page 50, that he refers to the Grumbacher (and Testor) caps that make a nice inch wide line (approximately) as “fat caps” because they are bigger than the stock caps/tips. This is in contrast to most writers that refer to these caps as skinny caps (even if they don’t produce a super-fine like others).

I mention that some writers emphasize letter blends, and some emphasize segmenting the letter forms, although it is common to mix these visual devices. Fear, who flips particularly segmented letters (originally doing more blended/unbroken letterforms and started the segmented “brackets” approach in the late nineties), wondered where his influence came from, because he noticed Kofie working in a similar vein at the same time. But it’s interesting to note that Fuse was doing totally segmented letters in the early nineties. Notice the Fuse piece on page 66: the top of the “F” blends into the “U” but the “U” breaks at the bottom, and then at the top blends into downward middle slope of the “S” which spills into the “E” while the top of the segmented “S” blends into the top form of the “E” while the bottom of the “S” blends into the bottom segment of the “E.”

“Flipping The Script: Legibility” Text Cuts and Additonal Commentary

On page 71, I mention “Humanist fonts.” Humanist fonts were so named because the first fonts were used for religious texts: the first book printed with movable type (invented by Johannes Gutenberg) in the 1450s was the Bible. Eventually, texts of non-religious matter (“humanist”) were printed, and simplified clearer fonts were devised. To see the original fonts that Gutenberg used, go to www.dafont.com/1454-gutenberg-bibe.font, and be impressed by the creativity of this early style.

If it isn’t clear, the top photo on page 72-3 is a colaboration with Sever, Totem, Revok, Ewok and Saber altering the letters of their names in that order, i.e. STRES etc. Even though a bit of context is lost by isolating each letter below, it’s a good example of how different writers flip their letters.

On page 76, lower left, is a piece by Jo Jo (illustrating pop art “splat” forms) that says “style.” It was part of three pieces by TPS crew that spelled out “The Philly Style,” which is the original translation of TPS.

Because the first question of friendly outsiders watching writers paint is “What’s it say?,” Perk started playing that part while Relm and Delo were painting, saying over and over “But what’s it say?! What’s it say?!” until they could barely continue. I really wanted this picture in the book, but the editors thought it looked too much like Delo (on the right) was peeing, when he was just laughing.

Perk, Relm and Delo at Sanborn

While many previous periods of popular graphics (such as Art Nouveau posters of Mucha and Beardsley) have served as inspirations in writing letter forms, Rick Griffin, who was one of the first writers to use classic Cholo style in pop graphics, along with Wes Wilson, and Stanley Mouse (three of the “Big 5” psychedelic poster guys, the other two being Alton Kelly and Victor Moscoso) are probably the most graffiti-influential artists that came out of the San Francisco Hippie ballroom poster movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. They started a pre-hip-hop youth oriented art movement that created novel letterforms and imagery, even if it didn’t inspire the same kind of grassroots involvement as the present graffiti movement.

“Rick Griffin’s Dog Town logo really inspired me. Griffin and Hendrix were my gods.”
– Chaz

“Can Control” additional quotes:

“LTS is real urban, ghetto street L.A. writing. Not like New York at all.”
– Chaz

“Siner is the dopest writer in the history of L.A. He has been consistent for twenty years and fresh as fuck. LTS has not gotten its due.”
– Revok

“Representational Elements” Text Cuts And Additional Commentary

Kofie began as a character painter when an older writer who couldn’t do characters very well told him, looking at his character sketches, that real graff was letters, not characters, so he thought Fuck You!, and stuck to characters to show it could be done.
My appologies to Kofie: he wanted his name and crew history listed as “Kofie One TPS 93 UTI 95 RF 96/7 VT 97/8 WCA 2001 Draftsmen,” but that got chopped in the editing.

Slick and Hex TGO were considered by many to be the first two highly skilled character painters in L.A. to do the figure from head to shoe. They had two highly publicized battles, the one at the Levitz walls in January of ’90 being documented for T.V. The second battle was at Belmont. While most writers were inspired by the skills shown by both artists, it also brought up an ongoing debate in graffiti circles as to what constitutes graffiti.

NOTE: a few more good character related photos will be posted when I get my slides back from the publisher. At that time, I’ll also be able to supply dates for all the photos on this site.

WGSimpsons
WGS crew, El Serreno (I’ll rescan for a sharper picture soon)

“Slick was the early one to really model the characters along with Hex TGO. Both went to art school. Hex was thinking about art 24/7 before getting into Jesus.”
– Prime

An interesting collaboration of east and west sides took place when Risk, Slick and Dante formed the core of Aerosolics, producing some virtuoso productions.

23 Responses to “3) “Technique and Aesthetics””

  1. on 27 Nov 2007 at 1:13 amJesse

    I enjoyed reading this article about Slick and Hex. Hex was a good buddy of mine, and Prime was well known to me. Hex gave me good tips on my art, at the time I was very young and I self tought my self. I never really put much of my stuff on the street, I put it mainly on paper, it was due to long visits at Juvinile Hall. I look forward to buying your book.

  2. on 22 Apr 2008 at 7:05 pmbozz

    I never met Hex but his UTI buddies. During the West coast vs East coast battles, it linguered to me that Hex was an awesome artist. My brother Matrix (mks) was about to come out in many yards until he lost entrest in bombing. But he is still an awesome artist.. & skill was good…has anyone heard from him?

  3. on 22 Apr 2008 at 10:39 pmsteveWP

    Re Bozz’s comment, yes, Hex TGO was and still is an awesome artist. Skill is long retired from the scene but still using his abilities commercially and involved with the same religious life as his long-time friend Hector (Hex).

  4. Jesse, Bozz and Steve,

    The original Hex One’s T.G.O. – Stood for:

    “Taking Graffiti Over” in 1983-86 when he painted with:
    baby New York and Basketball Sal from Flatbush Brooklyn, Knight from Watts, Nightmare, Jesse Compian (DJ Style from Lynwood), Indio from South Gate, Pengo, Bruno Ibanez, JROC the Kid, etc…..

    “The Gifted Ones” in 1986-88 when he painted with:
    Maestro, Bookworm, Legend, Empire, Prism and his older brother, Drift, Skez, Skill etc…. M.D., Shakespeare from Chicago, Optimus, Spartacus, etc. (M.C.’s and graff writers)

    “Time Goes On” In 1989-92 when he painted with:
    Santo, Andeelove, Maestro’s return, Chuco, then-faithful Ms. OMG, Dare from Europe, TGO TEAMTERS – Hitman HexOne- LA

    and finally, 1992-94 as the one-man- crew:
    “TO GOD ONLY” – From L.A. To various parts of the world (Switzerland, Mexico City, Japan, etc.)

    The cycle was finally completed with an impromptu and indirect battle against Mode2 from the Chrome Angels, Paris. France. ROTE FABRIK SZ, as he represented All of L.A. as usual.

    —————————-

    The Techniques and Aesthetics developed were multifold, Several things were initiated and developed in Los Angeles proper, from The 1970’s fred Berry “Re-Run” Pop-locking styles, Popping, Graffiti art phases and effects, to Hex’s perfected Skinny cap methodologies that other writers like Estria TWS, Draik and other Germans still try to claim…..

    Specific shading styles were definately mind-blowing in Los Angeles, but Hector was able to make his original “eyebrow”, hand styles, BBoy character features, Shadowplay, blends, thick and thin lines in his pieces that were definately worldwide trend setters, he even perfected photo realism with spraypaint that even Vogue from Oakland had a hard time accepting in the second HEX vs. SILCK Battle (3rd panel)

    The momentum and focus with which he addressed social issues and Hip Hop topics, as well as his respectful manner even to new writers everywhere was what I first noticed. He pioneered things that helped the scene as a whole move forward… as commented once by Saber, and many many other* It was a pleasure knowing and painting with him.

    Steve Grody has done a superb and professional job on this unique project.

    Thank You.

    SAINT

  5. on 23 May 2008 at 4:28 amsteveWP

    Charlie,

    Thank you so much for the great bit of historical insight. Man, I
    wish I would get substantial posts like this regularly! There is much that I hope to learn over time. I have heard from Hector recently and that’s of course been interesting. Any other thoughts on the scene that come to mind, feel free to post. And thanks also for the props.

    All the best,

    Steve

    PS please send me a contact at my earthlink address if possible.

  6. on 20 Jan 2009 at 11:06 pmartist

    Hex was definitely one of my biggest influences back in the early 1990’s. My mom use to drive me all the way to Melrose when I was just a teenager so I could hang out at the Hip Hop shop. I would see Hex do his thing and I was in awe.
    He showed me how to make the “stencil tip” out of the cap of a spray can… ..I felt so honored that he would share his technique with me, even though I was just a toy at the time. I have to say Hex has a big heart, much respect to both Hex and Slick.. they are very talented artists.

  7. on 30 Jun 2009 at 2:33 amEstria

    Some points of clarification. The skinny cap was developed in the Bay Area in 1986, at the latest, by Razor KTD of Berkeley. His invention was genius, but the paint got all over your hands. I refined it down to what it is today.

    TWS was the first crew to use it heavily. Crayone met up with Hex around ’87-’88 and they showed each other techniques. In that exchange, Crayone taught Hex the skinny cap, and Hex taught Crayone the phantom cap.

    Within 1-2 months of that (before or after, I’m not too sure), Slick and I painted together in LA at a spot called Orhbach’s (excuse the spelling) and the same exchange happened.

    These two exchanges were pivotal turning points for both LA and the Bay Area. Slick and Hex were the first LA writers to get the skinny cap (Slick called it the stencil tip). Crayone and I were probably the first Bay writers to get the phantom cap.

    As far as Vogue TDK having a hard time accepting Hex doing the photorealism, let’s be accurate on that too.
    No disrespect intended here; the Bay heads were all cool with both Hex and Slick and everyone admired those two. Vogue was the first to bust photorealism with silver and black. None of the Bay heads thought it was cool for Hex to battle using Vogue’s signature style. That wasn’t original, and to us, biting in battling means you lost.

    Vogue, Crayone and I have photos to back up everything I wrote here.

  8. on 06 Sep 2009 at 8:58 pmSANTO TGO CREW

    GET THIS STRAIGHT, LOS ANGELES HAS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO TAKE SECOND PLACE TO ESTRIAS COLORFUL COMPLAINTS AND FANTASIES.

    HEX WAS THE FIRST TO ROCK THE SKINNY CAP WAY BEFORE CRAYONE AND HE PAINTED AT THE RADIO GRAFF CONVENTION. HEX WAS ALREADY USING IT TO PAINT HIS SKULL IN THE PIECE THEY ROCKED TOGETHER, SO HOW DID CRAYONE SHOW IT TO HIM IF THEY HAD JUST BARELY MET?

    HEX HAD HIS YARDS WITH HIS COUSIN BRUNO & LIL JOSE FROM GUNDRY BLOCK CRIPS, INDIO, SKEZ & MAESTRO SINCE THE EARLY 80’S. HE WAS ROCKIN GRAFFITI USING THIS TIP IN COMPTON (BY DOMINGUEZ HIGH SCHOOL) IN PARAMOUNT WHEN HE WAS 13-15 YEARS OLD ON TRAIN TRACKS AND PUBLIC PARK HANDBALL COURTS, IN EAST L.A. AND BOYLE HEIGHTS PANIC ZONE YARD, WHERE HE AND CASH FROM STN GOT BUMRUSHED BY POLICE AND HELICOPTERS. EVEN EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES ARE AWARE OF WHERE THE SKINNY CAP CAME FROM.

    WHEN HEX & CRAYONE DID FINALLY MEET UP AND PAINT TOGETHER THEY BOTH CAME OFF WITH MUTUAL RESPECT AND ADMIRATION TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR NOT BEING CRY BABY SISSIES BUT SOLID MEN THAT CAN HANDLE BOMBING OR BUSTIN IN YARDS FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND NIGHTS STRAIGHT. HEX WOULD GO AND BACK UP HIS CREW IN FRSCO AT PSYCHO CITY YARD EVEN WHEN HEADS LIKE TMF DISSED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SO DOWN FOR YOUR CREW, PUNK.

    LOS ANGELES DIDN’T BITE ANY WACK STYLES OR TECHNIQUES FROM THE BAY AREA. GET THIS STRAIGHT.

    L.A. HAS ALWAYS STOOD STRONG ON PRINCIPLE, HIP HOP AND OG GANGSTER FOUNDATIONS, STYLE BEYOND BELIEF THAT EVEN NYC, NEW JERSEY AND PHILLY HAS STRAIGHT RESPECTED.

    VOGUE WITH HIS SILVER AND BLACK FEMALES FROM FASHION MAGAZINES WAS FULL OF RESPECT FOR HEX AT THE SECOND BATTLE. THE HOMIE DREAM FROM OAKLAND ALSO PAID HIM RESPECT WHEN HEX BATTLED SLICK AT THE LEVITZ YARD. AND WE DON’T NEED A BUNCH OF KINDERGARTEN PICTURES TO BACK UP THE TRUTH. HEX ALWAYS CAME OFF STRAIGHT AND FORWARD WITH ANY AND ALL BAY AREA WRITERS THAT HE DID NOT EVEN MEET TILL 1988! HE WAS SHOWING HEADS IN NEW YORK THIS SKINNY CAP WAY BEFORE YOU CLAIM YOU THOUGHT OF IT. BY THE WAY, IT WAS GENIUS…. BUT NOT YOURS, OURS! GENIUS FROM DTK CREW THAT TRIPPED OUT ON THIS CAP FROM HEX WAY BACK IN THE DAYS, HE HAD HEARD ABOUT SF’S CAP THAT WAS SIMILAR BUT NOT AS ADVANCED AS HEX’S. AND HE GAVE HIS HOMEBOY RESPECT FOR IT EVEN THOUGH CHARLIE AND POWER WOULD BAG ON HIM FOR TRYING TO USE IT ON HIS ONE EYED ROBOTS IN THE VALLEY.

    TODAY, WRITERS FROM LOS ANGELES ARE STILL ROCKIN ORIGINAL STYLES, CHARACTERS AND TECHNIQUES THAT SPANS THE ENTIRE GLOBE AND NATIONS. REVOK, SABER, UTI CREW, SEVENTH LETTER HEADS, AWR, CBS, ETC. ETC. ETC. EVEN THE LADIES HAVE MORE HEART AND LESS SNIFFLING AND COMPLAINING THAN SOME CRYBABY PUNK WRITERS… THAT ARE TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY!

    SANTO TGO CREW – NJ LA

  9. on 06 Sep 2009 at 9:06 pmSANTO TGO CREW

    P.S. – HEX ALWAYS SPOKE OF YOU, ESTRIA AND PICASSO (CRAYONES HOMEBOYS) WITH THE HIGHEST RESPECT ESPECIALLY IF OTHER HEADS FROM L.A. TRIED TO TALK SHIT. THIS IS WHY I DON’T GET YOUR MURMURINGS AND STATEMENTS, AS IF HE WAS EVEN AROUND TO DEFEND HIMSELF.

    PUNK

  10. on 16 Oct 2009 at 4:57 pmEstria

    Okay so I stand corrected. The plot thickens. I asked Crayone to tell me the story of when he first painted with Hex in LA. He said Hex already had the skinny cap, that it was exactly like ours, and that Hex claimed to have invented it. Crayone said it had been in use in the bay for about 2 years by the time he connected with Hex.

    I hope one day I can ask Hex about it, so curious now.

  11. on 04 Feb 2010 at 5:58 amEstria

    Just got off the phone tonight with Hex. What an inspiring conversation.

    Hex said that he and his homeboys used to experiment with every cap, nozzle, can with all kinds of ideas like melting them, freezing them, cutting them, and that’s how they came up with the skinny cap. He was 13 at the time, so I figure this must have been around 1981-82.

    Hex’s original intention wasn’t for the skinny cap to be used on the streets. They were inventing it to create the look of spray can lines, but on a smaller scale for when they painted on dungaree jackets (early levi type jackets). He didn’t use the cap again for a couple/few years until he started focusing on productions, and saw the use of it for fine detailing.

    So honored to have had this conversation with the legend, and to be able to preserve this piece of our history!

    Hex’s skinny cap is the same as how we make them today. The original one I was shown in the Bay Area was different in that it incorporated the entire plastic cap. I refined it down to the same style as Hex’s, but without ever having seen or heard about his skinny cap.

    Now the question remains of how the skinny cap was developed in the Bay Area.

  12. on 28 Mar 2010 at 11:39 pmBenOne

    Hi Estria, I was reading these old posts and noticed the tension about the origin of this skinny tip. While I am not sure who really came up with it, I will admit that the amazingly skinny lines are found throughout the history of graffiti, in pictures. So graff artists have been searching for this “holy grail” of tricks- making airbrush lines with the spraycan for decades now. I used to take a stencil burner to testors and just melt the air inlet in the neck closed and that did the trick for me. No drips or paint wasting. The rest of the details were from doing traditional layering and cuts, and lowering pressure. I went through a phase of using the stencil tip while working with the Earth Crew, but noticed I was getting more paint on the ground and my hands than on the wall LOL! As we all now know (or should know) spraypaint on the skin gets absorbed and the chemicals cause severe health issues. After seeing people die of this, along with not always wearing a mask, I was glad I had stopped using it. I am pushing 40 now, and the dudes that got up the most, and consistently did pieces on the regular, have had to struggle with a myriad of health issues that I won’t go into here.

    I also appreciate your ability to keep the tone somewhat civil and not fall into the troll-like name calling online that some people (ahem, Santo!) tend to resort to when they are passionate about their opinion. I am also glad you are still painting. It’s great to see the old school still shaking those cans.

    I would like to know how the stencil tip made its way up to the bay as well. It seems there was some earlier trips from the south perhaps? Or just another case of spontaneous combustion much like the infamous 3-d leap by Delta, Daim and Erni. 3 writers, 3 countries, 3 unique styles- one huge evolutionary jump.

    I started drawing graffiti when I was 11. I did my first wall at 12 (a swimming pool in Pomona). Joined my first crew at 14 (Spray Lords) and never looked back. I am on hiatus right now, raising a family, living in the wilderness LOL! and looking forward to the next phase in my life. Estria, you have always inspired me to go further and try harder. You and a few others including Skill, Hex, Slick, Risky, Toons, Mear, Vyal, Cre8, Skate, Epik, GearBoxxx and a slew of other close friends who I have the honor to say I have had in my life.

    Sorry Steve for using your space to write to Estria. Wasn’t my original intention. What I really wanted to point out was that the Belmont was the site of the first Hex-Slick battle if I recall correctly, followed by a series of impressive and somewhat hilarious indirect mini battles in the yards leading up to the Levitz showdown. I think it was Duke who did the L.A. letters in the middle of the first battle, and Frame who did the L.A. in the second. And yes, Hex stayed out all night at Belmont because Kitn (his girlfriend at the time) and I were the only other souls there throughout the night while he made history. And yes, I have the night time photos to back that up. His tenacity and dedication was my biggest influence, long after traces of his style left my veins for good. And Hex, if you’re reading this, I appreciate how you squashed it with me. That took a real man to admit what you admitted that night in Hollywood at the show. I will never forget what you told me.

    Thanks Steve for giving us this space to communicate. Hopefully something positive and constructive can come from this type of forum.

    Peace.

  13. on 29 Mar 2010 at 5:44 amsteveWP

    Ben,

    Thanks for the input. Communicate through this site anytime!

  14. on 27 Jul 2010 at 7:46 ammark7

    Massive good vibes…food for thought.Amazing moments in time.

  15. on 21 Aug 2010 at 10:32 pmKRIK

    Wow..a lot of tension over a spray paint cap with a hole.. I remember the first time I met HEX, we talked a while, he jumped in his VolksWagon Bug covered in ART and left..

    After he left I found a mutilated spray can cap, although very intuitive at the time, I never thought it would bring up this much conflict..

    KRIK

    p.s.
    20 years later, I still know how to make that cap..lol

  16. on 18 Apr 2011 at 2:16 pmkingkan

    yeah boi bop bop bop brap brap hella millions fallin in the sky

  17. on 18 Apr 2011 at 2:17 pmhilltopperz

    kingkan is a legend

  18. on 18 Apr 2011 at 2:18 pmionz

    ^agreed:)))

  19. on 19 Apr 2011 at 11:50 am^agreed^

    ^Agreed lol lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

  20. on 03 May 2011 at 9:35 amLION71 TGO

    Benone from Pomona????? This dude is tryin to school on L.A. originators?????? HEX represented for the South Side of Los Angeles (Port of Los Angeles, Paramount, Compton, Lynwood, South Gate, Huntington Park, South Central, Bell Gardens, Commerce, all the way up to East L.A. ( Brooklyn Avenue to Downtown. He was born in the heart of L.A. and lived off of Lucas and Third st for years. (A few blocks up from the Belmont Tunnelz) How is this Ben dude going to try to act like a fucken authority on Los Angeles?

  21. on 08 May 2012 at 11:27 pmBenOne

    I am not trying to “school” anyone Lion. I am “that” BenOne from Pomona, and never claimed to be an “authority” on Los Angeles. However, I know what I saw, lived and painted as well as who I dealt with back in the days and I stand by everything I say and do. I don’t need you to tell me anything about Hex that I don’t already know. Hex and I go back to the days of his first battle with Slick, his second battle, and the Earth Crew days, the trip to Mexico, right up to when he stepped out of the scene and honorably took on larger battles… So authority, nope, never claimed to be… but as a WITNESS, well, you can ask Hector yourself if it’s that important to you. I was young, but old enough to actually LEAVE my city and traveled all over So Cal to share and represent. Just because I keep it low profile doesn’t mean I wasn’t there at all. I’m just not a fame fiend, and I’ll be doing this long after kings lose crowns and new styles emerge. And anyone who denies I was there and a part of this is just a hater with something to hide. I don’t blame you for not knowing who I am. Few people speak of me and that is the whole intent of being under the radar. If I wanted to be an authority on Los Angeles, you would know. EVERYBODY would know.
    I got shit to do, so I gotta cut this short, but best believe, there was a person named Ben from Pomona who was very much spending time in Los Angeles, in the mid to late 80’s, as a teen on the RTD 480/484 lines meeting writers, taking pics, doing pieces in people’s books, airbrushing, etc. and yes, painting with Hex on occasion as part of the Earth Crew. Lion, it wouldn’t hurt for you to simply ask somebody. We basically know the same folks. Whether they liked me or hated me, I was there and I stood my ground.

    Salute.

  22. on 20 Sep 2012 at 7:08 amanonymous

    Dam …Ben dropping knowledge!!!! LoL

  23. on 27 Jun 2015 at 3:08 amMARIO83

    Ben is a soft toy trying to act like a historian, just because you hung around Los Angeles dont mean you lived, got busy, got shot at or slept in the city. Pomona has its own history like the Groove-a-tronz , Acerock, Boardman and OG Oxski 1984 who never once mention you. Hex dont have to verify who he is or what hes done for the West Coast. Legends dont flash laundrylists, they live life and impact others. There is a clear difference between a WRITER & a witness.

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