Summarize:

Remember that designing your own tag and actually tagging a physical space are two different things. Don’t rush out and try doing both at once. Before you pick up a spray can, sit down with some paper and a pen, pencil, or marker. Sketch your ideas and gradually perfect them before committing them to a (near) permanent canvas. If you’re anxious to dive right into actual tagging, decide which letters you need to focus on instead of practicing the whole alphabet. Before you settle on one, check online to see if anyone else already goes by that tag. If so, come up with another. However, if you feel more patient, hold off on a name for right now. Keep in mind that:  Your tag needs to be visually appealing, so a name that sounds cool might be less impressive visually than one that sounds blah but looks pretty awesome. You’re free to change your name at any time, both before and after you start tagging. If you plan on doing any illegal artwork, make sure that your alias can’t be traced back to you in any way. Understand that tagging incorporates your whole body’s movement as you paint, with the end result ideally conveying a sense of that movement and energy to the viewer. However, realize that you need to take baby-steps to do that with any level of mastery. For now, practice drawing simple forms of typography freehanded, like Arial or Sans-Serif. As you do, pay particular attention to:  Angles Spacing Symmetry Thickness As you grow more confident in drawing simple fonts freehanded, experiment by altering them slightly. Aim to suggest movement with each line to a letter. Play with angles, spacing, symmetry, and thickness to transform a whole letter into a more dynamic shape. For example, with the letter “P,” you could:  Tilt the angle of the whole letter so that its top is pointing slightly to the right, and its bottom to the left, or vice versa. Curve its vertical line so it resembles the letter “J” for a more languid, swooping effect. Reduce the size of the loop at its top to suggest a sharper, tighter, swifter line. Feel free to simply copy what others have already done when you start tinkering. Virtually all artists (whether they’re graffiti artists or another kind) start out by doing this, so don’t feel bad about it. If anything, feel confident, because this way you’ll be more conscious about what aspects you end up borrowing and which you can credit as your own original ideas. However:  Don’t be content with just copying. Blatant mimicry in finished tags (or “biting,” as it’s called in graffiti circles) is frowned upon. This is another reason why it’s important to start out with a sketchbook. This way you can learn by others’ examples without being accused of trying to pass off borrowed styles as your own. As you grow more satisfied with each letter on its own, start grouping them together to see how they look as a whole. You don’t have to literally paint the whole tag in one unbroken move, but aim to suggest a fluid, graceful motion from one letter to the next. Continue tinkering with each letter as needed with an eye toward how it gels with the rest until you’re satisfied with the full effect. For example: If you’re using the letters “U” and “V,” you may be pleased at first with how they each look individually. However, you may then realize that they’re too similar and confusing when paired together. In this case, you’ll have to alter one or both to make them more distinct so your tag is easily legible.
Start with paper and pen. Choose an alias now, or wait until later. Start with “static” fonts. Start tinkering with each letter to suggest movement. Copy others’ styles at first. Practice your full tag.