Tag: Calligraffiti

5965. Cumberland Basin

Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2024
Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2024

I don’t know who or what CLANCY is, but it makes for some fabulous calligraffiti by Stivs, who has been having something of a purple patch this spring. The colours that Stivs has chosen for this piece are rather regal and opulent, but also a little garish in a fairground kind of way, if that makes sense.

Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2024
Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2024

As ever his letters are  beautifully crafted and have that regularity and discipline required for calligraffiti. There are three tones of purple used in the letters, each in the same orientation to create depth and a 3D effect, and this is offset by the yellow tones, looking like gold, for the drop shadow. This is a highly accomplished piece of writing from a master of the craft.

5960. M32 roundabout J3 (566)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024

Profanity alert! It is a long held tradition for graffiti writing to be edgy, either in location, style or content, and sometimes writing profanities disguised or otherwise is part of that attitude, without which street and graffiti art would be nothing. Some of the earliest graffiti from Roman times was essentially cock and balls doodles in public spaces.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024

Stivs presents us with the word ‘FUCK’ styled with his exquisite calligraffiti writing that brings a bitter-sweet challenge. Great colours that smack you in the face and beautifully finished, this is graffiti art at its subversive best.

5918. St Werburghs tunnel (415)

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

The turnout for Ryder’s paint jam in the tunnel at the end of February was impressive, so much so, that I am way behind with posting many of the pieces, and some will inevitably get left behind in my archive. I felt it important to post this beauty from Stivs though, as it is a really great piece of calligraffiti writing.

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

This piece reverts to Stivs’ former letters which spell ‘KRAP’ or some variant of it. What is nice about this piece is that he has matched the colours with the Inkie piece from the same paint jam, which I posted a little while back. Set on a starry background, this is yet another classy piece from Stivs.

5879. M32 Cycle path (255)

Todoaciem, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2024
Todoaciem, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2024

There is something visually poetic about great calligraffiti, and whilst not always the easiest on the eye, it somehow feels like it is at the ‘high-brow’ end of graffiti writing. Whatever one’s opinion on the final product, there is a lot of control, discipline and skill required to create a stand-out piece of calligraffiti.

Todoaciem, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2024
Todoaciem, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2024

Todoaciem is one of two top-class calligraffiti artists in Bristol, and this piece on the M32 Cycle path amply demonstrates his quality. Painting in blue and yellow, a combination he has used to good effect before, Todoaciem has letters that stand out, because of their contrast, the yellow providing a drop shadow for the blue letters. A tidy piece from a skilled writer.

5866. M32 roundabout J3 (558)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024

It was great to catch up with Stivs while he was painting this piece, and it gave me the opportunity to tell him how much I admired his incredible technical skills with creating these amazing calligraffiti letters. Stivs has made a deliberate choice to move back to writing words he used to write before writing Stivs, namely the word KRAP and variants of it. In this case he has written KRAPSTER.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024

The letters are not only beautifully crafted and proportioned, but they also incorporate four shades of yellow, one for each elevation, which together create the appearance of gold letters and a three-dimensional effect. The letters are set on a contrasting matrix of pink lines and squiggles, which rounds off the whole production nicely. Great piece by Stivs.

5728. M32 roundabout J3 (539)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I would say that we haven’t seen nearly enough of Stivs’ work in the latter half of this year, so it was particularly gratifying to find this piece on the M32 roundabout, and even though it didn’t last very long, it was noticed.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The calligraffiti writing was painted as a birthday piece for his brother Kelvin, and I can’t really think of a better present than a tribute piece of artwork like this, I know I’d be made up by such a gesture. The beautifully proportioned letters are given an extra lift from the wall by the clever use of  the green drop shadow, which itself has a black border. Care and attention was given to the piece, as demonstrated by the sand coloured background and subtle wisps of paint around the letters. Great work from Stivs.

5724. M32 Cycle path (243)

Todoaciem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Todoaciem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I haven’t seen many pieces by Todoaciem this year, and I hope that his lack of painting on the streets is because he has other important things happening in his life, such as employment or family etc. The rarity makes each piece even more enjoyable to find, and this piece of calligraffiti alongside the M32 motorway is an absolute belter.

Todoaciem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Todoaciem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The writing spells out CIEM ONE in rich gold and purple tones, the colours of royalty. A light dusting of light blue serves to lift the letters a little. Todoaciem is a master of calligraffiti, and his letter proportions and shapes are outstanding, to leave us with a superb example of this style of writing.

5468. River Avon (51)

Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

With the turnover of art in Bristol being such as it is, I get an awful lot of pieces left behind in my archives, and then I forget whether I have posted them or not. I guess that this is a bit of a first-world problem, but it troubles me a little. I was certain that I had posted this piece by Wxttsart, but it would seem as though I hadn’t. It is still in great condition, so perhaps it is relatively recent, and I am mistaking it for another similar piece. Anyhoo, it is a bit of a blinder.

Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

I describe Wxttsart’s work as a bit of a blend of calligraffiti with a touch of anti-style. I’m not too sure how the artist would describe it, but it is unique and always recognisable. The red script letters spelling MILK are nicely proportioned (a feature of calligraffiti) and have been bestowed with a deep 3D drop shadow in lilac shades. The whole thing is set on a fine green cloudy backdrop which contrasts well with the letters. This is another great piece from Wxttsart.

5450. River Avon (49)

Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

This is a piece that I thought I had posted, which makes me think that it might have been painted some time ago. Having said that, it might be a recent piece. It is so difficult to keep on top of street and graffiti art in Bristol at the moment, because I have never known the turnover to be so high, nor the number of new entrants into the urban art community. Each time I go out, which is most days, I can find between 5 and 10 new pieces, which gives you some idea of the scale of activity in our vibrant city.

Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

Todoaciem is one of two top-class calligraffiti writers in Bristol, the other being Stivs. Most of the time Todoaciem will write the letters CIEM in a Gothic style typeface, maintaining strict conventions in the letter shapes and forms. There is no room for error, as even small mistakes would be obvious in the overall look of the piece. From the photographs and from memory, it is difficult to tell if this is chrome and red or white and red, but I think it is the former. Whatever the colours, the form is fabulous and the piece another fine example of great calligraffiti from Todoaciem.

5364. Dean Lane skate park (620)

Todoaciem, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Todoaciem, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Although totally unplanned, I have managed to post two consecutive pieces from the same wall. The previous one was by Dibz, with his tag-style graffiti, and this one from Todoaciem is a delightful calligraffiti script piece, which is really rather unusual.

Todoaciem, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Todoaciem, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Todoaciem and Stivs probably jointly hold the crown for calligraffiti in Bristol, and you can understand why. This piece takes the regular standard form of calligraffiti to a new level by introducing a script-style font and the result is really effective. Painted on a blue and green bubble background, the whole thing is a delicious feast for the eye.