Tag: Wildstyle

1912. Upfest 2018 (108)

With so many artists flooding in to Bristol for Upfest, it is always great to see that there is a good representation of local artists, who keep things real. It can be overwhelming seeing so much street art, and at times awe inspiring, but it is as well to remember the roots of a festival like this whose foundations were built on the work of graffiti writers and street artists who produce work day in and day out on our city streets.

Ryder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Ryder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This is a great piece of writing from Ryder of RAW (Read and Weep) which is technically brilliant as well as rather beautiful. Each of the letters seems to be bursting with character, and the colours and shading are absolutely masterfully worked. Anyone who wants to get more into burners, should take a long hard look at this one and enjoy the technique that has been applied to create it.

1897. M32 roundabout J3 (110)

The penultimate post from this magnificent paint jam in November on the long high wall of the M32 roundabout features this outstanding piece of writing by Smak. I am so full of admiration and awe really when I look at this artist’s work and try to figure out how he arrives at his designs and then carries them out so meticulously.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 20189
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 20189

On this wall Smak is in great graffiti writing company, with contributions from Deamze, Hemper and Soker. It really is a feast for the eyes when this lot get together.

1871. St Werburghs tunnel (53)

It is often the way with photographing street art that you can go for long periods without seeing anything from an artist, and then all of a sudden a rush of pieces all come along at once. This has as much to do with the habits of the viewer (me) as it does with the painter.

Rusk, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018
Rusk, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018

This is a fine piece in the middle of the tunnel at St Werburghs by Rusk from RAW (Read and Weep). Unfortunately the colours are dulled by the orange lighting in the tunnel, but you can see the metallic sheen on the writing, cleverly enhanced with the white accent dots. In case you haven’t worked it out, the letters spell RUSK. Two things I like here…the first is the piece hanging above by Corupt and the second is the Read and Weep label on the right hand side. Rusk rarely disappoints.

1869. M32 roundabout J3 (107)

Sometimes words aren’t really enough to describe how good a piece of graffiti writing is, and this is a case in point. This is Deamze’s contribution to the recent paint jam by ASK and friends on the M32 roundabout, and it really leaves me speechless.

Deamze, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Deamze, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

There is so much to like about this piece over and above the technical execution, for example the exquisite colour selections that match the other works on this wall, but not only that, the way Deamze uses the colours, especially the greens, lifts the piece from the wall. The leafy design within his letters is also really beautiful. In all this is a masterful piece.

1866. M32 roundabout J3 (106)

Consistency. A word that comes to mind when I think about graffiti writing by Soker. His work is always immaculate, beautifully conceived and generally just brilliant in every way.

Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

This piece is the third that I have posted from this magnificent paint jam earlier in the month, featuring mainly artists from ASK plus one or two guests…more on them later. The crew have really raised the bar this time.

1864. Star and Garter (1)

I have known this spot for a long while now, and have visited it a couple of times in the past, but there hasn’t been much that I have been able to get my teeth in to…that is until now. This is a really fabulous piece of writing from PWA’s Soap. Great design, vibrant colours and lovely crisp lines.

Soap, Star and Garter, Bristol, November 2018
Soap, Star and Garter, Bristol, November 2018

I particularly like the way the colours bleed out of the top right hand side in smokey clouds – a clever effect. PWA (Pirate Wall Art) have really been showing the way over the last six months or so, and are a dominant force in the Bristol street art scene. Great spot, great work from Soap.

1863. New Stadium Road (10)

Back in one of his favourite spots, Deamze is at it again with one of his wildstyle writing plus cartoon combos.On this occasion no amount of research is going to help me identify the cartoon character. It is one of those that you either know or you don’t.

Deamze, New Stadium Road, Bristol, October 2018
Deamze, New Stadium Road, Bristol, October 2018

These pieces seem to come so easily to Deamze, and yet I’m sure there is a lot of hard work that goes into producing each one, especially as his lines are so sharp and precise. I wonder if after so much practice Deamze can simply freestyle these or whether he follows a plan – as I’ve not yet met him (I think we have different biological clocks) I’ve never been able to ask him. One day maybe.

1860. M32 roundabout J3 (103)

Hemper is something of an enigma, as indeed are so many street artists in Bristol. Other than that he has long experience spraying in the city and that he is highly regarded by his peers, I really know very little about him.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

This is a wonderfully sophisticated piece of wildstyle writing that disguises the letters HEMS, each of the letters in alternate white or black paint. The interlocking of the letters is something of a marvel, and just looking at the piece makes my mind boggle. It really is very good.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

I particularly like the little green spheres that set the whole thing off, and feel that without them it might have looked a little sterile. This is the second piece I have posted from a recent paint jam at this spot.

1837. Waterloo Place (4)

Deamze comes up trumps again with this spectacular piece of wildstyle writing that was sprayed next to the piece by Kleiner Shames I posted a little while back on the wall at the back of the Sofa Project. This wall is just magnificent and both artists have used the same colour schemes but presented their personal styles, so strictly speaking this was working at the same time together, but not necessarily a collaboration.

Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, October 2018
Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, October 2018

Unusually, this is a piece without a cartoon character and has a little more gravitas for it. It almost feels more like a study…a serious piece of graffiti writing turned out impeccably with crisp lines and clean edges, strong solid fills and complex design. Even if not a fan of writing, one can marvel at the technical ability of the artist. I love this and its partner piece. Brilliant.

Kleiner Shames, Waterloo Place, Bristol, October 2018
Kleiner Shames, Waterloo Place, Bristol, October 2018

1810. M32 roundabout J3 (99)

Smak has really been smashing it lately with some magnificent writing all over Bristol. His colour combinations, lettering and feature details are just getting better and better. This is a fine recent piece from the M32 Roundabout.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018

I love the colour progression from left to right, and the letters while slightly disguised are clearly legible. It is the temple facade in the middle of the piece that really lifts it up to another level and columns and stone too. This is a great piece.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018