Photo courtesy Gay Goodman Faux Real Floors . Hot Air Balloon Museum, Albuquerque New Mexico

Most graffiti letters styles are curvy 3 dimentional Hip Hop influenced. Few individuals have the artistic skills to create some of the cool art forms that you see on the internet and in art galleries or on the side of a building, train or rock.

Stencils have been use as a solution. Stencils help people like me who have the desire but don’t have the skills. In the hands of the gifted artist, stencils can help create images that are not possible by freehand. The images you see here were all created with Flattoos and with the exception of the Harley Davidson image were created by Gay Goodman of Faux Real Floors.

Flattoos created by Surface Gel Tek is a stencil system that has opened up a market for graffiti letters styles on concrete. The Flattoo system utilizes various gels that will carry color, preventing bleed and providing control. One of the biggest challenges with graffiti art is controlling your color from running or bleeding into another image.

Flattoos enable the artist to create graffiti letters styles using stains and dyes like with the control of a brush. Flattoos have led to the formation of Caribou Art a custom art business. Caribou Art can take any image and create Flattoos with the use of a graphics software program. Once the image is scanned the image is set for the appropriate size.

At the new New York Yankee Stadium, Flattoos will be applied to create baseball graffiti 20 feet in diameter on concrete walls.

If you happen to see graffiiti letters styles on the wall of a building take a digital image and e-mail it to Surface Gel Tek, the owner of Caribou Art and developer of the Flattoo.

Specify the dimensions, make any modifications and Surface Gel Tek will send you the Flattoos. When they’re large they come in pieces that are easily marked and assembled like a puzzle. Size does not matter, any size can be achieved.

Phtograph of Vertical Application by Faux Real Floors , Gaye Goodman -project si Hot Air Balloon Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Flattoo makes graffiti letter styles unlimited. The outcome is a result of artistic creativity.

Graffiti Face by Caribou Art

Graffiti characters drawings above was created by Caribou Art of Mesa Arizona. Caribou Art was started by Tamryn Doolan owner of Surface Gel Tek.

The client took a digital photograph od the image from graffiti on the wall of a building. Caribou Art created the graffiti character drawings with a software program and was able to create a Flattoo (concrete stencil) of the image. The Flattoo was applied to a 3′ x 5′ concrete board covered with a thin concrete coating.

The image could have had unlimited results depending on the artist. In this case the colors used were primarily acid stains. It is possible that the typical graffiti artists tools of spray paint and markers could have been used. However there are various concrete stains and dyes that can work as well.

The Flattoos enable graffiti character drawings in unlimited sizes. There are simple applications or create artistic effect. The process using Flattoos can be as creative as the art of tattooing or hip hop graffiti.

An interesting artistic result would be to assemble 28 pieces of Hardy Backer concrete board on the floor. Thats 21′ x 20′. Skim coat the boards then apply the Flattoo. Any number of artistic tools like airbrushes, paint brushes, sponges, rags, resists can be used. The Flattoo is peeled up. If there is more work to do then apply your skill.

The graffiti character drawings can be hung on a wall with slight breaks between each piece. Interesting results.

The Flatto process can make an amateur an expert and for experts the Flattoo provides a unique tool.

Visit Surface Gel Tek for more information.

Photographs courtesy Dana Boyer, Concretizen

Hip Hop influenced letters are the most celebrated form of graffiti lettering. However the term Graffiti is derived from the term Graffiato which means scratched. So pretty much anything goes, the styles are unlimited. If you want to learn to draw graffiti letters and images consider what interests you. There is no right or wrong.

Graffiti has come a long way in the past 4 decades though it’s been around for thousands of years. In recent years it was considered vandalism. Now it’s a constant debate as to whether it is vandalism or art. The top graffiti artists have their works in art galleries worldwide. When it ends up unwanted on the sides of buildings it’s vandalism. In an art gallery, art. The vandals are artists. The controversy is part of the appeal.

One artistic entrepreneur, Tamryn Doolan has formed a business called Caribou Art in Mesa Arizona. Tamryn created a line of concrete stencils called Flattoos. Tamryn uses Hardy Backer Board with a thin concrete coating as her canvas. . When dry she applies the Flattoos which stick to the concrete. From there she fills in the blanks.

Caribou Art – Dragons on Concrete

If you are looking to learn to draw graffiti letters and images you can start with a Flattoo. Have your Flattoo custom created based on any image. e-mail your choice to Tamryn. She’ll usually have it back to you in a few days.

The Flattoo process is a form of Artistic Graffiti. Concrete artists have been using the process to personalize concrete floors. Caribou Art takes the process vertical just like Graffiti artists. The beauty of working with concrete is that the options are unlimited. Not only can you learn to draw graffiti letters with Flattoos but with concrete you can create the look of brick or stone just like the sides of buildings. Then you apply your image, apply your artistry and seal it preserving it indefinately. You can put a frame on it and hang it on a wall if you want.

The uniqueness of Caribou Art is that once sealed it can be hung outdoors. Since it’s concrete it is conceivable that you could create a year round outdoor art gallery.

Take a look at some of the photographs. If you are interested to learn how to draw graffiti letters and images no matter the size or complexity visit the caribou Art parent company Surface Gel Tek.

Flattoos were used to create graffiti art on Concrete Canoes below.